Gol!!!!

There are many things about Italian culture that I love. Gelato. Espresso. Pasta. (Ok, maybe lots of food related things that I love). But, one thing I'll never been able to understand is soccer.
For some reason (and I am very thankful for it), I managed to find the one apartment in Bologna that contains not a single soccer fan. But, as I've been informed by my roommates, they're not normal.
This quickly became apparent when I watched my first game with Pietro (the boy I teach English to) and his family.
One night after dinner, they asked me if I would like to stay to watch the game. Bologna versus Naples. It was supposed to be a big deal. I said yes. I had never seen a game before and I thought it would be a good cultural experience.
For two hours, Pietro sat next to me narrating every move. He knew every player for Bologna for Naples, the referee names, the brand of shoes they were wearing, the color of the filling on the captain's back molar. This kid is 6-years-old! He won't tell me what time it is in English, but he'll tell me anything and everything about the world of "calcio".
He now is the proud owner of a collector's book. All the players, team photos, coaches and flags of Series A, B, and C are in this book and he must collect the playing cards to match up with the right empty spaces. Lately, my lessons with him have started with a thirty minute list of names that he's still missing and of the players he's just bartered for with his duplicates.
What I find the most confusing about soccer is that people will start yelling when it looks like nothing has happened at all. A player passes the ball and shouts of "Awh c'mon!" and arm-waving accompany it.  The ball goes out and everyone starts clapping and cheering. Someone kicks it far and everyone begins cursing. Then there is of course the elusive off-sides rule. One minute people are dribbling and the next a whistle blew and the other team has the ball. Everyone grumbles about that forward who was way to far up there and I still think we're the team with the possession.
Last weekend, I went to my very first game at the Bologna stadium with Pietro and his family. I was told we were playing Novara and that if we didn't win that would do bad things to our ranking.  Despite my hesitation, I still really wanted Bologna to win. Otherwise Pietro would probably consider their lose my fault since I was the new person at the game with them. That would make our relationship a little complicated
After the captain of Bologna missed that one type of kick where it's just him and the goalie, Pietro shut up for the entire first half. I thought he was about to cry. I thought his parents would try to cheer him up but one look at them and I saw his dad's face buried in his hands and his mom slouched down in the chair leaning against his shoulder. It was as if they were witnessing the drowning of innocent puppies.
Later in the game, something happened near the goal and everyone jumped up screaming. Apparently we scored. I hadn't seen but I jumped up too as Pietro's dad grabbed me and pulled me into an air-born hug. I was confused. As usual. But Pietro cheered up a ton.
The last ten minutes of the game kind of dragged after that (kind of like the first hour and a half). And then at dinner the complicated ranking conversation left me less than enthralled. But at least I tried it right?
I think I just miss KU basketball too much and that's why I'm trying to find a replacement in my life. Did you know that Italy is the only European country where ESPN360 doesn't stream? I had to hear about the Mizzou game from facebook and the highlight video.
Soccer just doesn't compare.