Walking out before the game is over

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I don't get people who do this. Last night at the cricket one-day match between Australia and England at the Gabba, at about the 45th over a lot of Aussies started forwarding out, because Australia were pretty well behind and no one thought we could win.

James Faulkner proved them wrong: http://www.cricket.com.au/video/Faulkne ... ble-finish and I am so glad I stayed for that.

Last year, round 13 of the Australian Football League season, my team the Brisbane Lions were 52 points down against THE team, the Geelong Cats, again at the Gabba. Lots of people left at 3/4 time. We won with a kick from Ash McGrath (in his 200th game mind you) after the siren to win by 5 points (FYI, a goal is 6 points in Aussie rules) and BOY I was glad I stayed for that one, because after the game my sponsored player and friend Joelly Patfull came over to me with his signed footy (if the home team wins in AFL, after the game they hand out signed footies around the boundary line) and gave it to me.

Would you ever abandon your team early? The only time I've left a game early was a Essendon v Richmond game at the MCG, mainly because Mum was tired and we had to fly back home the next day, plus I really don't give a toss about the Dons and the Tigers (although experiencing footy as a neutral live is something I hope to do again, it's a lot more relaxing when you're not emotionally invested in the result!). What do you think of people who leave the game early, especially if it's their team they're abandoning?

You see that a lot in American football. People start filing out during the 4th quarter when they realize their team is losing. In American football, though, you can be sure that a team which is down by 14 points or so is not guaranteed to win. Filing out early saves on the rush of traffic anyway.

Still, even when I know the Lions have lost I stay until the boys have left the field. Even did it when I lived a 2 hour drive away from the Gabba.

I have one friend who walked out of a game a few years ago. She says it now sucks she can't say she's never walked out on the Lions.

I don't understand the 'leaving early' thing either. I've never seen it at the cricket but it happens at the football all the time in the UK. People either leave in some kind of protest because their team are losing or leave early so they can miss the traffic! My husband always stays til the end so if I was leaving early I'd have to wait for him anyway!
People who pay to go to the cricket then sleep through it make me laugh too.