I live in Alaska (there, it's out now), which isn't really private information. It is however one of the reasons I do object to sharing my RealID name with just anyone/everyone. It'd be pretty easy to figure out who I am when you can narrow it down by where I live.
This however, is not a RealID post though, and I don't want to derail it before it starts.
No, this is a post about timezones and sports.
Now, I'm not a sports nut exactly, but I do enjoy pretty much any sport they put on TV. I might not think curling is the most amazing thing ever, but I appreciate that it does take a skill set I don't have to accomplish. I also don't have a firm handle on cricket, despite having lived in Scotland for a few summers. Even rugby rules kind of elude me. Regardless, I can still appreciate the sports for what they are, and admire those that compete at international levels.
Where the Time Zone comes in
Now, living in Alaska, I'm subjected to some brutal start times for most sporting events that take place in the US. Playoff game starts at 7:30 EST? That's 3:30 for me. Monday Night Football kickoff happens to be at 6PM EST? It's tape delayed and I know the scores before I leave the office.
Of course what this means is I've become adept at either a) avoiding all news about the game I'm interested in prior to getting home or b) watching/tracking it online like some sort of rabid dog. I could probably give the MMO Champion blue tracker a run for its money when I'm looking for sports info.
But not today my friends
Fortunately, I am actually in a perfect position for one of my favorite events. The Tour de France. Now, say what you want about cycling or the French, but I love the event. It's not just being able to ride 100+ miles every day for 3 weeks, it's all the strategy and planning that goes with it. I won't try and sell you on it - either you like it or you don't, but that's not the relevant point here.
What is relevant is that due to my time zone, I actually get to watch the Tour first thing in the morning. When I get up the event has already started, and the stage generally finishes around the time I'm hopping in the shower. For once, the time zone works in my favor, and I'm not catching the event in tape delay. For one glorious event, I get to catch it live, without getting up at 2 AM (Damn you World Cup), watching the tape delay (Looking at you MNF), or missing it entirely (most playoff games).
Now, if only I could get a condensed rule set on cricket that didn't leave out something super important. Maybe I can find a cricket for dummies book.
http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/hosking/cricket/explanation.htm
ReplyDeleteThis taught me how cricket works. I highly recommend it. It's about as short as a guide could be while still being thorough, and it's very easy to read.
It is slightly outdated, as it doesn't cover the new Twenty20 format of cricket or the new appeals system, but the core of the game is presented well.