There are just certain things that all sports fans hate, but it’s an inevitable part of the game. Pro sports have come a long way in the last 50-100 years; some of these issues have been around since day one, while others are a relatively new development in the industry. I’ll admit some on this list don’t technically “ruin” sports, but they are still obnoxious and would be better without, such as the first item on this list.
- Name Changes
If you’re going to be cocky enough to legally change your name to your jersey number, maybe you should spell the actual number correctly. We all know who I’m talking about here- Mr. Ochocinco. You were never that great a player to begin with, so you had to come up with a more creative way for people to remember your name and keep talking about you? Well now they are talking about how stupid you are, as any Spanish 101 student knows that the translation for eighty five is ochenta y cinco and that your name means eight five. Colt McCoy- Really? Really? Danny McCoy was a perfectly respectable name. Highly unnecessary to go by a name which sounds like that of a porn star- and not porn of the hetero persuasion. I mean at least change your name to something completely random and semi-believable, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (given name Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr.). This also applies to teams and franchises- give New Orleans back their Jazz and Brooklyn their Dodgers.
- Awful Ref calls
It’s understandable that the refs have a fast paced game and a laundry list of things to watch for so they might miss a few things here and there. But some calls- or lack thereof- are just absurd. Sundays Celtics game with ten seconds to play, the defense decided to just straight up hit Ray Allen in the forearm and skip the ball all together. The ball went bouncing away from Allen and the victory went bouncing away from the Celtics. One ref honestly may not see what happened in a particular play, but the other 3+ should have seen something. Sometimes you wonder how much they bet on the game. There are literally hundreds of awful calls over the years, so I won’t even begin to list or rank them. But the refs in the US should thank their lucky stars to be in the US, where they are not chased down and bludgeoned on the field like English soccer refs.
- Pink Rhinestone Jerseys
I do not believe there are any pro sports teams right now whose officially color is pink- so ladies need to cut the crap with the pink and sparkly jerseys, hats, and other attire. It’s completely tacky and shows that you care more about yourself looking “cute” than supporting the actual team. Even my favorite of the ESPN writers Bill Simmons said Fenway “has been overrun by pseudo fans, cute females and families in green jersey and pink caps”. Last year when I bought my fetus niece/nephew a mini Bruschi jersey, my father said, “But, what if it’s a girl?” So what if it’s a girl?! I’m a girl and I own 4 jerseys which I wear with pride because it’s about supporting the team, not dressing like the prom queen.
- Ticket Prices
It’s becoming harder and harder for the average sports fan to attend games. In this uncertain economy it seems like everything is dropping in prices, except the cost of entertainment. House values are sliced in half in some areas of the country, car companies are offering great deals and rates, you can go on a week long Mexican cruise for $400. Yet movie tickets are still $12 a pop, concerts starting at $50 for nosebleed, and Pro sports double that for nosebleed. How come millions of educated professions are taking pay cuts and pro athletes are not? Twenty-somethings drop half a paycheck to attend one game, but young kids don’t even understand that concept. They beg Santa for tickets and wake up disappointed because their parents can’t afford $200 just to take themselves and one child, not to even mention the $40 to park and $6 soda. It makes you almost hope that your team sucks just so prices will drop. I went to a few AZ Cardinals games for 1/3 the price of Patriots tickets- until the Cardinals made the Superbowl and then their tickets were instantly jacked up the following season. I realize it’s a business and the goal is to make money, but let’s give fans a chance to fill those empty seats without leaving a spleen on deposit.
- The star being blamed for the loss
With 30 seconds to play on Sunday, Peyton Manning was not far from the red zone, about 5 plays from defeating the Patriots, when he threw an interception. All my friends instantly started cheering that Manning sucks and Manning blew the game. Now I hate Manning to the fullest, and even I don’t think the blame for the loss should be on his shoulders. The receiver wasn’t where we was supposed to be, and James Sanders stumbled upon an amazing defensive opportunity. The man still had 4 TDs and was just shy of 400 yards, making Brady’s 2/186 looks like crap. Again- even coming from a Patriots fan. So that’s my list, what you guys add?