Close your eyes. No, wait! Don’t close your eyes; it would make reading difficult. Just follow along…
Think back to your first sports fan experience. If your experience is anything like mine, it happened quite a while ago – back when you were young(er). I have to rewind back twenty some years. I know it all started nearly twenty seven years ago when I first started going to Bucks games with my aunt. I remember a few Brewers games at County Stadium with my cousins too. And although some sport was always on T.V. at home, attending live events is what I remember with most fondness. There’s no substitute for actually being there.
I know you understand. You read a blog called FANdemonium. So keep thinking about that first sports fan experience. Where were you? What did it look like? What did it smell like? What did it sound like? What made it so memorable? Remember that feeling? I do.
I wish everyone could experience that feeling. I think everyone deserves that feeling. And that’s why I think we have something to think about.
I was watching a televised NBA game recently (shocker, I know) when all of a sudden the audio feed seemed to cut out. And then back in…and then back out again. But it wasn’t the feed; it was a controlled mute meant to censor the crowd chants. The fans didn’t agree with the call, so they let the refs have it by chanting…well, you know…bull crap. Sort of. I heard the same chant when I went to the Panthers game last week – that, along with the college version of the “Hey Song.” (It goes a little something like this…baa daa dum, HEY!! YOU SUCK!… A remix I was surprised to hear Milwaukee fans sing during a tied game with 2:11 left in the first half.) That night I also heard the “you f***ed up” chant – again, directed towards the officials.
Now these types of things are not new or exclusive to the stadiums and arenas I’ve mentioned. And I purposely saved this little rant for this week rather than tainting last week’s Panther post with my tirade, since most of the UWM fans did demonstrate good sportsmanship during the Horizon League tourney. But it had its moments. And when I looked around, I saw all the young fans and it made me think.
When I was about twelve, I was at a Bucks game with my aunt. In the heat of a moment a strange man stood up behind me, covered my ears, and shouted a few choice words down to the players on the court. Now, despite what you may think you know about the magic of “earmuffs” from watching the movie Old School, a man’s cupped hands are not soundproof. I definitely heard what he had to say.
So there you have it. Amidst all the great memories is a standout creepy and awkward recollection of a classless fan. In my memory, it’s one moment. But I worry that kids now days might have many similar moments. And that’s just not right.
Sports is something to be shared with family. Fandemonium is something to be passed down through generations. And good sportsmanship should be a given through it all.
I may very well be preaching to the choir here and, in that case, I’m asking you to raise your voices. Just don’t swear – my nephew’s trying to enjoy the game.
