Many Maryland students swear strong allegiances to their professional teams of choice, whether they are in MLB, the NFL, the NHL or the NBA. But a disturbing trend I’ve noticed lately is that this fan fervor, in some cases, has been taken too far.
Obviously, most people at this university hail from Maryland, but many do not. Students coming from different regions may – shock! – not be Orioles, Nationals, Ravens or Redskins fans. Between the new NFL season and the conclusion of the baseball playoffs, I have been noticing that what should be simple support for one’s team often turns into juvenile bickering, shouting matches and sometimes even destruction of property.
As an aspiring sportscaster, I am immersed in the world of sports on a daily basis. A proud Jersey girl, I was raised on the Yankees and the Giants from birth, and I am supremely aware that every time I go some place in some sort of New York attire, I am bombarded with comments about my choice of teams – and these comments are generally of the insulting variety.
For instance, during one of the Yankees-Angels games I was watching at Cornerstone in my Yankees jersey (and hat and necklace and jacket), some random man insisted on smacking his hands together like a deranged seal and pointing and yelling in my face every time the Angels got a hit. When someone doesn’t even feel comfortable going to a bar wearing their team’s attire for fear of being screamed at, insulted or having their personal space invaded, something is wrong.
If I conducted a survey of a randomly sampled campus population, I’m sure about 93.46 percent would be Certified Yankee Haters. These CYH’s feel the need to impart their less-than-dazzling wit and “constructive criticism” on me, even if they don’t know me. I understand not everyone is a Yankee fan, particularly in Maryland. (Please get over the Jeffrey Maier thing already – it was nine years ago!) But do you actually think that, one, I’m going to listen to some random person screaming at me in a bar and, two, you actually have a chance in hell of changing my allegiance?
“But Nikkee,” those of you who know me say, “you’re not exactly the most respectful person when it comes to sports.” Many have seen me in a full-out, drag-down verbal fight defending my Yankees. And of course, there was the little incident in Cornerstone last year during the MLB playoffs where I was “politely asked” to exit the bar – even though I was only engaging in self-defense, I swear. But I have never initiated invading someone’s personal space or destroyed their property because of a sports team.
My freshman year, I plastered my door with Yankee pictures and signs only to find them repeatedly ripped off or with obscene comments written on them. They were bothering no one; some people – I’m assuming Boston fans, because this was during the ’03 ALCS – just had to anonymously and cowardly assert their team allegiance through destruction of other peopes’ things.
Friendly banter for bragging rights, on the other hand, is not an issue, especially between two geographically close or historically rivalrous teams – in fact, it’s a central part of being a fan. (See Redskins/Ravens, Yankees/Red Sox, etc.)
Everyone loves to hate the Yankees. I could write a whole separate column on the merits of my team and why I think CYH’s are wrong, but what’s the point? I’m probably not going to convince you to listen to me. But at least our star player doesn’t whine to be traded (ahem, Manny) or call out teammates on steroids (cough, cough, Raffy.)
That’s the kind of thing that’s OK. I can take the A-Rod/Jeter jokes and all the payroll nonsense, but fan fervor crosses the line when people and their belongings feel threatened. So keep rooting for your team – I don’t care which one – but respect your classmates while they root for theirs, too.
Nikkee Porcaro is a junior journalism major. She can be reached at cole120@umd.edu.
