Ugly fans

A reprint of my Oct. 1 SlapShot column published in the Woodford Sun.

Sport often brings out the best in human nature. Discipline. Self-sacrifice. Effort.

Sometimes it brings out the ugly.

“I’m sure Tebroke is glad he doesn't have to come back to Commonwealth. First he got his shoulder busted up and then he got knocked the F--- out. For one moment I forgot about the score and stood up and cheered and relished the sight.”

What kind of person relishes the site of an injured young man lying dazed in the grass?

The posting in the comment section of a Herald-Leader story about Florida Gator Tim Tebow suffering a concussion on a clean hit by University of Kentucky defensive lineman Taylor Wyndham was the most extreme, but I heard similar sentiments expressed, in less vivid terminology, from other UK fans on post game radio shows and in casual conversations around the proverbial water cooler.

There were subtle jabs at the “indestructibility” of Tim Tebow. There were the inferences that it was nice to see the Gator QB cut down to size. There was the prideful tone in describing how it was the Wildcats that finally felled the Florida legend.

“I hate to see him get hurt, but I’m glad we were the ones to do it.”

I get it. A lot of people don’t like Tebow, especially around these parts. He’s Gen. Sherman of the Gator nation, marching through Commonwealth Stadium, torching everything Wildcat in sight. Trampling bluegrass. Systematically destroying what Kentucky fans hold dear. His weapons – bruising runs and pinpoint passes.

But under that number 15 jersey and warrior armor beats the heart of a human being. Beneath that Gator helmet the mind of that young man thinks the same thoughts, dreams the same dreams and entertains the same passions as the minds of your beloved players in blue.

And sometimes we forget.

In the heat and passion of competition, we forget that these are really just kids – playing a game. Life and death don’t hang in the balance. The fate of the free world does not hinge on the outcome. The sun will still rise in the east and set in the west if our team loses – or wins.

We call ourselves fans. The word derives from another word – fanatic. And that fanaticism will sometimes drive us beyond rationality. Drive us to hate those rival colors. Drive us to cheer, inwardly if not outwardly, when physical harm comes to those whose uniform or logo transforms them into the enemy.

Fanaticism can bring out the ugly.

It’s not just UK fans. This was just the most recent example. I’ve seen the same crude behavior from fans of many teams, in many different stadiums, representing every sport. And to their credit, most of the Wildcat faithful held their breath along with Gator fans until Tebow walked off that field.

The cheers echoing out from Commonwealth Stadium, as Tebow slowly made his way to the sideline, represent UK far better than those few dunderheads who would relish the sight of another human motionless and hurt. Those cheers represent fandom at its best. They represent respect and sportsmanship.

Let’s cling to those ideals, even as we passionately cheer our teams. We don’t need the ugly. There is plenty of that in the world already.

Quick Shots

The University of Kentucky football program has traditionally struggled to compete with the top team in the SEC. It comes down to recruiting and talent levels. In the last five years, the Gators have signed more than 80 five-star recruits. In that same time-span, UK has signed fewer than 10. Part of the problem lies at the high school level. The University of Kentucky simply doesn’t have the high school football talent pool to draw from in its own back yard. It makes for an instant disadvantage. The calls to fire Rich Brooks can already be heard echoing across the Bluegrass. But any coach will struggle to recruit in this environment. Perhaps Big Blue fans should learn to readjust their expectations.

The Woodford County High School football team dropped another clunker to a winless opponent on Sept. 26, falling 12-7 to Franklin County. The Jackets got beat by a winless Dunbar squad two weeks earlier after a horrible week of practice. Apparently they didn’t learn the lesson. The effort in practice on the Wednesday before the Flyer game was so bad, coach Chris Tracy sent the whole team home. Woodford’s practice habits poured onto the field along with a driving rain in Frankfort. One can forgive a team getting beat by superior talent, but there’s no excuse for getting beat because of lack of preparation and effort.

It’s Chase time in NASCAR and that can mean just one thing – Jimmy Johnson time. The driver of the 48 car won AAA 400 in Dover, Del., and trails frontrunner Mark Martin by just 10 points in the race for the 2009 Sprint Cup championship. With eight races remaining, Johnson finds himself in position to win an unprecedented third straight championship.

Whoa – the Bengals beat Pittsburgh?? Cincinnati improved to 2-1 in the process. If they keep this up, I will have to stop calling them the Bungles.

Quote of the Week

“Greatness is not about somebody who has the ability to be great. Greatness shows up when someone might not have that ability, but finds a way to succeed.”
-San Francisco 49er coach Mike Singletary

Puck to the Head

This week’s puck flies at the head of Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West for getting himself arrested on weapons charges. West was pulled over for allegedly speeding on his motorcycle. Police found a loaded handgun in his waistband and another strapped on his leg. The NBA player also had a loaded shotgun in a guitar case slung over his back. Is it just me or does this bring new meaning to the word “overkill”?