Looking around the NNSL newsroom on a sunny Wednesday morning, faces were glued to the television screen, which is supposed to be for news.
Too bad for that because it was FIFA World Cup time and England was playing Croatia for a spot in the final on Sunday. Naturally, I wanted England to come out on the wrong end of it simply because I'm Scottish. There is no way a self-respecting Scot would ever cheer for England in anything having to do with sports.
I don't care what the sport is or what the occasion – no one is going to pull the whole 'Aren't you like the same country and stuff?' crap with me. We are not the same country. I dare you to go down into the deepest, darkest corners Glasgow at 2 a.m. on McCannon St. and tell anyone who'll listen in George Square that Scotland is Britain. If you escape intact, keep running and don't stop.
Anyway, with that rant out of the way, there was more than one person in our newsroom cheering for England.
“It's coming home,” one had the gall to say, which, as you've already heard from Ollie Williams is one of the silliest lines ever conceived.
Turns out, it isn't coming home and it won't be coming home for at least another four years. This one fan in the newsroom was so disappointed that he started bellyaching about how he didn't like sports anymore and by they way, shouldn't the television be for news?
Oh well. Such is life. Now they know how I feel when it comes to the Scottish and Canadian soccer teams. In fact, another esteemed member of our newsroom turned to me and asked how Scotland was doing, feigning ignorance as if he didn't know whether Scotland was still in it. I showed him how I felt about that crack.
The response is a simple one: unlike most English supporters, I know my two loves will never be anywhere near a World Cup. It's like I tell other Toronto Maple Leafs fans: unlike you, I don't have to wonder if my team is going to have a bad year – I know it. Canada may sneak in when 2026 rolls around because they will co-host it with Mexico and the U.S. but even then, who knows?
I will be honest about one thing, though: if England had won, I would have gotten up early on Sunday to watch the game simply because it would have been historic. No way would I venture out to one of the restaurants in town that will be open early on Sunday because that would be suicide.
I know there are those of you who aren't English and were cheering for England. I'm willing to wager a big part of that is because of the the English Premier League. Lots of soccer folks in Yellowknife are fans of teams such as Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and the like. I left out Manchester City because, well, who cheers for Manchester City? You'll see the jerseys all over the place and you know they will be cheering for England.
It's OK – join me on the commiseration sideline. I know how you feel. Your team didn't win, which is a quadrennial occurrence in my world. Or, if you really want to get your thoughts out, drop me a line. Nothing makes me smile more than a jilted sports fan. Several Leafs fans have let me know now much they love me over the years. Why don't some of you England supporters do the same?
So am I happy England is out? Maybe a smidgen but I do feel a bit for them. Don't tell anyone, though.