Grey Cup - cultural learnings

I think it is very healthy to occasionally do something that is completely out of your comfort zone of usual interests.

On Friday night I went to one of the official Grey Cup parties for the CFL Saskatchewan RoughRiders, which is about as far out of my comfort zone as I can get.

There was a sea of people (mainly men) decked out in green, cheering, drinking beer and listening to what I call "man music" - what my old housemate called "C$&%!k Rock" - think Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Billy Idol etc.

I insisted on finding myself a set of the shiny green 'mardi-gras' style beads that everyone was wearing. My boyfriend commented that he didn't realize that this was my team. I enlightened him that I didn't have a team I just wanted the jewelry.

Everyone was very jovial, even welcoming to supporters from other teams, which was nice.

Happily wearing my beads I couldn't help but ponder why it is that hard-core male sports fans; whether it be Aussie Rules, Rugby, Grid-iron etc.; love dressing in drag.

I couldn't imagine any other occasion where self-confessed tough farm boys would deck themselves out in colored-beads, skirts and painted-faces.

Is it a warrior/tribal thing? Is it a peacock thing? Is it a secret love of cross-dressing thing?

I will probably never know.

I had a good time, don't need to go again, and offer my congratulations to the Roughriders on their victory.