Doing all this intellectual programming stuff for uni must be turning me into an anti-geek in my free time, because I just read about a football game and it actually interested me.

It seems tonight the Bulldogs played out a reversal of their match against the Eels last week, turning ’round a 12-0 score with the Rabbitohs leading to finish ahead 25-12. Very impressive, though of course not nearly as impressive as the incredible comeback staged by the Eels in Round 1.

Yes, I really did just write the last paragraph.

Anyway, I’d certainly rather see the Bulldogs triumph over the Rabbitohs than vice versa — the Rabbitohs are second only to the Panthers on my “Irrational NRL Club Shitlist”.

What a game!

The Bulldogs thrashed the Eels in the first half of the game, 20-0. How could we recover from that? One of my companions, a died-in-the-wool Doggies supporter, let me know in body language (if not words) how dire things were looking for my team. “I’m so glad I’m came,” I said sarcastically. “It’s humiliating.”

And yet somehow… miraculously… the Eels came through, totally dominating the second half to win 28-20. Can you believe it???

To quote the Sydney Morning Herald:

The Bulldogs had looked to be coasting to an upset win at the break but the Eels came from the clouds to score five unanswered tries and record their second biggest comeback ever.

It was the biggest lead the Bulldogs have surrendered in their history.

The strangest thing is that the game took place almost entirely in one half of the field — the opposite half to the one we were sitting in. Clearly, the players were trying to avoid me. Maybe they could sense my lack of footy fanaticism.

Photos:

This afternoon I’m going to that long-awaited, much anticipated Eels vs. Bulldogs game at ANZ Stadium (which is also where I saw The Police perform in January).

Now, technically the wiring between the ventilator and the external battery isn’t “fixed” per se, but by using some insulating tape, my stepfather has patched things up nicely — nicely enough for me to be able to drive into Homebush and brave the crazy Bulldogs fans (and we all know how crazy they really are, particularly those weirdo face-painters).

Who will win? I’d like to say the Eels, but the chance of there being a riot will decrease with the Bulldogs winning, so maybe I should hope for that instead.

Addendum: TAB odds have Parra to win. I’m packing heat just in case.

Remember The Last Boy Scout, that shitty Tony Scott movie starring Bruce Willis? I do, particularly the opening sequence where a player in the NFL pulls out a gun and starts shooting the other team’s players on the field. I also remember Billy Thorpe covering the theme song (”Friday Night’s a Great Night For Football” I think it was) for the Channel Nine NRL Friday Night Footy promos.

The connections don’t end there…

Now that three Parramatta Eels players (Jarryd Hayne in particular) were fired at in Kings Cross early this morning, I’m expecting some Last Boy Scout-style gunplay at the Eels vs. Bulldogs game I’m hopefully attending in a fortnight. Luckily I’ll be wearing my bullet-proof Eels-supporter vest to the game and carrying an assortment of medieval weaponry with me, but others may not be so fortunate.

Who would’ve thought football could be so exciting?

I used to be a bit of a snob.

Well, I still am, I suppose….

However, I’m much more balanced than I used to be — living in your head all day every day gets old after the first 30 years or so. I’m much more interested in experiencing life now than simply observing and analysing it.

So, life for me now is about achieving goals and experiencing new things. Maybe I’ll swing back a bit eventually, but at the moment I’m adventurous, social and surprisingly non-geeky.

So what might I be doing in mid-March? Attending an Eels vs. Bulldogs game, that’s what. This is particularly thrilling because not only are Bulldogs fans notoriously rowdy and dangerous, but also because the Eels are their traditional rivals… and I’ll be supporting the latter team.

That’s right, folks — I’m embracing my westie roots.

While we’re at it, I’m outing myself as a wog as well.