Are Fans Too Crazy?

While everyone on campus at UNC is getting excited for the first home football game tomorrow, I am getting excited for the game tonight.

The game is between the United States Men's Soccer Team and Costa Rica.

There is a lot of anger and emotion coming from the Costa Rican fans, because earlier in the year, these same two teams played in blizzard-like weather conditions. The United States won the game 1-0, but the major story was how upset the Costa Rican Soccer Federation was. They filed a protest after the match, claiming the match should have been suspended and played later, but their protest was to no avail. They did not follow the correct protocol for submitting the complaint, and therefore, they are extremely upset over losing a game in the “winter wonderland,” also known as Colorado.

The bitterness in the fans can be seen and heard by this video.  You can clearly hear the chants of “No Fair Play” in the background. Obviously, the United States did not control the weather. They just decided that they wanted to host the previous match in a cold climate. Unfortunately, snow fell from the sky.

An article from “mlssoccer.com” discusses some of the bad sportsmanship Costa Rica have been showing towards the USA—which include not offering the team soccer balls to train with, not offering a field for them to practice on and having cab drivers intentionally try to slow down traffic, so the USA will arrive to the stadium late. 

The question I have for the Costa Rican population is: Why does the game mean this much to you? Why are you so angry?

Obviously, I will passionately support the United States team, so I expect the Costa Rican people to passionately support their team as well. But, why is supporting your club or national team surpassed by pure insanity, hatred for others and a total lack of common sense.

I researched online and found an interesting article that tries to explain why fans are so crazy. They basically explain how a fan is passionate about their team or club from their birth to their demise. One point I found interesting is how they connected sporting events today to small, tribal wars. They explain how humans lived in small tribes, and warriors would battle for their people, and obviously, their tribe would be fans of them. The tribe could rally around the warriors because they felt connected to them. They experienced similar things by being in the same tribe, so they were connected. National team’s fans today feel the same way. You support your nation because you feel like you are connected to the players on the field, even though you may not know them personally.

The last point in my previous paragraph is what I am trying to explain to the more passionate fans around the world. You can support your team, because they probably do represent you. You are passionate about the upcoming game because it showcases “your” abilities versus another “tribe’s” abilities. What happens on the field matters to you, but it will not affect your daily life. You may feel sad or happy because of the outcome, but there are no real-world consequences. 

Do not let a game being played by people you may not even know affect how you treat others. Maybe you feel like the game should have been cancelled, but ask yourself this: Would I have wanted the game cancelled if our team would have won? 

Should you hate the American players for playing in the conditions with you or should you hate yourselves for not trying to cancel the game in advance? 

Good luck tonight Costa Rica. I will be rooting for the United States, but I will also be rooting for respectful support on both sides.