Fan Hazing

Typically, fans of sports teams are very loyal people. Fans love their teams and can't be convinced otherwise. This is great, having something to cheer for. Typically fans are a fan of their home team being that that team represents the city or state that fan lives in or comes from.

Now a days, thing seem to be changing a bit. Fans are able to get television packages that allow viewing of teams from the other side of the country every week. Without these television packages, it was only guaranteed that the home team would be on for viewing barring a blackout. There is a little less loyalty in fans rooting these days than in the past.

But if a fan decides to wear the gear of the opposing team when attending sporting events, a little hazing should be expected. Hazing can be a fun part of sports and sporting events just as long as it doesn't go too far. That seems to be a problem these days.

Fans who may think they are being fanatical fans are taking this hazing upon other team supporters too far. This type of behavior ruins the fun for everyone else trying to have a good time at the park. There have been two instances this year involving fans getting violent at sporting events.

The first such occurrence happened on opening day of the baseball season. Dodger fans took it upon themselves to attack a Giants fan that attended the game in Los Angeles. In no way were these fans showing their love for their teams any more by beating another fan senseless, this only showed their stupidity.

The other event just happened this past weekend when alleged gang member got into a scuffle at the Raiders-49ers game which led to guns being fired. Reportedly, this had nothing to do with fans of certain teams; this was just a dispute between gangs that happened to show up at the same game. For most fans, this is a time to set everything else aside for a couple of hours and enjoy a sporting event with friends and or family. Firing a weapon at an event like that can harm more than just the intended target. Once again, these people let their stupidity show but this time it put other people lives’ at stake.

Let's hope that this is a trend that doesn't catch on. When fans get violent, it ruins the game for everyone else there. Hazing with other fans can be fun, but not when it goes too far.

 -Jake Ipson