Throwback Tuesday: Thirsty Tuesday Edition

((*dusts blog*

Hello to no one. There's no one really here, so this is funny upon retrospect. This is just the place where I keep my writing and look back. Cuz I'm in a slightly different place with this place than I was back then. But the 2019 World Cup ended and here we are. The US won against the Netherlands and everything's looking up GAY. So here's a clunky post of me writing my own feelings about Women's Football in 2012. Content Warning: There will be Thirst. ))

Ups and Downs of a Football Fangirl

A post by Suzanne Helen James

Sometime in 2012-ish? Or 2013...

"I can't describe my feels at the moment"...isn't that accurate anymore.

 I'm a lot better than I was hours ago, still reeling from the heartbreaking and powerful loss the Canadian Women's Football team went through at the hand of the resilient US women's football team.

This being said from a girl who literally a month ago had little to no interest in sports, least of all the Olympics. Not too long before they were beginning, I was puzzled as to why they'd be so important when there's so much else that the world could focus on...

But then I remembered that you can have two things to worry about and balance them at the same time. That's completely ok.

And then of course, there was Tumblr. The land of white privilege being debunked, visible minorities become People of color and there's a world where it seems that depending on whom you follow, you'll be utterly oblivious to a world where STRAIGHT people, let alone straight, white cis-males exist.

Because every time I'm on there I'm sucked into a world of androgyny, good porn, visual art porn and social justice where everyone's gay and queer as they come and still have time to have the geekiest or the most athletic interests in the world. Or beg people to join them on Tinychat and worship their mundane activities or just sit back and watch the show.

Which is what I tried to do on one Tiny chat with a Tumblr celebrity known as Kara Murphy, known as vagina thumper. It was...intriguing at times and utterly nonsensical and random the next.

Now how do the olympics fit into this?

Well Tumblr being the quick eye that is it and being an American blog site, it wasn't long before time and time again my dashboard would be filled here and there with Megan Rapinoe. Or Abby Wambach. Or of course Hope Solo.

And since they were showcased on tv, I occasionally looked up various sports blogs. A lot of them had the olympics. Then I stumbled upon women's soccer.

I should call it football but I'm lazy so I'll exchange from time to time.

WOMEN'S SOCCER.

At first to be frakin honest I came for the eye candy and the athletic fantasy of it. I mean COME ON, how could you not? Tall, strong, muscled women working out, living together and playing together, training together with training bars and shirtless on good days; all this while running back and forth trying to keep control of the ball and watching their faces as they scored.

And watching their celebration dances or rituals.

The derps of athletes are often the most memed.

Also, said fanservice was further fueled for all the participating teams because let's face it, most of them gals out there are hot. Or cute. Or both.

I wikied most of the teams and often widened my eyes appreciatively or rolled my eyes. Or gasped at their power.

Basically I fangirled a lot.

That fangirling erupted when I stumbled upon Megan Rapinoe and the US team. Yes, that team whom I mentioned I was stunned in silence for.

Then there was Abby Wambach. Don't get me started on her.

I should note that all of this had been mostly been done through Tumblr. Because that's my new home now where I'm there 13/7.

Exaggerating but not really.

Back to subject.

After officially discovering the adorable of the USWNT, I was captivated enough to keep tabs on the scores on wikipedia.

Then it wasn't long before I found out about the Canadian's Women's National team. The process had been the same; I had vaguely heard about them here and there but then stumbled on Tumblr and searched through the hype.

To begin with, Karina Leblanc is the epitome of awesome. She's sharing that title but she's the one getting the title first. Because she's the one having gotten me interested in the team in the first place!

Her videos are captivating, eye-opening and she herself is a ton of fun. And hell cute to boot.

Then there was Melissa fucking Tancredi. She looks like the mischievous one and the enthusiastic one after Leblanc. And I'm not just saying that due to Tumblr meme, but her videos show that.

Then there's the sweetest ball of fluff and love and honey ever.

Fucking Canadian stallion ride me to bed Christine motherfucking Sinclair.

I should note that I have a girlfriend. So when I'm asking Christine motherfucking Sinclair to ride me to bed, it's a mild fangirl joke. Mild in the sense that in an alternate Universe where I had grown up with a cemented interest in athletics and had been invested in soccer early on to the point of having a possible chance of having queen Sinc as a coach or something, I wouldn't be surprised if things would've happened in that direction.

I should say COULD'VE.

((Again, on a serious note, one should never assume another character's sexual orientation and actively go on them and pursue them in real life. I'm being utterly and comedically facetious here. I'm saying all of this as a fantastical delusion. Ms. Sinclair is an exceptional football player and her private life is hers lead and ours to respect regardless of what is said or not said, implied or inferred. The same can be said for all athletes in the public spotlight. If you idolize them that's good. If you're obsessed with them to the point of disturbing stalking, that is a sign you should get psychiatric assistance. I'm a mere fan who's aware of her limitations and who has a loving, supporting girlfriend. That's the difference between me and an overtly obsessed fan. If you want help, please ask for it.))

With that disclaimer out of the way...

Sinclair in question is quiet, introverted and has her eye on the game. She seems mild-mannered and all the strengths of a good team captain; she leads well  through her actions, speaks when spoken to and knows when to strike. She shows her stuff on the field. And she's more adorable and beautiful the more you get to know about her.

To be quite frank, personality-wise she reminds me of an acquaintance I had met last fall by pure cruel coercion. Said acquaintance was sweet, gentle and reminded me of Sinclair in many ways.

Except she's a former gymnast who had a fucking Iron cast in her leg and is now going into science.

Yeah, how's that for a twist?

But yeah. Minor diversion aside, Sinclair is fucking awesome. She's a calm and quiet team captain, but when she feels wronged, has no qualms stepping up to say so.

Which is what brings me to the clash between the two fans of both teams. Now to be frank, I'm not a big soccer fan and I've played here and there with video games or against my will in elementary and secondary school. I've never payed much attention to sports in general because I just didn't. I guess a bit of me ignored the fact that there were women teams and all but because I personally wasn't into the fandom, I just thought it was a thing that didn't concern me. I was never personally invested because I guess I had no reason to be. I'm pretty individualistic and my patriotism shows when we've done good and through my desire for employment.

But then I found myself interested in women's football for these past few weeks and the build up to monday was epic. When I woke up and caught up that they were tied 3 to 3, I was ecstatic. (I was also wondering why there's no silver medal...)

Then I went online and watched the last 20 minutes of it...an in an over 100+ minute game. That's a fucking long time full of injuries, broken bones, and misplaced fouls and rattling of computers that started long before I logged on. And when I started to watch, I was watching the latter half of it.

And then when Alex Morgan shot that defining goal...

My heart didn't shatter. I did feel like crying though. My body just stilled and took it. It hit me bitterly and quietly. And while I clapped when the American team cheered and looked on as their fight was well-won and they kept their spot at number one...

The dejected look on the Canadian team totally gutted me. Then of course came the influx of rudeness from some of the American fans who attacked their Canadian peers who rightfully thought the referee had apparently miscalled critical shots, and felt they were wronged. Those who were complaining that the Canadian fans were just bitter and added insult to injury were making me angry and pissed. Our team FUCKING deserved that win.

FUCKING DESERVED IT, motherfuckers.

But we didn't win.

That doesn't mean that the game played wasn't good. As far as I'm concerned, it was FANTASTIC as a flying squirrel bursting in rainbows. Everyone saw the mettle of the Canadian team, saw the growth, progress and determination that the team had brought that day. Christine motherfucking stallion love rider Sinclair had scored an impressive hat trick and tied Southern rival Abby Wambach for most goals scored internationally.

Our little favorite Megan motherfucker Rapinoe scored the first two games of the incredible set.

Neither of which would've been done without the teamwork that both sides provided and displayed with fervour and good will. Sure it was aggressive but they had grit and needed to prove themselves.

And Canada, you have. Do not worry about it, you're fucking awesome. For those who belittle you, there are a thousand more who support and adore you.

The game could've honestly been anyone's match. And if there's foul play abound and more than one player saw that then its must be noted by the officials. It should be noted and dealt with so that in future matches, this incident doesn't influence how the game is played and what could've been an otherwise a proper game.

Nonetheless, I still think we're winners. I know I am because otherwise I would've had a dull summer. Well maybe not dull but certainly not as fun if the olympics weren't on.

So good game gals.

Good game.

Having heart palpitations every other minute was excruciating though.

And that will happen again on thursday, seeing as my home country facing my birth country for bronze and the US is facing Japan for the gold.

I have so many hats and so little heads to put them all on.

And besides, we know for sure that Canada's fucking number one in Rugby sevens with our recent win in Amsterdam.

And that's good enough for a consolation prize. Along with us getting Bronze against France.

And a potential sportsfic in the works.

So with that said....

GO TEAM GOOO!

((Heads up, the sportsfic was never written. But my interest in sports grew.))