To say I’m a sports buff would be a gross overstatement.
As fans ready themselves to support their teams for upcoming seasons of baseball, basketball, football, hockey and cricket, I’m anxiously awaiting the next season of ‘Slow Horses’.
Yet, I’ve watched the Super Bowl, but only for the ads. And when it comes to the Olympics, my sole focus is gymnastics or ice skating. Not because I have a background in either discipline; I just enjoy watching people accomplishing things I couldn’t have even attempted in a million years … and I’m talking about their warm-ups. Touching the toes? Lifting the leg effortlessly into a vertical split? Ha! Forget the vault or double toe loop, they’d be carting me off to emergency before I got near the apparatus.
I’d say the only team sport I’ve ever regularly followed with any enthusiasm is rugby, but that’s what happens when you grow up in a family where when your father wasn’t playing, he was president of the local club.
However, in the last year or so, there’s been a shift in my interest, and it’s a lot to do with Cayman’s athletes making their mark on the world stage.
I know I’ve written about it a couple of times in the past, but if you’d asked me five years ago if I’d go out of my way – on vacation – to watch a swimming final, I’d stare at you, wondering if you know me at all. But there we were, in New York, racing to get to our hotel to watch Jordan Crooks represent the Islands in major competition.
Last month, I went out of my way to find some channel or online service showing the NHL draft, because we all knew Caymanian Jaxon Cover was a real contender. Honestly, you can’t get away from the NFL and NBA drafts on TV when they’re happening. Lots of men wearing rings the size of Buicks congratulating giant athletes who hear their names called, relieving their anguish of waiting and hoping. The NHL draft, in comparison, was a little harder to locate, but I was determined. I realised that when people are into certain sports, they have to subscribe to a whole new family of streaming services or channels I’ve normally skimmed past. Amazon Prime, Apple TV, YouTube … and sometimes you’re forking out for a VPN on top of those because, apparently, those of us in Bermuda (what is going on with local IP addresses?) aren’t allowed to watch them unless we pretend we’re in the US.
My efforts were rewarded with seeing Jaxon being called up in the first round. I turned to my bestie, Lynne, and said, “Welp, I guess we’re officially supporters of the Ottawa Senators!”
I eagerly followed the progress of Aaron Jarvis and Justin Hastings in their golf tournaments. Golf. The last time I’d properly watched a game was with my parents when Tiger Woods was unbeatable on the greens. But these were our lads, making Cayman so proud. Suddenly, we all had a vested interest and it brought so many people together in their support.
Speaking of sports making friends of strangers, I’ve been following the 2026 World Cup, and it’s been wonderful to see how people gather in bars to cheer on their heroes. As one, they leap, high-five, groan, scream, rejoice, hug … Like a COVID superspreader event, strangers cross barriers and personal space to share the experience together. Quite a number of fans from Cayman have flown to the US to watch the games in person. The ticket prices have been eye-watering, but I suppose when you look at the cost of flying to Miami plus accommodation and the match seats, it’s probably about the same as if you had to fly halfway across the world to see a game. The tickets themselves might not be as costly, but the flights and hotel will balance those out nicely. FIFA will get you, one way or the other.
I’ve seen many friends on Facebook, dressed in their team colours, posting photos from the stadiums. I felt swept up in the emotion of it all, so much so, that when Lynne and I happened to coincidentally be in Miami on the weekend that England played Norway, I was sorely tempted to try and get last-minute seats. I would check the prices, wonder if I could justify the expense, resolve that if they went down again, I’d really consider it. They went down, I moved the goalposts on myself, and even at lunchtime on the day of the game, I was wrestling with it. We really weren’t football watchers, but maybe the atmosphere would be worth the money. In the end, as happens when one dithers, I ran out of time and the tickets (supposedly) all sold out. I didn’t regret stemming the outlay of cash, but when we were settled at a bar, I did the strangest thing: I started following the game on the big screens. Lynne was not as bothered, but there I was, a gymnastics-loving, ice skating enthusiast, gasping every time England got near the goal. At the end, my heart was pumping and I felt a thrill for England. They were through to the semi-finals.
We were booked to fly back to Cayman on Tuesday, and we went through security and got to the Cayman Airways departure gate (E22 – SO much nicer than the F gates, as the latter’s letter would imply). We sat down, and there was an entire row of empty seats after mine, stretching out to my right … which is why I was surprised when a man showed up and asked the two women opposite us if the one seat between them and the other passengers taking up the rest of the row was available. Did I smell? Why would he want to squeeze between other people when he could really stretch out in my row. Next he was pulling out a sandwich. Seriously? He had to keep his elbows in to eat it, whereas on my side he could have used the spare umpteen chairs as a table. I boggled at this man’s choices; until the reason became clear.
Unbeknownst to us, there was a TV screen up high on our side, facing the seats opposite us. And the Spain vs. France game was starting. Our first hint was when three men an aisle over suddenly fixated on a space somewhere above my head, followed by a combined yell of considerable volume. It was then I noticed that the whole gate was enthralled by what they were seeing.
“Go, Spain!” an American woman half-shouted, looking around to see if her choice was supported by the majority. It was; no risk of baguettes being hurled in her direction. Then she shouted it again with more confidence, and everyone cheered.
Our flight was due to depart at 3.30pm, but due to a slight delay, everyone was able to watch Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal score the first goal 22 minutes in. You would have thought Cayman Airways announced free Champagne for everyone or something, the way the group in that gate reacted. Passengers who clearly had not known each other prior to gathering for the flight were smiling at each other, commenting on the goal, giving opinions about the games … it was a lovely thing to observe.
By the time this column is printed in the paper, we’ll know who’s going to be in the final. And by the time it’s posted online, the World Cup champions will have been crowned.
There have definitely been some controversies surrounding the tournament, from water bottles in the stadium to phone calls about red carded players and, it seems, a universal hatred of the VAR (Video Assistant Referee). But it has also brought a lot of joy and celebration to fans around the world when our spirits could all use some uplifting.
The Scottish in Boston and the Norwegian Viking Row collective alone should be enough to keep us smiling for a while.
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