Watching the game...in Mexico City?

Submitted by Topher on

Hey gang, I know this is a long shot but I have found myself in DF for business (and my colleague is by coincidence also an M man). Since it's like the biggest city in the world I figure there has to be some crew that's watching the game down here?

Gracias.

harmon40

November 22nd, 2013 at 2:44 AM ^

But I've seen a game or two from Latin America (saw UTL 1 from my hotel in Havana).

Just curious, do you speak Spanish, and if so did you learn at UM??

Topher

November 22nd, 2013 at 11:32 AM ^

I do speak Spanish - I took it in high school and got pretty good, then didn't use it for a decade until Monday, but it's coming back pretty quick. In my experience Mexican Spanish is pretty easy, it's a slow cadence and not a lot of idioms and interjections that made something like Carribean Spanish extremely difficult for me to converse in.

 

Topher

November 22nd, 2013 at 11:29 AM ^

I've been told (this was a few years back) that if you include the estimates of the homeless, the population goes up about 20% and is in striking distance of largest population. In any case, the city limits are huge, esp compared to most American cities: ~40km on a side.

As for safety, stay in the right places and don't make yourself a target and you can feel pretty safe - I live in DC and it's the exact same story. Speaking some semblance of Spanish seems to ward off the clumsiest pickpockets and scam artists but that's anecdata.

We're in a relatively affluent touristy/business zone and the city makes sure the area is safe, a la New Orleans.

JHendo

November 22nd, 2013 at 12:44 PM ^

Definition of city is key, as is who you're getting your numbers from.  No doubt that it's metro population is near the top in the world.  Population within the city limits is where it's dicey.  Some places reports Mexico City's city population higher/lower than others.  As Topher implies, the transient population is probably a big part of that confusion.

Link Link2

San Diego Mick

November 22nd, 2013 at 6:29 AM ^

I've been to DF and there is an area called Zona Rosa that is a hip area with many Cantinas. While I was there in '97 for a business trip, I was able to watch M beat ND 21-14 in some bar down in that district, go there and find a sports type cantina and the game might be on, good luck.

BlueCE

November 22nd, 2013 at 12:17 PM ^

Well, great tool for that one called Le Google ;-)


Just did a quick search (I am no expert in this topic) and one of the first three links was: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/08/mexico-city-and-washi…

 

I believe Detroit, St. Louis and several others have higher rates of crime than Mexico City as well. 


Not vested interest in this, just wanting to point out that the media has been a huge factor in this story (like another poster mentions below).  Northern Mexico (Juarez) and traffic areas (Acapulco) have had huge jumps in crime, but other areas are pretty safe (Mexico City - for a large city, Cancun, etc).

lungboy

November 22nd, 2013 at 9:07 AM ^

Sports books in Mexico will show the game. I watched it in one a few years back in a smaller town than that. You'll just have to place a bet, and we found most patrons cheering for OSU.

rob50

November 22nd, 2013 at 1:41 PM ^

I can't post a thread so this seems like a good place to pose a related question. I am visiting my mom in North Carolina this Thanksgiving. Is "The Game" usually shown in the South? I know there are a bunch of big rivalry games going on at the same time, so I am getting concerned. Any Michigan fans in NC that might know?

elhead

November 22nd, 2013 at 7:48 PM ^

Re. size of Mexico City - I think at one point it was the biggest in the world but its population has remained steady, and may have even gone down, following the 1985 earthquake. Queretaro, Guadalajara, Puebla and others have seen big population increases during that same time, and what kicked that off was when people started relocating to those places from the DF following the quake.