Sports Rivalries Should Not Be Hazardous To Our Health

I am a sports fan.

I cheer on my Sharks, A’s and the Raiders.

I’m also a fan of the Red Wings, Tigers, Pistons and Lions.  I grew up with these teams.

Needless to say, I am torn at times when my hometown teams come and play my Bay Area teams.  I have to make the choice of which team’s gear I’m going to wear.  My Detroit teams usually wins out.

I love that I can enjoy friendly rivalries. There was a time, however, I was fearful of them.

I remember the first time, about 7 years ago, that a group of friends and I were going to the Warriors/Pistons game.  I was slated to drive, which I didn’t think much of.  Then friends started to tease me about the possibility of rowdy fans that may take issue with my Pistons gear.  My personalized license plate also pays homage to my hometown of Detroit.  By the time we parked at the Arena, I was afraid that my car would be vandalized by the time we came back.  I also wondered if I would be in the extreme minority of Pistons fans in the Arena.  I figured I’d stick as close to the male friends in my group as possible.

I had a similar experience when I attended my first Sharks/Red Wings game.  I’d been to several Sharks games before then, but this would be my first where they played my Red Wings (those tickets are not easy to come by).  I braced myself to deal with crazed fans.

In both experiences, my worries quickly subsided.  At the basketball game, there seemed to be large numbers of fellow Pistons fans in attendance, accompanied by the familiar head nod signifying that we’re good to go.  When I walked into the Shark Tank, I was stunned by the waves of red jerseys.  More amazing to me, at both places, was the actual lack of smack talk.  There was some, but not the amount I’d been told to prepare to experience.

Which is why I am always saddened to hear about rivalries that result in violence.  Why does someone have to be hit, stabbed or have things thrown at them because they’re rooting for a team different than the other persons?

At last year’s Battle of the Bay between the Niners and the Raiders at Candlestick, my friends and I left five minutes before that beat down in one of the bathrooms occurred.  Sadly, that’s nothing compared to what happened to Bryan Stowe at the Dodgers game in Los Angeles and now Jonathan Denver in after the Giants game in SF a few days ago.

Let’s enjoy and game and the fun that rivalries can bring, instead of attacking (verbally or physically) people who don’t share your choice of favorite team.

…and yes, I’m so ready for the A’s/Tigers game this Friday.  Should probably hurry up and get a ticket!