Originally Posted By ecdc <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/07/sports/soccer/death-of-soccer-referee-ricardo-portillo-raises-questions-about-assaults-on-officials.html" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05...als.html</a> Since this has become national news, I thought I'd post it here. It's really upset my community, becoming one of those things everyone talks about around the symbolic water cooler. I'm critical of the American sports culture, so my friends think I hate sports. But I don't. I played a lot of different sports as a kid, and I still love to watch football and basketball. I don't hate sports. I hate fat guys in jerseys screaming at their TV or from the stands in some vain attempt to reclaim their masculinity by proxy. I hate that there's no level of fandom that's too extreme; there's no such thing as owning too many products with logos emblazoned on them, watching too many games, listening to too many sports shows, playing too much fantasy football. The more extreme and devoted someone is to their team, the more we seem to celebrate them. I hate cultures so obsessed with image that they shield Jerry Sandusky and rapists at Notre Dame. I hate college players exploited for free labor as "student athletes" so the NCAA can reap billions. I hate misplaced priorities that tear down perfectly good stadiums to build even bigger stadiums, all while schools are overcrowded. I hate people who blow tens-of-thousands on season tickets then whine and moan that their meager taxes for roads and services are too high. In short, I hate the radically misplaced priorities that seem daily to forget one simple truth: It's only a game. Chill out.
Originally Posted By Tikiduck I often wonder about the psychology behind sports fanaticism. I think it fulfills some kind of tribal thing from our distant past, but like most things in modern times, it has mutated into something that turns otherwise normal people into blathering imbeciles. But then I have to wonder what sets us apart from those who enjoyed the festivities in the Colosseum 2,000 years ago.
Originally Posted By WilliamK99 It's not sports fanaticism in this case, it's a brat who didn't get his own way, got fouled and then in again punched someone from behind and ended up killing him... Don't blame it on something it is not...
Originally Posted By ecdc >>It's not sports fanaticism in this case<< Except of course it is. That's exactly the point - and fortunately many of the national news stories that have covered it have discussed the rising tempers at kids' sports activities, and at professional events. I think that's why this is getting so much attention as opposed to other homicides. Most of us know what it's like to be at our kids' youth games and watch some parents get worked up beyond any rational place. This is an extreme example of sports fanaticism gone too far, but it's sports fanaticism nonetheless.
Originally Posted By WilliamK99 Except of course it is. That's exactly the point - and fortunately many of the national news stories that have covered it have discussed the rising tempers at kids' sports activities, and at professional events.<< So if I pissed this kid off walking down the street, you can attest that he wouldn't hit me in the back of the head? You can't... Fact remains, he lost his temper and any number of things could have set him off...from a refere giving him a yellow card, to someone calling him a name at school. Just because he did this during a game does not instantly make it sports fanaticism. That would be like calling a case when someone who beats their spouse on a regular basis, then just happens to smack her during the Super Bowl, an example of sports fanaticism... She was getting beat regardless, the game was just the device that pulled the trigger.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 If this were a rarity at sporting events, I might be inclined to agree. But it's cropping up all over the place. The article ticked off numerous examples, and there was a girl's coach on Long Island who made the news here from parents threatening him repeatedly (phone calls, in person), because (IIRC) he benched their daughter. That really is fanaticism. Of course, most sporting events go off without a hitch. But if we'd keep a little perspective, they'd ALL go off without a hitch, because ultimately it is just a game.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance "I hate fat guys in jerseys screaming at their TV or from the stands in some vain attempt to reclaim their masculinity by proxy." I tend to agree with you 99% of the time, but sometimes you're a bit much ecdc. A BIT MUCH. <):-<
Originally Posted By barboy I think ecdc got it quite right CurCon The US is riddled with freaks acting like face painting, New Jersey Devil loving David Puddy from Seinfeld.
Originally Posted By WilliamK99 I think ecdc got it quite right CurCon The US is riddled with freaks acting like face painting, New Jersey Devil loving David Puddy from Seinfeld.<< But how is this related to the punk that killed the referee? It's not....
Originally Posted By ecdc Here's how it's related, from my perspective. We treat sports in America like they are a religion. We spend billions on them, we spend an inordinate amount of time on them. That leads to significant emotional investment. When people are emotionally invested in something, that's what leads to emotional responses. Try as you might, you cannot separate this kid's response from his emotional investment in the game. That's why we hear stories about baseball fans beaten nearly to death by opposing team fans. We hear about entire groups of fans rioting after victories or defeats. And yes, we hear increasingly about violence perpetrated against officiators.
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 Look I'm a sports fan alway have, always will be. I own plenty sports clothing mostly t shirts, a few sweatshirts, a couple jersey's and a jacket or two. The bar in my basement has a few pictures up, working on a few more things. I attend about 15-20 baseball games a year, because I'm about 15 minutes from Millet Park and sometimes it's just something to do. I have season tickets to football for the Wisconsin Badgers and try to make a road game. And also go up to Lambeau once a season. I rarely listen to sports talk radio, ESPN I might watch if there's a 30 for 30. But if I want to get a score I pop online for a few seconds And of course I cheer for my teams, but like most fans that's all we do, there isn't any threatening of officials or other players. Yeah it's Wisconsin so they're might be a drunk idiot or two, but they are just a small minority of what real fans are like
Originally Posted By barboy ///But how is this related to the punk that killed the referee? It's not.... /// I'm not so sure that it is.........maybe my comment was more of some side remark as to the over indulgence of sports culture.
Originally Posted By Tikiduck I guess with more people, there will be more fanatics. Of course, the vast majority of fans are just having some fun, and perhaps blowing off a little steam. As with most cases, it's the life and death nutcases who end up getting the negative attention. <a href="http://youtu.be/ou2NF8GGMdY" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/ou2NF8GGMdY</a>
Originally Posted By barboy and talk about 'unlucky'...........the odds of killing a middle aged man with one punch is pretty low........by odds the ref should have had a broken jaw/nose, busted out teeth and/or nasty facial bruise only.....but coma and ulimately death? WOW!!
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance Hey, I agree with ecdc. I could care less about 99% of sports, and the threshold it's held up to in the US is ridic. But does he have to be so damn disrespectful?!
