October 1970 is a long time ago. But 1970 and 2023 have at least one thing in common: there’s a side to fandom (and me) that I didn’t like then and still don’t like today.
It was a big mid-season road game, 53 years ago, in October 1970, to be specific. Relatively few college games were broadcast on live TV back then, so major college fans often assembled on campuses to view high-profile games in large facilities via closed-circuit feeds.
Unfortunately, those watching that day had very little to cheer about; the game was over soon after it began.
Frustration built. When a running back scored his team’s fifth touchdown of the day (to none for our side), the guy sitting behind me began unloading his frustration and wouldn’t stop. I became increasingly agitated by the extent and magnitude of his vitriol, which ended in an observation I’ve never forgotten: “We’re a sh– team!” Burned up, I turned around and let him have it. The gist of my response culminated in an angrily delivered directive: SHUT THE F— UP!
It wasn’t the first (or last) time I found myself in a similar predicament. Mild-mannered typically, my fuse (when lit) burns quickly and explodes. An out-of-body experience ensues as I look at myself, asking, “Is that really you?” The answer? It’s always yes.
This time, the target of my angst was bigger and younger, and who knew what would happen next? Luckily, he backed off, and just as surprisingly, nobody around us said a word. The incident was over as quickly as it had begun, and I was lucky the usher didn’t come over and throw me out of the place.
Flash forward 53 years. The month is the same (October), the team is the same, and that guy sitting behind me in 1970 seems to be back in my life. This time, it isn’t one guy, and it’s not one team. It’s multiple guys and teams, and the confrontation comes in modern form, namely, online.
But you are wrong if you think this is only a story about “fans” whom I view as a-holes. It’s also about me as an a-hole.
Those with Catholic upbringings have likely heard the Latin phrase Mea Culpa. It is a phrase used to “acknowledge one’s faults or errors.” When I turned to the dictionary to ensure that I got the definition right, I laughed upon reading how the phrase was used in a sentence: Well, whose fault was that? “Mea culpa!” Frank said.” So appropriate….
Mea Culpa, indeed, because when I respond angrily, either back then or today, I not only act inappropriately and regrettably, I mimic the behavior I’m calling out. How bad is that? It’s very bad, of course. But at the moment, it feels good (really good), and that’s a big part of the problem.
Continuing with my Catholic shtick…. I avoided an occasion of sin for the longest time by not joining any social media-based fan groups. Oops. This year I did. Once present, I found a good share of fan responses to be solid and constructive. But I also found “fans” who acted immaturely, dismissively, and destructively. What bothered me most was not just what they said but how.
While I heartily endorse efforts that enable everyday people to express opinions freely (it’s a democracy, after all), I also believe strongly in the need to take responsibility for how that right is exercised. Moreover, what I have never understood–in 1970 or today–is why presumed fans would rip into the teams they follow. I understand and endorse constructive criticism, but mortar shells thrown at one’s team, I do not.
What struck me repeatedly was the one-sided nature of the criticism. So many statements were negative, offered with little and no room for expressing anything positive. To those “fans,” their teams do little right and many things wrong.
Just like 53 years ago, in October 2023, I responded aggressively, pointing out (rarely gently) my counterposition about the need to be positive/supportive and calling out those who were negative. There was fan support for taking that approach, but naysayers often used my words to bolster their negative stances and diminish–sometimes seeking to demolish–my position and me.
“If you don’t like it (what you are reading), leave,” one respondent wrote. It was good advice, which I followed immediately.
Social media makes it too easy for people to share negativity and, worse yet, to be emboldened in that stance when like-minded cronies join in. How can they be wrong when others support/take the same position?
Well, here’s what’s wrong. Their words are poison … poison for the program, coaches, players, universities, and college football. It’s also disrespectful to those seeking to engage responsibly, as many online do.
October 1970: it was face-to-face. October 2023: it’s a click away. Times change, but this plea does not: “Heaven help us from ourselves.”
