It's not passion, it's bad sportsmanship

Fifty years ago there was a silence or polite applause from the home fans when an away team scored. Fans and followers of that team were not afraid to show their enthusiasm and it was all in the spirit of the game. As young kids, we are always told by our parents to be humble winners and gracious losers and always upholding ourselves by giving our best and respecting the opposition. Why is it then that grown ups give their kids such valuable advice, yet run off to their favorite sport and boo the opposition? That's not pride for your side, or passionately supporting your team; its bad sportsmanship.

On April 16, 2012, in the FA Cup Semi Final between Tottenham and Chelsea, the crowd was asked to observe a moment of silence to mark the "23rd anniversary where 96 fans lost their lives." It was a short lived moment as a small group of Chelsea fans childishly started booing. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/9206300/Hillsborough-anniversary-Chelsea-embarrassed-as-fans-ruin-minutes-silence-at-Wembley.html
Liverpool's' fans behavior is even more abject. A fan wearing a Manchester United jersey comes to watch a Liverpool training session, only to be met with a reception of boos and jeers from onlooking Liverpool fans. A curious onlooker has every right to lambaste this puerile behavior. If respect cannot even be shown to a fan of another club, there's no denying it just gets worse the further one looks into soccer,* with players regularly bullying the referee and swearing at him, lauded on by their immature fans.

Don't assume this is a one off occurrence, or restricted to soccer* either. The Southern Hemisphere's premiere Rugby showpiece, the Tri-Nations is regularly subjected to sporting lowlifes who take every occasion the opposition has an opportunity to score point to boo the opposition kicker. An example is attached below. Listen at 11.50-12.00 just how loud these jeering noises are. Kids go to these games to watch their heroes play, only to see people around them pathetically chanting at the visiting teams' kicker. Retired Springbok Lock Victor Matfield has rather flatly dismissed home crowds booing as nothing more than "showing their passion" for their team. Eden Park tried and failed by asking the audience over the loud speakers to remain quiet while both kickers attempted shots, with little success. Passion for supporting your team comes from cheering them on when they're on the offense and praising them when they get the better of the opponent in defensive situations. Booing an opposition kicker when he shoots at goal and doing likewise when the referee makes a decision in favor of the visiting side is reminiscent to a child having a tantrum when they don't get the toy they wanted at the store.

Next time you're at a sporting venue and see a grown man or woman booing or jeering, ask them why they're doing it? Ask them just what it is that makes them arrogant enough to make such a low blow move? If they're audacious enough to give you an answer to each question, ask them how their actions are any different from a school student disrespectfully talking back to a teacher? Truth is that both the fan and the school student are rude, cynical, incredibly conniving, asinine and above all completely obstinate towards it all. Booing the opposition should have no place in any sport of any kind. Any fan that disagrees ought to put a diaper on.




*Soccer is used instead of Football so American and Canadian readers don't get confused.