JOHNS HOPKINS LACROSSE
The Johns Hopkins lacrosse team is one of the best in the nation. They have won 1 World Lacrosse Championship, 2 Olympic Gold Medals, 9 Division Championships, and 44 National Championships. We attended their Day of Rivals game against Maryland.
1) Prior to the game, learn how it is played using Wikipedia. This will ensure that you don't make an absolute fool of yourself during the game. It is important to note that when people at lacrosse games talk about 'attackers' they are referring to the forwards, not scary people carrying knives and chasing you.
2) Find out the colors of each team before arriving. Wear none of them. This is a protection against crazy people who may hate you for supporting the wrong team.
3) As lacrosse is played in the spring, attend one of the later season games so the weather is warmer. This makes it that much more hilarious when mother nature pulls a fast one and it ends up being cold and rainy the entire game.
4) When parking, avoid abandoned, decrepit parking lots manned by suspicious-looking characters who charge $15 a car. Especially when they all disappear in the ten minutes it takes you to drive to the ATM. Instead park much closer to the stadium for free.
5) In order to not create rifts with your game-time neighbors who may support a different team, yell only vague things such as "Go team!" and "Good scorepointgoal!" (Just kidding. We didn't really yell anything random like that, although I was tempted. We did cheer when both teams scored, though. I think it confused the people around us.)
6) If possible, attend a rivalry game. This will increase the amount of entertainment from fanatic fans who yell random things like, "Hey Hopkins - you only pretend to live in a tough neighborhood!" (Rivalry games will also allow you to attend the game in the Baltimore Raven's stadium, which will appease your guilt for having forgotten to attend a football game during the NFL season. Oops.)
7) While lacrosse may look like soccer with sticks or hockey on grass, do not share these observations with die-hard lacrosse fans. They may find such comparisons offensive.
18 comments:
Sounds like fun was had by all.
Glad you made it there okay. I've heard lacrosse if very entertaining. I bet it was fun. So did you pay the $15 or get free parking?
We got the free parking. The whole $15 thing was super shady. We went to an atm to get cash, came back, and everyone was gone. Like the whole thing disappeared. We stayed for a minute, trying to figure out what was going on, and just as we were leaving a guy pulled up quickly and started trying to get us to pay him. We left and parked free somewhere else (like five blocks closer, too). I think a group of guys just found some random lot and set up to make it look like they were legit, just to make money off unsuspecting and naive people. Pretty ingenious, albeit dishonest.
Ha, ha! Apparently Sam was signed in. That last comment was my answer to you, Cara!
My little bro plays lacrosse and would be SO jealous of you!
Ahhhh lacrosse...haven't seen it in, like, uh since high school - so in forever! Maryland...makes me want to go back.
Haha! This was very funny to read. I know nothing about lacrosse except that I know people who say it's a game for snobs. I wouldn't know obviously.:-) It looks fun, though! It's up there on my list of sporting events to attend like rugby, polo, and cricket.
Hey! Did you know that Spanish Fork has a lacrosse team? Because I didn't until I saw them practicing when I drove by one day. See how much we still have in common?
I miss lacrosse too! I grew up in Syracuse, and they have a pretty sweet team (a friend of mine from high school is actually the team captain this year). Once you learn the game and whats going on, you find yourself absorbed in it and you forget about the freezing cold rain (actually is most likely because you can't feel anything anymore). That's so cool that you guys got to do that. You never know- maybe one of your kids will be the next star player!
It looks like there was some blue and red worn by your family... But it also sounds like you were already in trouble with the hard core fans around you! This is one thing that I don't think we have in common. I really don't like going to or watching sports (Olympics or playoffs by hometeams excepted). Baseball in person is so looong and boring... I can handle a little basketball or hockey (haven't tried lacrosse). When my brother played football in high school I would bring a book and read except when he was on the field! I'm a dork I know. Luckily Matt doesn't like to watch sports either! When one of his bosses gave us free tickets to a game we didn't know what to do!
I'm going to go ahead and answer Erin's comment. Janae, you can correct me if I'm wrong! :)
I'm not a huge fan of watching games, either. It's funny, because I love playing sports. Watching other people do it seems kind of like a waste of time, though. Janae (I think) likes going to games for the ambiance and the social aspect of it, not necessarily to watch anyone score a pointgoalunit. I think we mostly went to the game to say we'd seen lacrosse. I have to say it was more interesting than a lot of football games I've been to. It lasted about 5 hours less, and there were about 95.765% fewer timeouts/commercial breaks/pauses between downs (okay, there weren't any downs, but that's inconsequential). For us, the game was all about "the experience", and it was a great one. Is that a fair assessment, Janae?
Wikipedia...bah!
Sam - Yeah, I think you did good. :)
Erin - Okay, I guess Sam beat me to the punch, but I was essentially going to say the same thing. I more prefer the social aspect of it. And Sam hates it all together. Although I must say that there is a HUGE difference between regular sport games and BYU football. I *love* those games. My dad has season tickets and when we'd get them, Sam would ditch out and I'd go with my friends. Oh, and I do like BYU basketball. But not like football. I'm more a BYU fan than a sports fan. :)
So I was just thinking...my google reader must be wrong because it's been FOREVER since Janae posted. So I came to your blog to check when you last posted and uh...it was 2 days ago.
Um, I'm obviously too obsessed with reading blogs.
I've never even seen a lacrosse game and have no idea how it's played, but it looks pretty brutal. So, did you offend people by comparing it to soccer? Soccer rocks by the way. Too bad that you couldn't hit an NFL game. I hear those are pretty intense too. Ever since Jason got me signed up in a fantasy football league with his cousins, I've been a football junkie. Weird for a girl, but Jason doesn't seem to mind. I guess I've got to limit myself to watching only one sport religiously, so, I guess what I'm saying is that becoming a lacrosse watcher in the future doesn't look to promising. It looks like you had fun...you always do. What a good mom/wife you are!
It is good that you shared this guide with us, in case we ever go to a game!
I'm flattered I got a comment from Janae and Sam! I'm surprised you're not bigger sports fans because you've been to quite a few sporting events since I've been reading! I can understand the school spirit aspect of it though. You had to go to the high school football games. It was the social event of the week.
How fun to go to a Lacrosse game. I think it seems like an interesting sport, but I have never been to a game. Now if I ever go, I have the complete guide to help me have a good experience!
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