The Retort

The Biggest Problem with Sports

December 11th, 2009 by Rob Barnosky Of The Retort Staff

I am a sports fanatic. For years I have loved playing and watching sports, but recently I’ve been disappointed. My letdown isn’t from steroids in baseball, suspect officials in basketball, or the lack of a playoff system in college football. My frustration isn’t with coaches, players, or a front office.

My problem with sports is with the fans.

Residing in Montana for my entire twenty-two years, I have had limited exposure to professional sports. A lack of professionals to track has driven me to follow college athletics even more closely, so naturally the annual “Cat/Griz” football game is the hallmark event of my year. For the past several years I have been fortunate enough to have tickets to the game. In 2008 my tickets allowed me access to the field, from where I watched the kickoff. This past game I was able to bring friends and family. Many would consider the tickets to be a great possession, but after attending the game for several years I’m not sure I will ever go back.

I love watching sports. As I write, I am watching the Saints beat the Patriots even though I am not a fan of either team. The reason I will never attend another Cat/Griz game has nothing to do with the contest and everything to do with the crowd. This past Saturday I went to the game looking forward to a great rivalry. For weeks I had anticipated seeing two great teams full of Montana student athletes compete. Instead I showed up in the late morning to a crowd full of fans acting like animals. I couldn’t believe it when I walked in and saw an older man yelling “Fuck you” to the Grizzly players while he sent the same message with his hand.

It wasn’t long before fans were throwing snowballs at the players, officials, and the band. I had taken my girlfriend, little brother, and my dad to what I thought would be an enjoyable event. When I left I apologized for giving them tickets. This was a public campus and it should be a friendly atmosphere, not a place where you can’t take your kid brother. I expected the game to be a great time for my family and I. I didn’t expect to feel bad for putting them in an environment that more closely resembled a riot than a sporting event.

I understand passion. I understand being invested in a team or a campus. What I don’t understand is acting like an animal. There is no explanation or excuse for the way that fans were acting. I was embarrassed by the people around me. It isn’t acceptable to act this way. Buying a ticket doesn’t give you a right to be disrespectful, inhumane, and belligerent. All traces of your humanity should not cease to exist because you paid for your favorite cheap beer and a seat in the stadium. The passion and intensity of rivalry games is what makes it special to attend the games. Sports are entertaining because of the passion, competition, and thrills. The one crucial ingredient that sports are losing is sportsmanship. It is my opinion that without sportsmanship sports are not worthwhile.

I can’t single out Montana State University and the University of Montana. This past weekend Max Hall, the quarterback at BYU, indicated that his wife and mother had been spit on when he played against his rival, Utah, last year. This is a problem all over in many sporting events. I don’t aim to single out a single school or characterize a whole crowed based on a small percentage of its people.

The majority of fans aren’t horrible, but it only takes a few to ruin the whole crowd. Steps need to be taken to bring civility back to sporting events. Whether it is education about expectations or reducing the use of alcohol there needs to be a change.

When I decided to write a sports article for the paper, I decided I would write an article about all the things wrong with sports. From the BCS to HGH and salary caps to cheating officials, the truth is that sports have enough problems without fans vaulting themselves to the top of the list.