American Revolution Trip Down Under 2002
A journal of the American Revolution Trip to Australia for the 2002 International Cup.
Day 1 - Thursday, August 8th, 2002 - Part 1 Tight Shorts Are Only Part of the Fun
Day 1 - Thursday, August 8th, 2002 - Part 2 The Calm Before the Storm.
Day 2 - Saturday, August 10, 2002 - One Man Down
Day 3 - Sunday, August 11, 2002 - The AFL is Real (aka Pasta and Pudding) 5
Day 4 - Monday, August 12, 2002 - Part 1 - A Windy Welcome
Day 4 - Monday, August 12, 2002 - Part 2 - Dear God: Are You Sure You Have the Right Guy?
Day 5 - Tuesday, August 13, 2002 - The Wa-aiting is the Hardest Part
Day 6 - Wednesday, August 14, 2002 - Giddy Up, Its Game Day
Day 7 - Thursday, August 15, 2002 - Tough Day at the Oval, Good Night Roving
Day 8 - Friday, August 16, 2002 - USA, Say Hello to the MCG
Day 9 - Saturday, August 17, 2002 - Long Ride, Long Ground, Long Day
Day 10 - Sunday, August 18, 2002 - Depredating Disciples
Day 11 - Monday, August 19, 2002 - O Canada!
Day 12 - Tuesday, August 20, 2002 - Dj Vu All Over Again
Day 13 - Wednesday, August 21, 2002 - Chatty Chaddy, and the Sweet Vocal Stylings of Pedro Ternes
Day 14 Thursday, August 22, 2002 - For the Love of the Gameand Chocolate Pudding
Day 15 - Friday, August 23, 2002 - One Match, Two Ass Whippings.
Day 15 - Friday, August 23, 2002 - Part 2 - Dj Vu All Over AgainAll Over Again.
Day 16 - Saturday, August 24, 2002 - Josh Loves Me, Josh Loves Me NotI Might Be Drunk
Day 17 - Sunday, August 25, 2002 - Dude, Wheres My Stuff?
One Week Home - Ear to Ear
One Month Home - Best Two Thousand Bucks Ever Spent
Captains Notes - One Month Later - Heady Thoughts Flow Through Philosophical Fingers
Day 1 Thursday, August 8th, 2002 Part 1Tight Shorts Are Only Part of the Fun
When I volunteered to write the first day's journal entry for the American Revolution's trip to the International Cup in Melbourne I didn't realize how hard it would be to put words to what it is we are about to experience.
For many of us we've been waiting for an opportunity like this since we were kids. Before we ever even imagined it would be Australian Football that would be our opportunity to represent our country on an international stage. Since I started playing this game in 1998 I've imagined what it would be like just to take in a game in Melbourne at the MCG, and now we stand a matter of weeks away from actually having the opportunity to PLAY a game at the MCG. So when I woke up this morning it was to the realization of the fact that this was actually going to happen.
I'd made it to August 8, 2002, uninjured and ready to finally experience something I only imagined. So when Griselda asked why I was driving so slowly on the way to meet up with the rest of the guys at the Furama Hotel, it didn't surprise her that my answer was, "I made it this far, and I don't want a stupid traffic accident to be what kept me away from Melbourne."
We get to the hotel, and the guys are already trickling in. In fact, most of the rest of the guys from around the country are already here and raring to go. It's the local boys who are the last to arrive. Some might say we are flaky Californians, we prefer fashionably late. At any rate we have a scheduled training run for 3:00 and it's only 1:00. Even still, you can sense the excitement in the air. Everybody's amped up and ready to get out of the hotel and do something, anything but just sit in this conference room waiting for the others to manage their way through the LA traffic.
By 2:00 we are fully assembled, and training jumpers are dispersed, and we're told to get ourselves ready for a training run. Evidently, this confused Josh Loring. While everyone else had their normal footy shorts Josh surprised us all with some dancer's shorts he'd stolen from a 14 year old. I don't know how he could breathe let alone run in those things. I just figure he's young, and maybe the good lord hasn't finished with Josh just yet.
We cross the street to Westchester Park for our first run as the 2002 American Revolution. Training goes well, guys are shaky at first, but we finish our first run with some really great teamwork on a pretty complex kicking drill. As usual the Revo guys take this thing very seriously when it comes to playing and training. It's a great start especially considering that Josh only had one fainting spell the entire run.
Now things are starting to gain some pace. We rush back to the hotel for a quick shower, and change into our in-flight garb. We actually look like a team. We have a quick meeting about our itinerary and such, and we're given our room assignments. My name is called along with......Josh Loring. I look around the room and see Josh, he sees me. I smile give him the thumbs up, while in my mind I'm hoping he hasn't stolen anymore of that 14 year old's cloths.
The meeting concludes and we're off to the airport. This is part of the whole experience. I'm expecting little kids to be clamoring for autographs and questions of, "who are you guys" and "what do you do." Unfortunately, Plugger informs us the school kids he had lined up couldn't get past security. Oh well, I've got my ticket, and I'm on my way to Melbourne. If only I could close my eyes and make these next 17 hours vanish. I guess this is all part of the experience.
Chris Olson
American Revolution
Orange County Bombers
Day 1 Thursday, August 8th, 2002 Part 2 The Calm Before the Storm
After a brisk practice in the beautiful southern C