So much has changed in sports, but fans are not one of those things.
I myself was once a sports fan; I was also once the young kid who dreamt of playing professional football for his favorite football team; the teenager who had the heart and desire, but not the talent to compete on the varsity level during high school, and not so long ago, the man who became so immersed in this obsession that I would succumb to tears.
But, after years of allowing little league to deprive me of much of my childhood, thoughts of whether I would ever get that chance to dress varsity, and moments of depression after witnessing four consecutive Super Bowl losses, I have come to the realization that sports are overrated.
You might be asking yourself, how can he say that sports are overrated if he’s a sports writer? Well it is as simple as this. To many, sports are life, but it is only a part of mine, and a big part I might add. However, through the years, I have learned where to draw the line, as to how seriously I take athletic events. Though, after hearing what nearly every football fan has been saying about Cleveland Browns’ linebacker Dwayne Rudd, there are a lot of individuals who have not.
Just in case you have not already heard the news, Rudd, who is one of the team’s veteran players, threw his helmet to the ground in celebration, thinking the Browns had won as time expired against Kansas City. But the Chiefs’ quarterback Trent Green did not fall. Rather, he tossed the ball to one of the offensive lineman on his way to the ground, and that lineman rumbled 28 yards down the field, setting Morten Anderson up for the game-winning field goal.
Yes, Rudd gained sports infamy on Sunday to place him up there with company like Jim Marshall, Gary Yeoprimian and Leon Lett, but apparently, we will not him forget about that play, which has cost the Bowns their season. And, guess who’s leading the rallying cry? Yep! The Dawg Pound.
When one fan was asked about the incident, he replied, “this guy stinks”, referring to Rudd. “He needs to be cut.” Don’t worry you two or three season ticket holders who have stayed positive, while others continue to exacerbate this whole scenario, head coach Butch Davis confirmed Tuesday that Rudd would not be cut.
Although, the very thought that someone would actually say that a person’s livelihood should be taken away as a result of a reflect action in the heat of the moment leaves me bewildered. My guess is that this particular Ohioian has experienced the same thing, which probably cost him more than a football game.
My point is that fans all around the country have taken the intiative to offer what is believed to be constructive criticism, feeling that it is the least they can do for supporting the team during a 2-14 season. The most astonishing thing is that these opinions are often in the form of a threat or an insult.
The fact of the matter is that fans are so open about their feelings towards athletes that it has tainted sports and the relationship between both of them. The question now is how can we get overpaid athletes to co-exist with irate fans? The answer remains to be seen, as more and more sports icons begin revealing how flawed they truly are.
Rudd made a mistake, which I’m sure wasn’t his first and won’t be his last. They seemed to have lost sight of that, but I’m thinking that when Rudd returned home, his wife and kids couldn’t have cared more or less about dad’s hard day at work, but were more excited to see his face. Isn’t that what really matters?
People have always told athletes to leave it all on the field, and maybe it’s time we begin telling the fans that as well.
