B-Ball: The Game's the Same, What About the Crowd

On Sunday night Kevin and I took the baby to a college basketball game. The University of Maryland's team was in town playing NC State. Since Kevin's favorite team is the Maryland Terrapins, he was super excited to get tickets to the game thanks to one of his friend's parents, who are season ticket holders. (When Kevin asked his friend what he could do to thank them, he was told, "Just don't cheer for the Terrapins too loudly.")
While I Germany we attended a number of sporting events, including one basketball game. Even though the game itself was the same, the European events had a very different feel to their American counterparts. Here are some of the major differences:

• German fans loves drums. Every game we attended included a marinade of thumps and bangs from drums of all types. In North Carolina, there was the college band, but the horns were the instruments that played a dominant roll in their sound.
• In Germany, everyone -- no matter his or her age -- drank beer. Here, because it was a college game, no beer was served. (I have to admit that I'll miss the guys with the backpack kegs walking through the crowds.)
• What drinks there were to consume at the American arena were served in disposable cups. In Germany you paid a deposit on a reusable plastic cup.
• The condiments here are dispensed in individual-size packages. In Germany, there was the condiment utter.
  
• During half time in Germany, the halls were filled with smokers. Even though North Carolina is one of the most lenient states when it comes to smoking bans, no one was lighting up in the arena.