Going Too Far As A Loyal Fan

Going Too Far As A Loyal Fan

Jacob Hawking, Reporter

When a normal person talks about sports, he or she will name a favorite team and even root for them in different ways. But there are some abnormalities, fans who go to extreme measures. Let’s examine each of the potentially extreme actions.

Tattoos
This causes some fans to do things on the spot that they may regret later. Getting tattoos on your body about the team you root for can be looked at as going too far by everyday fans. Although the tattoos can be interesting to people who don’t see things like this a lot, there’s no reason to get a tattoo to show your love for your team. Maybe you want to get attention when you look at them, but think about what you’re doing. A tattoo is a big decision, and while I’m not personally against getting one about a sports team or player, I’d say keep it small and don’t let it overwhelm you as a person.

Fighting
Every once in a while a brawl will break out in the stands of a stadium because the two team’s extreme fans meet each other, and it doesn’t end well. This happens in all sports at all ages, even all the way down to middle school as parents want to show their love for their children’s team. In larger venues, riots can happen “It looked like a war zone. Angry mobs ran through the streets hurling rocks and smashing storefronts. Police in riot gear fired rubber bullets and shot tear gas into the crowd. The violence had nothing to do with war or politics. It wasn’t a protest against a terrible injustice. It was all about—wait for it—a soccer game.” According to Sam Apple, this is what happened when Germany beat Argentina in the World Cup; the fans just went crazy.

Naming Your Kids
Naming your child after your favorite player can be a crazy way of showing your appreciation to your team. After all, you’re affecting someone else’s life, not just your own. I worry that the people who do this actually believe that naming their child after a star athlete will somehow lead the kid to acquire that person’s elite skills. Never let your craze for your favorite entertainers affect your life or someone else’s because you like the person.

Yes, sports can be a big deal, but there’s no reason to go crazy over them. Sports are never going to go away, so there’s no reason to make your fandom permanent in any way. Put away the tattoo needle and the baby name book and wait for your chance to root next year.