POLITICS AND BASKETBALL

Today I went to a professional Basketball game in Lebanon.  Basketball is the most popular sport in Lebanon and the pro-teams represent different regions, which basically means they represent different religious/political sects of the country.  Riyadi, the Sunni team played the Blue Stars, a Christian team.  Riyadi's supporter's are pro-March 14th, pro-West, pro-Siniora government and the folks cheering for the Blue Stars are supposedly allied with Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement which is down with Hezbollah and the opposition movement known as March 8th. 

IT WAS A WILD TIME! The teams played at the Michel Murr stadium, which is home base for the Blue Stars.  I got there a bit late and all of the doors were closed and locked.  People were beating on the doors, yelling and screaming, trying to get in.  Through the windows you could see the place was packed and you could hear chanting and drumming even before the game started.  I, too, was knocking on the windows trying to get the anyone's attention, yelling..."Sahafeeya, Amrikiya...Sahafeeya Amrikiya!" American journalist, American journalist!  I was smacking my id against the tinted windows, hoping someone would take pity on me and LET ME IN.  I've never wanted something so bad in my life! 

I probably paced around the stadium for a half hour (with a crew of students from AUB)...and then I saw my way in.  An open window on the second floor of the stadium guarded by a Lebanese soldier in urban camo. I yelled up to him (in Arabic) that I was an American journalist, he helped me up to the window's ledge, I climbed over an air conditioning unit and I WAS IN!

Loud is an understatement.  The indoor court was pulsing with energy and noise and both sides had their own bands, like high school brass bands with Middle Eastern drumming. A lot of the time the crowds were shouting "DEFENSE!," which is something I could understand, but other times they were shouting things back and forth and I had no idea what they were saying!  I found some high school kids who could speak English and they told me that the teams were screaming political chants and they were cursing each other and saying, "lets meet outside to fight!"  The kids I talked to said the games between the two best teams in Lebanon usually end up in a street brawl and that's why there were so many soldiers patrolling around.  During the game rowdy Riyadi fans were throwing trash and water bottles at Blue Star's bench warmers.  IT WAS INSANE! When I asked one of the kids what he thought about politics and basketball he told me, "they don't mix, basketball is about teamwork, but the political situation is so messed up in Lebanon, you can't escape it."

Riyadi won.  And, yes, there was a fight outside.

Comments

[Nailah]

I'm loving these stories, Brux. I was just about to start filling out my March Madness bracket when I started reading your story. As fun as the US college games can be, they sound like nothing compared to what you witnessed. Did you get any pics from the game?

[Sarah S]

and she climbs in through the window?! intrepid reporter in da HOUSE!

[anthony]

hahahahah my sister was there toooooooooooo!! wow

[Stephen]

that's an amazing story, specially for people who love basketball.

[Lissette]

Wow that sounded amazing. I really felt like I was there sneaking in with you! Keep them comming Shereen! I am glad things are going well.
-Lissette :-)