Sports Fans Could Use A Few Chill Pills

Sometimes sports fans are a little too passionate about their teams.

Reese Bennett, Columnist

Sports are known worldwide, and they’re something almost everyone can relate to. However, some people need to take a serious chill pill when it comes to watching and supporting their favorite teams.

The sports fan zeal comes from the brain. A hormone called testosterone rises by 20 percent when one’s team wins, and drops 20 percent when they lose. The testosterone spurs sports fans into a chemical high during exciting moments in the game, according to Nautilus. This is what causes such excitement and intensity in fan’s reactions when they are at or watching a game. Fans are extremely dedicated to their teams. Countless people find identification with sports. They like being in groups all supporting the same thing. It’s a place where they can fit in and show their shared love. Even just seeing a favorite team’s apparel creates instant connections in the brain.

While many people enjoy and have fun watching sports, some people take their enjoyment of rooting for a team much too far. For instance, two men have been sentenced to jail time in a 2014 court ruling, due to their beating of a Giants fan at a Dodgers-Giants game in 2011, according to the National Public Radio. The men, Louie Sanchez, 31, and Marvin Norwood, 33, inflicted serious brain damage on victim Brian Stow. His sister revealed during the trial that Stow’s family has to, “[shower him, dress him, and fix his meals. They] make sure he gets his 13 medications throughout the day. He [has to take] two different anti-seizure medications to prevent the seizures he endured for months [after he was brutally and cowardly attacked].” Although not all fights have a permanent impact, these actions are still unacceptable. This definitely isn’t the only violent circumstance that has occurred in the wide world of sports, either. Multiple other violent attacks have happened in nearly all fields of sports. People need to calm down. It’s a game. The aggressive reactions exemplified are unnecessary and physically and mentally damaging. Nobody should be hurting someone over an activity.

Obviously, though, not all people get this violent. Many people can watch football, baseball, or whatever sport floats their boat just fine. Of course, disappointment comes along with any loss, but the majority of fans handle it correctly. Violent fans could learn a thing or two from people who know how to conduct themselves.