高中橄榄球-----为什么如此流行?

This is not a declaration of war. It is the beginning of a long night of excitement. It is almost like a carnival, but it is high school football in Texas. Tonight, the Chaparrals, or the “Chaps,” from Westlake High School will challenge the Panthers from Pflugerville, in Austin, Texas. It is the beginning of the playoff games for the state championship of high schools. For the next six weeks this will be THE main subject of conversation and THE main center of attraction. The media will cover every step of the weekly ritual of noise, fun and passion. 

Dr. Charles Beithaupt works for the University Interscholastic League, an association of high school teams. He told us, “When Friday night rolls around there is more than just a football team playing. There is a band performing and the drill team and the twirlers and the cheerleaders and all the auxiliary units that make up the fine art side of competition.” Some of these teams take a caravan of as many as 14 charter buses to a game --- just two are for the team.  An average team has 40 players.  But the younger players, those not on the varsity, are allowed to be at the games in uniform, although they don't play. So that is nearly 100 players on the sideline, just looking or offering their support. 

Larger schools can have 300 students in the band, 100 in the drill team, 60 for the dance team, 25 cheerleaders. They all have fans, followers and parents.  For the final games, two schools’ fans can fill up large stadiums, even those for 50,000 people. The game is never the only center of attention. Children practice on the side, the band plays, the high liners dance and the cheerleaders cheer. Some eat throughout the game and some… simply sleep.

I wanted to understand the “charm” of a game that has not spread around the world. Here is what the Westlake head coach Derek Long told me, along with some other thoughts. “Maybe is the violent nature of it, maybe is because there is so much intensity and energy in it, that people really see it as the way of the strongest, the toughest, that the best come on top.” “It’s the greatest showing of manliness on earth and it is football, it is life,” says one student. “It is such a good game. It is like soccer to the rest of the world. It’s our own sport, we created it, we identified with it,” said another fan.

Others just look at the cheering part of it. Said one future cheerleader, “We are going to go to Westlake some day and be just like them.” The final score is 42 to 32. While the Panthers celebrate, the Chaps’ side of the stadium becomes somber. Tears fill many youngsters’ eyes. As a sign of good sportsmanship, the players shake hands and soon after that everybody goes home. Tomorrow it will be time to dream of next week or year -- and start getting ready for all that excitement again.

这不是一个战争宣言，它是一个热血沸腾的长夜的开端。它更像一个狂欢节，它是德克萨斯州德高中橄榄球赛。今晚，从西湖高中来的丛林队，将挑战来自于德克萨斯州奥斯汀富鲁格维尔的黑豹队。这是德克萨斯州高中橄榄球赛的最后决赛，在接下来六个星期中，这将是人们交谈和注意力的焦点，媒体将报道为期一周的喧闹、娱乐和激情的每一步。

查尔斯·贝丝奥普特博士供职于大学校际同盟，一个高中球队协会。他告诉我们，“从星期五晚上开始，不仅举行橄榄球赛，还有一系列演出、体操、乐队和拉拉队等所有的辅助组织组成了这项竞赛富有艺术性的一面。”其中一些队伍甚至带来了14辆车组成的车队来参加比赛，而中间只有两辆是给球队的。平均每队有40人。有些年轻队员，尽管他们不是代表队，也被允许穿上比赛服。所以在旁边有近100人，来观看或者加油。

规模较大的学校的队伍有300人，其中体操队100人，舞蹈队60人，拉拉队25人。他们都带着支持者、追随者和父母。在决赛的时候，两个学校的球迷就可以把可以容纳50000人大型露天运动场装满。比赛从来都不是人们关注的唯一焦点，还有孩子们旁边的训练、乐队的表演、舞蹈队的舞蹈和拉拉队的欢呼。一些人在整场比赛中只是吃东西，而有一些人则只是在睡觉。

我不知道如此有魅力的运动为什么没有在世界上广泛传播。西湖队的教练德里克·龙告诉我们，“或许是它的暴力的特性，或许因为它需要太多的强度和精力，在他人看来，这是最强壮、最激烈、最顶级的运动。”这也是其他人的想法。“它是最刚毅的表现，这就是橄榄球，这就是生命”一位学生说。“它是一项极好的运动，对于世界上其他国家来说，它就象英式足球，它是我们的运动，我们创造了它，这是我们独有的运动”另一个球迷说。

另一些人只是观看球赛的拉拉队。一位即将成为拉拉队员的人说，“以后我们将到西湖去，将和他们一样。”最终的比分是42：32。当黑豹队欢呼时，丛林队一边却很悲伤，许多年轻人的眼中充满了泪水。作为友好的一个标志，在回家前，队员们相互握手。明天，我们将梦想这样的下一个星期或下一年，而且为下一个狂欢做准备。