Extra Mustard

Toxic Sports, Radio still exist?, What I read this month

Photo by Wade Austin Ellis on Unsplash

Toxic fanaticism has always been a problem. Remember soccer hooliganism in the 80s and 90s? Or how about city riots after a team WON a championship? I’ve been to enough Oakland Raider games to understand the dark side of sports. There’s something about tribal communalism, mixed with competitive adrenaline, pride, ego and envy that can drive the act of support into an unhealthy infatuation with the teams, the players and the results.

I’m a longtime sports fan. One of my first sports memories was nearly crying when the Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the ‘80s. I was in the Oakland Coliseum in 2001 when the Baltimore Ravens upset the Raiders to go and ultimately win the Super Bowl. I also openly rooted against the San Francisco Giants in the 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series.

But recently, I’ve had to self-examine the reasons how and why I react to results, to teams and to players. Why did it hurt a little more when the Golden State Warriors beat the Kings and why did my blood rise each time Draymond Green touched the ball? Or why do I care whether Arsenal or Manchester City win the English Premiere League when I’m a Chelsea fan?

Because, to be honest, the teams and the athletes don’t care about me. They only care if I buy a ticket, watch on television or buy merch. The players don’t see me, Vince Wetzel, fan. I’m just part of a vague collective called “supporters” or “fans.”

There is emotional investment in supporting your team. The result matters to you and there’s an instinct that the team standing in the way of a positive result is bad. But it seems people are finding ways to isolate themselves in the colors of their own teams and away from the beauty of sport.

We are constantly asked to pick a side. LeBron James - pick a side. Draymond Green - pick a side. Who are getting the most calls from the referees: You can only choose one!

I stopped watching ESPN shows long ago, when it stopped showing highlights and focused almost exclusively on NFL takes. But sometimes when I’m looking for highlights, I turn it on and immediately an “analyst” is trying to rile up or validate about the opinions on my team. Sports talk radio is the same way.

Is Sports Media feeding our rage or capitalizing on it? Or is it both? Cable News and Sports Media are taking notes from each other, understanding how to grab an audience and keep it there. For every Stephen A Smith on ESPN, there’s a Hannity. On MSNBC, there’s Rachel Maddow. On ESPN, there’s First Take. Isn’t Around the Horn the same as The Five?

And to watch the comments on Twitter… In general, that place is a cesspool. But the cheap shots and vitriol usually reserved for serial killers can be coming from your kid’s second grade teacher. Everybody is ready to take their swipe. And as Jerry Seinfeld would say, “all in the name of laundry.”

Years ago, I resolved not to root against a team. I decided that if my rooting interest was for failure, then it wasn’t worth watching. The best case scenario was schadenfreude and the worst case was watching a rival win over some team in which I had no rooting interest. It’s just not worth my time.

So how do we navigate sports - support our teams, and still enjoy the games for what they are? Is it possible to support your team without devolving ourselves? What do you think?

• Speaking of radio, a few weeks ago, I turned on the radio to listen to an NBA playof game. This was the first time since I purchased my car a year ago that I turned on the radio ever. Isn’t that amazing? Between podcasts, audio books and streaming personalized stations, you can have a variety of constant audio entertainment without having to worry about an AM signal. Recently, I’ve had several long drives for work. Before the smart phone and mobile internet, the radio seek button was a lifeline to find something to pass the time in the car. Driving down the Central Valley of California, the choices were country, Rush Limbaugh or Spanish radio. Now, I can engage in a mystery or an entertainment podcast or a station customized to my preferences. Technology is amazing.

• Do you support local independent bookstores and local authors? I seek out local bookstores (Sacramento has Capitol Books on K, Face in a Book, Three Sisters, Ruby’s, East Village, and more!) and then ask for the local author section. Often, I find great reads. And yes, even me, an independent author, gets a little apprehensive about buying a self-published book. While they have small flaws in plot or grammar, they also feel more real like you are getting the author’s voice coming through. Give them a chance!

• What I read this month:

  • Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J Ryan Stradal: This author is the king of Midwest contemporary fiction. I loved The Lager Queen of Minnesota and also enjoyed his other book Kitchens of the Great Midwest. Always entertaining, this book highlights the multi-generational conflicts, legacies, and expectations that often pepper our relationships with our parents and children. I’ve had a couple of fanboy interactions with him too. Good dude!

  • The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill: This is a typical mystery with the protagonist falling in love with the prime suspect that keeps you guessing until the end. There is a small twist (the “author” has her own stalker) that I wished had a bigger payoff. But I enjoyed and recommend.

  • His Majesty’s Hope by Susan Ella MacNeal: This is the third of the Hope series, which takes place in World War II. Hope, a British national raised in America and daughter of German spy and British scientist, becomes a spy in Germany. An easy and simple read.

    Next week: FILP Short Fiction “The Donut Shop”