Basketball and hockey

Whenever we are back in the States we have a bit of difficulty when trying to make conversation. Not only do we adapt English syntax (what very easy is to do), but when trying to fit in with typical sports discussions we are always caught out.

Sean’s life revolves around ‘football’, but in those summers in the States this means a game with an elliptical ball and thousands of rules played for tv advertisers. The Netherlands is world champion stuff, both women and men, in hockey. Didn’t know that women played hockey? They have for quite a while. Of course hockey here is all about a wooden ball that you hit around a fake grass field. The top teams in the world are India, Pakistan, Germany, Australia and the Netherlands.

And then there is basketball. The only teams that really play this game are the Netherlands and Belgium, and Belgium isn’t that good. It is a team sport and the only team sport I know that is played co-ed. The object of the game is to get a ball into a basket, literally. The designers of the game have done everything they can to reduce any individual efforts and increase the ‘team’ element in the game.So there is no dribbling and lots of passing. The basket is on a pole a little more than 10 feet above the ground, without a backboard. This is “Korfbal”, literally translated: basketball. (To be fair, Belgians and Dutchmen are quite good in Europe when it comes to NBA style basketball)

- "korfbal" -

Recently a renowned Dutch tv journalist wrote a book called: “Americans aren’t crazy” where he explains the differences between the Dutch and the Americans. One of the differences he notes is that in the US no sport can end in a tie. There MUST be a winner. As I was reading I silently disagreed with him. Then I turned on the tv and heard on CNN that the NHL had changed their rules this season. Now no one has to wonder who really won the game – a shootout will take care of any ties.

You just can’t win.