And the biggest difference: college girls. You might have seen that one coming.

The bar has football on Sundays on the big screens. During baseball season, baseball, during basketball season, basketball. Soccer, when it is the Sounders. Also on occasion, hockey, although I do not profess to know what their season actually is: it always seems to start earlier than I would expect, and go on longer than I would have imagined. I guess it always seemed like a game that would start in November and end in January. And then the hockey players would visit their dentists in February. Something like that.

That said, I would not call the bar a sports bar. Sure, people show in crowds for the UW Huskies and NFL Seahawks games, but most of the other times games are on the screen, but people aren't paying them much attention. Usually the jukebox is playing, the games on mute.

There is one guy who gambles on the sports: he usually is paying rapt attention to games no one else seems to care about. But when you have money riding on it I guess even boring teams can be exciting. Especially when you've been on a losing streak and rent is past due.

The crowds differ between the local University football game and the local NFL game. The Seahawks get a big crowd, and it is pretty diverse: it is not all broken men. The college game, though: it gets packed, and it gets spirited. And the biggest difference: college girls. You might have seen that one coming.

The college girls show up in their University colors. Often these University colors are on tight, tight T-shirts. Sometimes team decals are stuck on their faces. Once in awhile a college girl will come, dressed as a cheerleader; guys seem to like that.

Not all the college girls are beautiful, but even those not blessed with casual good fortune are attractive when they are in the moment, cheering. The spirit can be a beautiful thing. Hope springing eternal and all that.

And it stays a beautiful thing until the second half, when -- for -- many of the college girls -- the candy-colored alcohol drinks are making them sloppy. And loud, even when they are not trying to be loud. And there are two more quarters to go.

At this point the college boys are tring to identify their best opportunity for an after-game hook-up. Some of the college kids discreetly look for guys who can provide party supplies. It is a scenario I have mentioned before: there will be college girls waking up in unfamiliar places, with game decals still stuck to their faces. Regret, etc. Maybe oaths to swear off booze.

Most of those oaths are destined to be broken at the next week's game. Maybe the college girls have been made wiser from their experiences. But then, they again are loud, even when they are not trying to be loud.



- james james

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