An Important Campaign Begins

So I started the blog with a bit of an introduction that basically made it clear that there would be little if any talk of sports on this sporting blog. That is a promise that I will gladly keep as I talk public transport, Nazis, wigs, taco bell and most importantly... PIG FEET.

So let's get on with the main issue at hand. Jokbal. If you don't know what it is, it is a delicious boiled pig's foot dish eaten in Korea. It seems to have enough fat to have caused all of Dick Cheney's heart problems on one plate. So what does this have to do with baseball or anything for that matter? Well the Korean Baseball League has several larger guys who look like they may be partial to a plate or two of this festival of cholesterol. We too, also like to partake. So we have (drunkenly) developed our own stories about Korean players sitting down together and stuffing their faces with the stuff until a cardiologist and a defibrillator are required. I'm sure that you are still confused by all this talk of pig feet. So, I'll get to the point. Inspired by World Class soccer player Sergio Ramos accepting a plate of pork in exchange for his Real Madrid jersey, we decided to see if we could trade Jokbal for a Korean baseball jersey. A campaign was born!!!

So George and I started this important crusade. A little last minute, mind. In fact, I could only use what could be found in Daiso (a Japanese $1 store in Korea that sells Chinese crap that breaks easily) come closing time on the night before the game. So, I spent Friday night alone with some whiteboard markers and a $3 table cloth. I think that the result wasn't all that bad given 1. the materials 2. the time spent and 3. The drink consumed. It got the point across anyway. Jokbal will be exchanged for a player jersey!


So armed to start our campaign, we headed to the Geocheok Sky Dome in positive spirits. We even stocked up on Taco Bell for our pre game party. Optimism was brimming.

As usual the mood changes when you get to Sindorim station. The dome is in a horrific location. From my home, which is pretty much in Seoul, it would be faster to go to see a game in Gwangju than get to the damn Dome. For some odd reason they built it on the worst subway line that runs infrequently and goes to some small village more than it goes to Incheon which is a city of around 4million people. I hear that Nexen, the team that plays there, don't actually want to be there but some corrupt public official(s) are forcing their hand. Seriously, the trip is annoying enough with that extra 20minute wait near the stadium to transfer to travel just one more station, you arrive with stress and anger levels close to those who go on killing rampages. No logic would have resulted in the construction of this place, especially, not where it is. Some official needs to be shot or at least be sentenced to hard labor!

So we finally try to go into the dome. Calmed down from our long journey, we are ready to enjoy some sport. But then a Nexen Nazi stops us. It turns out that our friend Justin can't enter because he has a baseball bat... given to him by a player who was in the game! There was to be more fascism to come!

So we finally got into the dome, and took our over priced seats with abysmal sight lines. But hey! Game time! Jokbal time!

We tried mounting our banners. Achtung! Nein!!! Screamed the little Kim Jong Un (he is actually a pretty good lookalike). Anyway, we thought we could just cheer as we always do and have a good time. It seemed like all would be well. The Nexen team lined up for the national anthem, looking at Jokbal signs and struggling keep straight faces. We got waves from Doosan stars, smiles from Nexen players and even a nod from the umpire. We were filmed for the live TV broadcast, asked to pose for tons of pictures and idolized by children (a fair few adults too). The campaign was going well. So it looked like we might finally have a good time. Nope! Not at Nexen! Another Kim Jong Un impersonator ran over telling us to be quiet. Telling us to not show our signs in any way!

Disheartened, we quietened down for a while. But the rows of people behind us started cheering and shouting "Jokbal!!!" We got the show going again.

Unfortunately, our first day on the campaign didn't result in a jersey. But there were plenty of encouraging signs. But there will be no more trips to the dome. That place needs to be consigned to a dark place in hell along with the people who designed it and the people who run it.

So we gave our first stadium review. We have been told to tell you that the dome has made some minor improvements such better visibility due to new nets and new big screens. They are improvements but they basically improve the dome from being like having an incurable degenerative disease such as MS to being more like having a cancer that is curable. Don't go there. Everything is expensive, the staff are rude and the views are terrible and the transport is useless. This is without pointing out just how inadequate the facilities are or how woeful the food is in the dome. Marcus had the pleasure of waiting over 3 innings for a yellow lettuce sandwich which was advertised as a burger.

So, George and I have been lucky to gain a decent amount of TV coverage recently. George's green wig is probably the main cause. I'd like to explain this now but I think that I have ranted on long enough. All will be explained in our basketball post season blog and review! Anything that helps get us a jersey is enough right now!

So failure but plenty of optimism for when we go to a stadium that is run by South Koreans instead of North Korean Nexen.

So this weekend, the Jokbal campaign will go to Jamsil for a special edition. We will have our full season preview and a stadium tour that will be radically different. We actually quite like the old girl. We are hoping to have a couple of special guests in the broadcast too!