I was invited by IzyP, Arts Blogger and Podcast Host, to the Black Clash at Hagley Oval. It was a relatively intense matchup with incredible moments that made it a great night. I couldn't help but notice one thing that sort of bugged me though... It just sort of annoyed me and if it wasn't for the pretty prime time spot Isaac and I had found, I would've wanted to move. It was an obnoxious middle-aged man.
Now, I don't want to say he was intolerable because that would just be false, but he was definitely annoying. He was seated right behind the fencing with three friends (they didn't seem so annoying though). I thought he was okay. He threw out a few chirps at Jordie Barrett and he (like anyone else would've) ignored the guy entirely. It must be said that this man was entirely for Team Cricket and nothing else. He cheered with every run they got (which is great, don't get me wrong) but then chose to scream "BOO" with every dot ball. It looked like he was taking this match very personally. I get it. Sports are great. He turned up in his Blackcaps gear with hair that was more than likely dyed that day for the "big match" but he just went a step far. I love chirps as much as the next guy, but this guy was actually an idiot. What's worse is that he was a drunk one.
Sure, I have a bias. I won't deny that, but you'll soon understand if you don't already. Colonel Sanders was walking around the oval for a part of it... I shouldn't need to clarify, but we have rugby fans here... It wasn't really Colonel Sanders, it was a man in a Colonel Sanders costume. Anyway, the Colonel wasn't able to see through his costume very well so had to be pretty much pushed along by a helper part of the "Colonel Crew" and this is where our middle-aged friend comes back into the picture. The person pushing the Colonel along was a very young woman (particularly in relation to our middle-aged friend) and he turns to his friends and says something and then turns, points at this young woman (who is about my age, I'd say) and says louder than he probably should... "No, that pig looking thing next to him" and... look... I would normally find things like that funny because it's usually said in an obviously joking tone to a friend, but this man... what an idiot. You just can't say that really. Particularly when you're twice someone's age and have a rather sizable gut of your own.
IzyP and I went to get food and we settled on mini donuts because they're great. When we got back, our middle-aged friend was gone. Nowhere to be seen. He took himself and that backpack chair of his home, clearly. It was fascinating. It's almost as if he realised his evening of yawning demonstrated that he had, once again, stayed up too late screaming at legitimate athletes to mask the potential crisis he's having.
I don't know. I wish him well, but he is obnoxious. I'll be honest about that much. I hope I never see him again.
