ESPN night in Heidelberg

The Women’s Soccer World Cup was obviously big here this year since Germany is hosting it.  The tickets for the first US game, held in Sinsheim, just 20 minutes from our house, was sold out almost a year ago, but even still we’re kicking ourselves that we didn’t try harder to get tickets.  The women’s team held an open practice here too and because of a few different things, we didn’t make it there… (we’re kicking ourselves about that too.) 

So instead of tickets for the game in Sinsheim, we decided we’d go down to the main marktplatz in Heidelberg and watch the game on a big screen TV and cheer with all the rest of the Americans here in Heidelberg.   It ended up being a really great night.  We found the ESPN truck and started watching the game. 

      

At halftime we wandered down the Haupstrasse in search of our new favorite tomato and cucumber gyros (which Elisha discovered for us).  

   

When we got back to the ESPN truck the second half had already started.  After watching the US victory they told us to cheer loud as a camera swung over the crowd.  On some ESPN channel somewhere we were totally on TV.  Just after the game finished they told us they’d be doing an interview in the crowd.  We waited about 10 minutes and then the reporter walked into the crowd and stood exactly beside Chris.  Then the ‘body guards’ filed in around then and spent the next ten minutes talking to Chris and Megan while they waited.   During the interview Chris beamed and Megan waved her flag.  (You can see Hanna, Jake and a bit of Katie too.)

 

Hanna and Katie waiting for the interview…

While we were waiting for the interview I got talking to one of the ESPN gals in charge.  She had picked up a  pile of ESPN t-shirts which it looked like she was going to be giving away.   I said to her, “You know, if you are giving those away, my husband is a BIG ESPN fan.”  She asked which one was him and I pointed him out.   “Hmmm, could he fit into a Medium?”  I shook my head and she immediately said, “I have some hats too.  Let me go get them.”   Before she started throwing them into the crowd she turned and handed me one.  Ryan got a hat, Geneva got a T-shirt and Megan was pretty excited about her ESPN pin!

            

Yep, that would be Mia Hamm…. only the greatest US women’s soccer player ever.  The middle anchor is Brandi Chastain    … also an amazing US women’s soccer player.    

Chris shaking hands with Mia Hamm… he was pretty excited!  So was Geneva, who played soccer all through high school as well. 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go figure, we have to live in Germany to meet Mia Hamm and get on American TV.  Such a great night!!