Why do they make it hurt? Why do they cause us such pain? They're shattering our dreams! Ironically I'm typing this in Hollywood (Caffe Etc to be exact) where I'm sure many real dreams have been wasted and flushed. But I digress...
The boys from Arsenal were back on the telly here in the United States Saturday morning - not too early, but early enough to require me to get up at 5:35am to ensure I got a proper seat at LA's Arsenal bar - Fox and Hounds. It's a way to start your day, but it's also a way to not start your day. We all know the result, we know what needs to be done. And some know exactly what needs to be done as they so eloquently put it on their tweets this weekend.
The game hurt, the result hurt, but I can't do anything about it. What I can do is reflect on the time I had Saturday morning in Studio City. Or should I say the roller coaster morning we all had.
But for me it was a day to reconnect, see some old friends, and enjoy each other's company as the boys in Red and White kicked off the season. It's not ideal to sit through a loss, squirming in your seat, shouting, screaming at the picture beamed in from another land, but I'd much rather do in the company of fellow LA Gooners than doing than in the fetal position at home. Behind the couch. Crying. I'm reserving those emotions and contortions for Wednesday against Fenerbahce.
We're a fraternity of people bonded by the (blind) love for the Club who happen to live in Los Angeles, far from the Emirates, far from the Tolly. But I've got to say, singing the songs before kick-off was just as fun as being at the game. Yes, the enthusiasm died down, they songs were less frequent, but we had each other to conversate about the important things in life. Like who are we gonna buy or not buy, why can't we have 100 percent possession, and why can't every shot on target actually be on target?
It becomes a bit exhausting. For some. No names. Maybe me.
We have a bond, we have fun, win or lose. In the end, it's a couple hours out of our week where we can escape the grind of life. It's when the grind of life and the grind of Arsenal intersect that we become this cauldron of hate and insecurity. You slowly start to lose purpose. Like why do I even bother?
But I can honestly say I wouldn't trade it for the world. We're brotherhood and sisterhood of supporters who enjoy each other's company and love watching The Arsenal. A positive of song or two always helps the mood.
*It should be noted that I listened to Radiohead as I wrote this - not exactly healthy. And don't recommend. At all.
This week the Arsenal America Podcast welcomes Andrew Mangan of @Arseblog, @YankeeGunner and @Northbanklower where we'll recap Villa, discuss the mid-week result against Fener and look ahead to the weekend. Please don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and you can also grab the RSS Feed.
Cheers.
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'Stateside Gooner' Chris Toronyi is a longtime Arsenal supporter and the host of The Arsenal America podcast, available every week at ArsenalAmerica.com and on iTunes at "Arsenal America Podcast." You can read more of Chris' thoughts on Twitter.
The views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect those of Arsenal Football Club or Arsenal Broadband Ltd.
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
