Whoop That Trick Wednesday: Fans Need to Chill OutAll too often, fans feel entitled to form opinions about certain athletes based on non-tangible sports ideals like legacy, tradition, rivalry, and other concepts that are valued at a high emotional price when it comes to sports. In these cases, making decisions that go against these ideals upset fans greatly(…Examples…Jordan coming out of retirement to the Wizards after ending his career with the Bulls as a champion…..Johnny Damon leaving the Red sox as a free agent to play for the Yankees…)when these things happened, fans got pissed. So yesterday when the news broke that future Hall of Fame QB Brett Favre is mulling another comeback to the NFL, this time with the Vikings, not surprisingly, many Packer fans, and football purists were outraged. Today Brett Favre is getting whooped by fans all over for merely contemplating a comeback with the Vikings. So on his behalf; I am going to whoop ALL of those fans who claim to have beef with good old #4.
You see, not only will fans never understand what it’s like to be a professional athlete, but conversely, professional athletes will never understand what it’s like to be a fan. The overwhelming majority of pro athletes, particularly football players, have been the stars of the teams they care about for their entire lives. They have never spent significant time, money, or energy on simply being a fan of their high school, college or pro team. We are from two different worlds. So while many things in sports are debatable topics for all of society, the urge to keep playing and keep making money is not one of these topics. No fan, anywhere, ever, should be hating on Brett Favre for thinking he can still play and wanting to collect a check because if the right people agree with Favre (i.e.. the Vikings) then your opinion is grossly irrelevant. Also, for the many Packer fans that feel betrayed because Favre would come back and play for the “rival” Vikings, and see it as Favre getting revenge on the organization that scorned him…Get over it…Really! Has Brett Favre not given Packers fans enough? He’s the most famous player in your team’s history, won your only recent Super Bowl, and actually made that small market Midwest town a relevant city throughout the 90s and up until 2007. He shouldn’t have to be buried in his game uniform to preserve his legacy. It should be cemented.
I’m sick of fans making a huge fuss about the greed, vanity, and narcissism of professional athletes, because in reality much of those perceived negative traits are overstated. I believe that because of their tremendous salaries, their extravagant lifestyles and the fact that they play a game for a living, pro athletes are subject to weighted resentment and conduct standards assigned to no other members of society. And while I agree that people of great wealth and prominence should be held to and judged by greater standards, I feel that their personalities should be analyzed a whole lot less and their motives should not be constantly called into question. As fans we like to think that “we” would act differently if we could switch places with some of these athletes. Perhaps more humble and more gracious and respectful, and certainly we would be conscious of how much fans love us, and give back to the community because we make so much money, and always play hard yada yada…etc….But this is not true. In a perfect world pro athletes would be role models and represent the best aspects and virtues associated with sport and tremendous wealth. But, they are people, who have the same flaws, insecurities, and personal defects as everyone else. Making millions of dollars or throwing and catching a ball for a living does not change that.
So relax outraged football fans. If Favre wants to play until he’s 80, let him play. If Favre wants to hold a grudge against the Pack, let the Pack worry about it. You are definitely entitled to an opinion, but Favre doesn’t owe you anything. So your opinion doesn’t really matter as much as you think it does.
2 comments:
the problem with Favre is not that he wants to play, that's his right to determine when he's done, it's that ESPN acts like Favre talking to the Vikings is akin to a hostage crisis. You can't avoid Favre talk when he thinks about playing. Last year was a complete joke how ESPN handled Favre and his will he or won't he. Part of it is because Favre has been too fickle in this process, but ESPN doesn't have to shut down the sports world for him, that's what the NFL Network is for. And remember, its not like Favre is the greatest QB ever and has deteriorated in such a degree that Sage Rosenfeld might be the better player for next season.
Completely agree with Keith here. It is not that I am outraged with Favre, he is not coming to the Bears so I could not care less. But I am sick of ESPN reporting on this as if I care. They can tell us it is a story all they want but I think when this many fans speak up and say they are not interested. It is time to be responsible journalists and listen to your audience. Favre thinking about coming back should be covered in one sentence, "Favre is thinking about playing for the Vikings in 2009". BAM that's it. Once it happens THEN let's talk about what it means. Report on the news, not the hypothetical crap.
Post a Comment