USA (& Mexico)

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DAY 4 - MONDAY 23 AUGUST

No it's not a typo - it was Monday again thanks to jet lag's best friend, the International Date Line. It was a long, long flight. Chose chicken for dinner, not the spinach, in case you wanted to know. I sat right at the arse end of the plane, a sort of business class gone backwards. Tried to get some sleep but couldn't.

The plane landed at LAX (LA airport) at 10.20am. I was met by Dean Thomas, a kiwi now living and working in the US. Dean has been in the US since 1990 and is a Lieutenant JG in the US Navy Sea Cadet Corps. Prior to his arrival, Dean was a field umpire in the Auckland Australian Football League from 1988-1990. He was also a boundary umpire in the 1989 AAFL Grand Final between University and Mt Roskill. One of his most memorable incidents was in 1990, when All Black great Zinzan Brooke, playing footy for Waitemata, called him a ?pretty shitty umpire?.

I asked Dean how he first got involved in footy in the US. Late in 1995 he saw some information on the internet about moves to create the now defunct Midwest Australian Rules Football League (MARFL). Through internet contacts he met Jim Cooper and together they founded the Pasadena Crows (now the LA Crows). They created a homepage and did media interviews to promote the club.

Dean travelled to Missouri and umpired some games. In 1998 he umpired in a Nashville v. Kansas City match in Kansas City, as well as the Californian Australian Football League (CAFL) Grand Final between the Orange County Bombers and the Inland Empire Eagles. Dean was also the United States Australian Football Association (USAFA) Umpires Co-Ordinator from 1997 to late 1998. Unfortunately he had to give it up due to increasing work commitments.

The internet has been the key to the growth and visibility of the game in the US and I believe Dean has played a key role in this regard. He has created logos and websites for many US teams, including the LA Crows, Kansas City and Washington DC. Dean also created the IAFC logo and I have asked him to submit a design for the 2002 World Cup.

Dean lives in Pasadena with his wife, Maureen, and we headed there via the freeway. On the way Dean explained the car pool system. To encourage commuters to reduce pollution by sharing a car, the LA authorities have created a car pool lane, where you can generally travel faster than "normal" traffic. But you must have at least two people inside the car or you will be arrested and fined. As a result some people have taken to installing a "car pool dummy" in the passenger?s seat so they can take advantage of the faster lane. I thought this was hilarious. Apparently a single woman driver got pulled over once and tried to argue (unsuccessfully) that her unborn baby was a second person. Only in America.

Dean had to go to work at 3.30pm so I decided to do some sightseeing with Maureen. However, the jet lag hit me hard and I fell asleep. I could have probably slept until at least midnight but Maureen woke me up. Grateful she did as the last thing I needed was to be wide awake at midnight and still not adjusted to the different time zone.

Drove up to Griffith Park, which is a huge public park with great views of LA. Not so great was the view of the LA smog, it?s hard to fathom unless you see it (or breathe it!) in person. Caught a glimpse of the famous Hollywood sign, which some university students once changed to read "Hollyweed". Should get the Pies to play a match here and change the sign to "Collingwood".

Maureen also showed me Warner Brother Studios, Walt Disney Studios ("the Mouse House") and Elendale (also known as Armo town, the largest Armenian community outside Armenia).

Went for a jog as it doesn?t get dark at this time of year until 8pm. Went past some kids practising American football and as a former gridiron player I couldn?t resist. Ended up having a throw of the footy (the yanks say "play catch") for half an hour with one of the coaches. Went back to Dean?s and crashed.

DAY 5 - TUESDAY 24 AUGUST
Woke up fully recovered from jet lag. Had a lunch time appointment with Jim Cooper in downtown LA. Jim, 30, is the Executive Director of the Australia New Zealand Chamber of Commerce. He is also the President of the LA Crows and Vice President of the Californian Australian Football League.

The 5 team league is the only current league in the USA. The teams are: LA Crows, San Diego Lions, Santa Cruz Roos, Orange County Bombers and Inland Empire Eagles. There is talk of a new team next year, the North County Zebras. The season, which runs from January to July, consists of 18 rounds, as well as practise matches.

Jim has been in LA for 4 years. He arrived in 1996 and decided to form a team. At that time there were only 4 teams in the US, all in the midwest. He got in touch with Dean and they formed the Crows. Interestingly, the Crows playing strip consists of Collingwood colours with a Carlton style logo. Why the Crows? As Jim told me, there are 25 emblems of LA (it?s a big place) and one of them is a crow.

He has big plans for footy and the Crows. Instead of players, business people such as Richard Cann, Alan Johnson, Richard Shaw and Jim himself are on the Crows Board. Jim?s aim is to play football all year round, hence his plans with Super 9?s and Gaelic football. This year the Crows entered a team in the local Gaelic league, which runs from July to August. Not only did it give the Crows a further 6 games, it was a great way to recruit new players.

Further, the Crows are in the process of acquiring their own field in El Segundo and have a Development Officer coming over from Australia for 3 months.

Jim strongly believes the CAFL has the potential of being the VFL of the US, in particular LA. The city of angels has 9 out of the 29 million people that inhabit southern California. There are no NFL teams in LA, the only high profile American football teams being UCLA and USC. Below that there is no club or semi-pro level. Further, there are no winter sports played in LA apart from pro baseball and basketball.

After the meeting we drove back to Pasadena and had luch at Q?s, so named because there are one or two pool tables. Over nachos and a Budweiser (affectionately known as ?buttwiper? by the locals) we talked some more footy.

TV coverage of the AFL in California is courtesy of Prime Sports and FSWE (Fox Sports Weekend). It is sometimes, although not often, also shown on ESPN. The problem is there is no set programming time - it can be televised anywhere between 11pm and 11am. In Dean?s opinion it is treated very indifferently by the media.

In addition to his naval position, Dean is also an Air Force Auxiliary, Captain, Civil Air Patrol. The Air Force Academy, which is based in Colorado Springs in Colorado, has shown some interest in playing Australian football. Dean?s going to keep me posted.

After lunch I went to a gym for a much needed workout. A bit pricey, although it did include a complimentary eye workout.

Afterwards did some sightseeing, including the Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach. Had an In and Out Burger for dinner, a Californian chain started in 1948. This is the burger made famous by an American trapped in the Kosovo crisis, who, when asked what he wanted replied :"an In and Out Burger." Sales soared.

DAY 6 - WEDNESDAY 25 AUGUST
Rented a hire car (hired a rental car?), anyway got a car and drove down with Dean to Tijuana (known as TJ), Mexico. Unfortunately we got stuck in bumper to bumper traffic due to a "police activity", as the radio kept informing us. We later found out that a police officer had pulled over a car for speeding and been shot at close range six times. Thanks to his bullet proof vest, this "police activity" was not fatal.

We finally got up to speed again and drove through San Diego. Parked the car in Chula Vista and caught a Blue Line Tram to TJ. Dean told me that it?s not wise to park your car at the border. Crossed the border and took the obligatory "look at me, I?m straddling two borders" photo.

Had lunch at the Plaza de la Revolucion whilst having Mexican lessons from Dean. A personal favourite was ?Dos Cerveca Corona Por favor? (?Two Corona Beers please?). Afterwards headed into the Avenida de la Revolucion in the main part of TJ.

Crossing from the Plaza to the Avenida is not pleasant. Most of the kids are very insistent with their begging. I saw a very small girl playing a tiny guitar and singing, who had obviously be told by someone to beg. She was sobbing uncontrollably and I found it very distressing. It certainly makes you realise how lucky you are to live in countries like Australia.

Reached the Avenida and got a great photo of myself taking a speccy on a donkey. On second thought, it?s pretty sad really.

Flashed the passport to the nice Customs officials and crossed back to the USA (Estados Unidos in Mexican). Caught the tram back to the car and drove to Darren Bennett?s place in San Diego. Darren used to play for West Coast and Melbourne in the AFL and is currently a punter with the San Diego Chargers in the NFL. I know Darren through my former involvement with American football. Unfortunately we just missed him as he had gone to overnight camp, so caught up with his wife, Rosemary.

We drove back to LA and I went to bed early in preparation for my early morning flight.

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