Ultimate Sports Day!

I set myself a mission. Some would say a mission impossible. A test of human endurance. I was going to have a day immersed in sport. 5am - 4am. Watching it of course not doing it. With a hangover and not returning from a night out until 4 am.

It can be safe to say that I did it. Not without battling my body. To say it was without sleep would be a lie. I still managed to get through it without caving into my bodies urge for sleep.
I set the schedule.
Sunday 3rd April
5am - 8am - Aussie Rules - Sydney Swans V Essendon (Go Bombers!)
8am - 11.30am - Allocated sleep pocket
11.30am - 4pm - Football - Hibs v Hearts, Brentford v Carlisle, a couple of Premierships games - If a ball was being kicked on the telly I was watching it.
4pm - 7pm - Elite League Grand Final (British Ice Hockey) - Nottingham Panthers v Cardiff Devils
7pm - 10.30pm - Pre-main event preporations
10.30pm - 12am - Arrive and get settled in main event venue - The Southfield
12am - 4am - Main Event - Wrestlemania 27!

Now the original plan involved me getting in from a night out around 3am and sneak a couple of hours in cheekily before the first event. That fell foul of the night and when I stumbled in at 4.50am I thought 'ah sack it I can do this'. This turned out to be one of the toughest things I have done. Trying to stay awake at that time is hard fully sober. Doing it with a belly full of beer and other such alcoholic vices is harder still. I got through it, things weren't helped by the Bombers losing 98- 93, but at least they kept it close. I was battling with myself and frankly when the horn blew I couldn't get to bed quick enough. No post-match reaction for me, I had a challenge to complete.
After a strong sleep I was up again, a half hour window for a shower and other such sanitary things, and down to watch the football. I was in my element here. Hopping from channel to channel catching bits and bobs. I mostly stuck with the Edinburgh derby, an exciting 2-2 draw, I also had a good look at Carlisle grinding out a well deserved 1-0 to win the Johnstones Paint Trophy. I just dabbled with the rest.
To the hockey, very exciting as usual. I find it hard to believe that more people don't follow it over here, especially as the game is developing really well in this country right now. It is fast, has goals and incident at every turn, strong challenges and allows fighting. I think that would fit on quite a lot of football fans palets, and something that sometimes the beautiful game doesn't deliver. To the game, Nottingham fully deserved their 5-4 win. They were down twice in the game and came from behind and battled their way to victory. Thoroughly exciting game.
I then found myself a job to do, pushing down the excitement for one of the greatest live sporting spectacles in the world. Wrestlemania 27 live from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. I have enjoyed wrestling since being a kid. I don't watch as much now, but with names such as The Rock, Undertaker, Triple H, and Stone Cold Steve Austin involved, I wasn't going to miss this one. Despite some of the reports I read this morning, I throughly enjoyed it. It was helped by the wonderful event put on by The Southfield pub in Middlesbrough. A fantastic atmosphere with friendly people all cheering wildly in every match. My personal highlights was Austin's first stunner (we all saw it coming but the cheer that went when he did it, well I have been in goal celebrations less enthusiastic than that), All of Undertaker v Triple H (best match of the night, done by two true professionals and legends of the ring) and I enjoyed seeing Michael Cole's face been pressed up against his 'Cole Mine'.
I got through it, literally the final bits on pure adrenalin and excitement, but I did it. I would also do it again, in fact I may make it a once a month thing. My body would hate me for that.