My contact family (the Köhlers) was kind enough to bring me to an AIK playoff game in the Globe. Although our team lost and was eliminated, the game was exciting to the end. The final score was 2-1, and there were many exciting moments.
Hockey games here are so different from NHL games. Although all Swedish hockey players aspire to be in the NHL someday, I think that the overall game experience is far greater in Sweden - for the fans, at least. Every seat is filled and no one leaves to use the bathroom or buy food during the period. Late-comers are not even allowed to take their seats if the period has already started. Every fan is dressed in support of his or her team, and everyone knows the rules of hockey and their team's anthems (of which there are MANY). This is not an event that one would take a date or business partner to. There is hardly any conversation among the fans - only cheering, singing, and shouting directed at the players. The bond between fans and their teams is just incredible. When the final buzzer sounded, the fans just cheered even louder, thanking their team for a great season. The team responded, as each player acknowledged the fans for several minutes. Everyone was disappointed, but no one was about to mope - they had too much to be grateful for! The fans didn't want to leave with their heads hung - they wanted to raise the spirits of their hockey heroes, because they actually cared about THEM, and not their own individual interests. I think there's much for American athletes and fans to learn from this type of display...
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| inside Globen |
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| my contact family, minus Elias: Noel, Christopher, and Marjo |
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