Friday, August 26, 2011

It's Only a Game

Yes, I've blogged about this before, but it's worth revisiting, especially in light of recent events.

You should have seen some of the e-mails that came in to the newsroom after the Keystone team from Clinton County lost its first game in the Little League World Series.  They were all nasty, and they all had the same theme:  the umpires screwed the kids.

Then, last weekend, the San Francisco 49'ers played the Oakland Raiders in an NFL exhibition game.  The game was marred by beatings, shootings, and assorted other violence.  The Niners are upping stadium security, including banning tailgating during the game.  They suspect a lot of the fan mayhem was fueled by alcohol.  The Niners have also asked the NFL to end the yearly tradition of playing Oakland in a pre season game.

What the heck is going on here?  Why do we take sports so seriously?

I'm sure you've heard the stories about how Philadelphia is no man's land if you happen to like the visiting team.

Alcohol plays a role, but it's not the only reason.  You'll never see an end to alcohol at sporting events.  Follow the money.  There is too much cash to be made from selling beer.

The bottom line is we are part of a less civil society, and sports, which are supposed to be fun, has become a mess.