This Week in HS Sports - November 25, 2009

Fans vs. Supporters
By: Brett Mills

It has been a fascinating football season and I had the good fortune to attend a ton of games. Based on observations from around the city I see a disturbing trend that has increased in negative "volume" over the years. The observation in question is fan behavior. Long gone are the days of "my team win or lose." They have been replaced by a growing number of "experts," who seem to know more than the coaches, and boo birds who vocalize their disenchantment loudly and proudly. Based on the fan behavior I have witnessed, I have come to the conclusion that "fans" are displaying a sense of entitlement to say whatever, whenever, they desire. While there have always been disgruntled supporters, what shocks me, is their derision is now directed at their own team- sometimes even their own kids. Wow, when did high school football get replaced by the NFL? It is one thing to beat up on a grown man making millions, but an entirely different issue when directed toward an adolescent who is giving his best to represent his school. I fear we have truly lost the plot!

While I fear that soceital trends cannot be changed by one man, it is often one man who makes a difference, so in that light I offer my solution to this growing problem. We need to adopt the rugby model of supporter rather than fan. To be sure, rugby has it share of hooligans and idiots who attend matches, but their loyalty to their team is never in question. A supporter is someone who gets behind their team and regardless the score is there to cheer and lend moral support- win, lose, or draw.

A perfect example is 2008 European Champion Munster (Ireland). Munster is an amazing story which bears some examination. Munster is famous for their support of their side and their stadium in Limmerick is considered one of the loudest in the world. They consistently travel with more supporters than their opposition has at its own home stadium. While they are intense in their support of the homeside, they show their opposition the respect accorded to an opponent well-met on the field of competition. Last summer Munster played the New Zealand All Blacks in Limmerick. The match was a brilliant one and it all came down to a All Black penalty kick for the win. One could imagine that the stadium would be deafening in an effort to throw the kicker's concentration off, but instead there was absolute silence. When Dan Carter made the kick, the crowd applauded his efforts. What an amazing display of sportsmanship! I cannot imagine an American crowd responding that way.

Poor fan behavior is symptomatic of the "win at all costs" attitude that permiates our society. What are sports really about? The giant high school stadiums, millions in resources, and win at all cost mentality seems to reflect adults vicariously basking in the glory of their youth. God help the team and coaches when they lose, because this is wrongly seen as a personal affront - a poor reflection on the adults. Perhaps its time we give the game back to the kids and use it once again as a vehicle to teach sportsmanship, work ethic, teamwork, love of comrades and the game. Maybe we can learn something from our Irish cousins and go home from the game with a smile on our face, win, lose or draw - because we supported our team, who played their hearts out for us and demonstrated all those virtues that make sport such an amazing experience. Lets be supporters and let the fans go to the Texans' games.

Previous stories : August 15, 2009  August 20, 2009  August 26, 2009  August 31, 2009
                                September 8, 2009  September 16, 2009  September 18, 2009  September 25, 2009
                        September 28, 2009  October 5, 2009  October 7, 2009  October 15, 2009
                        October 19, 2009  October 23, 2009  October 25, 2009  November 2, 2009
                        November 9, 2009  November 11, 2009  November 18, 2009