It doesn't make sense, Red Sox team won over Oakland Athletics 4-3 to reach American League Championship Series, and the loyal fans celebration turned into a riot. They jumped on passing cabs, romped the car's roof in, tore off its mirrors, turned over the trashes and beer bottles flew over the heads. I'm not a baseball fan or any other sports team, but I'm happy Red Sox won.
This is not the first and the last time the fans go crazy and turn into Fans the Destroyer. Why is it some of us become somebody else when we are in euphoria zone? The most pathetic thing is, they destroy properties that are not belong to them? Why don't they go out and trash their cars? Or the easiest way turn and beat into each other into a pulp?
When I was a kid my father liked to take me to the soccer game. I was probably about four when the first time I watched my first soccer game. It was between two army bases. The game was held on the field opposite the family barrack where we lived. Of course my father rooted for his team. All I remember was the shouting and jumping I did like everybody else did. Every time my father screamed, "The goal is open, the goal is open." I repeated it.
Uncle Abu, our next door neighbor sat behind us, shouted "Pass to number seven, number seven....." And the noise erupted when the free kick missed the goal. The game became more intense after the second half and both team were still 0-0. All of sudden somebody shouted, "Oiii.....beghat telog ka?"
I had no idea what "beghat telog' was, but it must be good because I saw people laughed at the man who said it, including my father. Some of the men even clapped their hands. I remembered the word.
A month later my father took me to another match. This time we were the visitor. There were more people turned out than the last time. During the time when the players from our team passed the ball, I decided to use the term I learned recently. I cupped both of my hands around my mouth like they always did and yelled as loud as I could. "Oiii, beghat telog ka...?"
I had no idea the concussion I made because of the words I had just said, but I remember the expressions from the men who stood around us. There was a silence for a few seconds. I heard the shouts from the other side of the field but the men around us, turned around and looked at me. I was at the verge of crying when I saw their shock expressions broke into smile.
I pulled my father's hand.
Finally my father found his voice. "Where did you hear it from?" He was not angry, but he was not amused either like the rest of them.
"The uncle who lives behind our house said it. You laughed. And everybody laughed." I said.
I never learned behind the "beghat telog" phrase, and I forgot all about it. Not until many years later when I was at watching the match between Selangor and Penang. Somebody in the audience yelled at our late legendary Mokhtar Dahari while he 'walked' with the ball at his feet, "Oii, beghat telog ka?"
Booing and laughed came from all directions.
Well, that guy was too late, I used the phrase seventeen years ago.
Anyway back to the present:
I completely forgot about last night game. Pris and I planned to have dinner at Jillian at Landsdowne Street. It struck me later when we were in the subway, there was a game at Fenway Park. We had a short conference while the train chugging in the darkness.
"All of sudden I'm craving for seafood ." I knew Pris wouldn't object my idea. She loves seafood too.
"Oh......god, here we go again." Pris rolled her eyes.
"Don't you roll your eyes like that." I elbowed Pris fondly.
"Allright, let's go."
We switched the train to Green Line at Park Street. Fifteen minutes later we were outside Legal Seafood Restaurant. The wait was less than 10 minutes. We got the nice spot facing Boylston Street. Sweet.
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