Greek Basketball A1 League: Olympiacos at Panathinaikos

This may have been the most intense sporting event I have ever attended. That is saying a lot after attending about 1900 sporting events. Since the hotel receptionist was correct that Saturday night’s soccer match would not be sold out, I was nervous he was correct that Sunday night’s basketball match would be. Once again, Nicole needed to work on her scholarship application. However, since she was instrumental in ticket negotiations at the Olympiacos match a week prior, I was nervous that I would be on my own for this negotiation session.

I figured I should arrive at the arena earlier than normal since I may have to walk around the stadium a few times in order to buy tickets from the secondary ticket market – if any market actually existed. I left the hotel at 7 pm for the 9:15 pm tip off.

I arrived at the Olympic Village and noticed the ticket booths I had bought tickets from the night before were closed. I figured that meant the match was sold out and I would have to negotiate for a ticket in “Greeklish”. However, as I walked towards the Olympic Basketball Hall, I noticed a small ticket booth with a light on and a small line – “that must be tonight’s ticket office,” I thought. I walked swiftly to the booth and stood in line. While in line I thought, “Was this a Will Call booth?” I looked for people paying with cash instead of an ID – they were. In addition to cash they needed to supply an ID. “Would my Illinois drivers license count?” I thought. I had left my passport in the hotel room with Nicole. When I approached the window, I noticed the ticket price was 30 euros. I handed over 30 euros and the box office seller handed me a ticket while asking me a question in Greek. “Do you speak English?” I replied. “You’re ok,” she stated and waved me off with her hand. It appears that if I could not speak Greek, the team assumed I would not cause any trouble.

I walked the 5-10 minutes to the basketball arena and decided to enter even though it was only 8 pm. With the boring atmosphere at the soccer match the night before, I did not know what to expect at the basketball match. As with NFL games, my bag was checked and I was frisked as I entered the arena. However, they required a second bag check after being frisked. Once again, I was asked a question in Greek. I responded, “Excuse me?” The police officer laughed and said, “You’re ok.” I guess an English-speaking fan was the last person they expected to attend the match.

The “supporters” section was already full. Knowing full well they would be throwing firecrackers and lighting flames in a soccer match, I did not know what to expect in a basketball arena – not to mention the former Olympic basketball arena. A few minutes later a few firecrackers were thrown towards the riot police guarding the visitors, in this case the Olympiacos bench. Instead of the length of a soccer field separating me and the flag waving, flame lighting, and fireworks throwing crowd, there were only a few sections. I started to become uneasy, as I did at my first European football match on September 9, 2001 at SK Slavia Praha.

Once I realized the fireworks and throwing objects were only directed towards the riot police and Olympiacos players I began to calm down. I did wonder if Josh Childress was rethinking his decision of playing for more money in Athens, rather than the safety of Atlanta.

Panathinaikos won the match 86-69. Panathinaikos fans were rowdy and energetic throughout the entire match, which definitely improved my respect for them after Saturday’s soccer match. I found myself rooting quietly for Olympiacos because of Childress. Based on the three matches I attended in Athens I would say I would lean towards being an Olympiacos supporter over Panathinaikos.

Greek Super League: Thrasivoulos at Panathinaikos

After having to buy tickets on the secondary ticket market to Olympiacos I was a little nervous about attending the Panathinaikos match at Olympic Stadium Saturday night. On Friday night, I talked to the hotel receptionist about both Panathinaikos matches I wanted to attend. He stated the basketball match Sunday night would probably be sold out and that the soccer match Saturday night would not. He was right, attending the Panathinaikos was a completely different experience from the Olympiacos match Nicole and I attended last Sunday night. Of course, what I had failed to realize earlier in the week was that Olympiacos and PAOK were #1 and #2 in the Greek Super League, respectively. Tonight’s match was between a top team, Panathinaikos, and a bottom team, Thrasivoulos.

Nicole and I ate dinner in Psiri Saturday night – a concentrated area of restaurants in Psiri (to read Matt Barrett’s description of Psiri click here). Since Nicole had a scholarship application due by the end of November, we agreed that I should attend the soccer match while she worked on her scholarship application at the hotel.

I left the hotel around 5:30 pm for the 7:00 pm kick off and arrived at the 2004 Olympic Village just before 6 pm. I noticed ticket booths (white trailers) just outside the metro station. I walked up to one of the booths and bought a ticket to the match - 10 euros (ticket prices ranged from 10 euros to 40 euros and much easier than negotiating in Greek).

After I bought my ticket, I walked to Olympic Stadium. I was hoping for a similar atmosphere to the Olympiacos match Nicole and I had attended the prior Sunday. That night, after we bought “scalped” tickets we were able to relax outside the stadium with drinks and food. However, to my disappointment, there was no atmosphere to be found. I had a 5-10 minute walk from the ticket office to Olympic Stadium. On route there were a few sausage vendors (similar to those found outside of Staples Center, the Home Depot Center or the Rose Bowl). I walked half way around the stadium and realized there was no pre-game activity.

By the time I was in Olympic Stadium and seated, it was 6:45 pm. I bought myself a Coca-Cola Light (Diet Coke for those not familiar with European lingo) and flipped through the free (in Greek) program I received. I looked around the stadium and realized the match was nowhere near selling out. One side of the upper deck was completely empty and even the “supporters” section was half full. I figured this was the case since the opponent, Thrasivoulos, was in second to last place in the division.

The Game
Panathinaikos won the match 3-0. They scored a goal in the first half and two more early in the second half. I left the match disappointed in the Panathinaikos fan base, but realized they were probably not geared up for the poor opposition – in fact, I only saw one flame during the entire match – something I have become accustomed to at European soccer matches.

Greek Super League: PAOK at Olympiacos

Nicole and I arrived in Athens at 1:40 am Sunday morning after our day in London. We hopped in a cab driven by an associate of George Taxi and Limo, otherwise known as George the Famous Taxi Driver recommended by Matt Barrett. The cab took us immediately to the hotel and we were asleep by 3 am.

I had Sunday all planned. We would wake up, drink some coffee, get dressed and head to the Monastiraki Flea Market - the place to be in Athens on a Sunday. We would then eat lunch, shop some more and take the subway to the Olympiacos match that started at 7 pm.

Obtaining Tickets
We arrived at Karaiskakis Stadium a little before 6 pm. We walked directly to the box office to buy tickets – something I generally do not do, but I thought was a better move than trying to negotiate for tickets in Greek. “Sold out,” the box office attendant said. “Great,” I thought, but something that had never stopped me before. Even the Ultimate Sports Wife let out a, “If I had married a simpler man, I would be heading back to the hotel right now.” Little did I know Nicole would get a big assist with buying our tickets to the match.

We walked around the stadium for 15-20 minutes looking for tickets. There was no secondary ticket market. Each time I saw a person exchanging tickets for cash I would approach them asking 1) if they spoke English and 2) did they have extra tickets. Each time the answer was 1) yes and 2) no. And each time I did this, Nicole started to determine if the Greeks spoke a language other than Greek (or English).

Finally, we found an older man who was talking to some younger kids. I pulled out a 50-euro bill to show that we wanted to buy tickets. We determined he had two tickets for sale. He pointed for a second 50 (speaking in Greek) while at the same time stating he did not speak English. However, Nicole, after realizing Greek’s understood other languages, started to speak in some Italian/Spanish dialect and was able to come to an agreement on 80 euros for the two tickets.

Since we could not speak Greek we did not know the face value of the tickets (I asked what the face value was multiple times – in English). When the transaction was complete we looked at the tickets – 20 euros each. We paid twice face value, which I considered not bad for a sold out game with no scalpers in a foreign country and negotiating in a foreign language.

The Game
We ended up buying the tickets around 6 pm. So we decided to relax and enjoy ourselves around the stadium. We also hoped the tickets were not around any of the “most supportive fans” who light fireworks and flares within the stands which we had witnessed in Rome, Milan and Rio de Janeiro. We got to our seats and realized, thankfully, that the fans with flags (and flames) were on the opposite side of the stadium. As the match was about to start, the “supportive” Olympiacos fans grabbed their flares and started to wave them. The game started under a cloud of smoke so thick you could barely see the players.

Olympiacos scored a goal late in the first and second half to win the game 2-0.

Post Game Dining
The Ultimate Sports Wife and I took the train back to the flea market area and ate dinner at The James Joyce Pub, an Irish pub that was nearby and showed English and American Football. Since it was 9:30 pm the Chicago Bears were playing the Green Bay Packers. If you are looking for some Irish grub and some English banter after a long day in Athens this is the place to go – especially if you are in need of some American sports as well.