OVERBLOWN EMOTIONS

 (This piece was written a couple of weeks ago, but it continues for sports fans every weekend.) 

At this moment, I’m sitting on a couch at my daughter’s house in Hendersonville. I’m watching the Vols piddle away a football game against Arkansas. My heart is pounding as my blood pressure skyrockets, and my mental health is taking a beating. Yes, I know the entire scenario is ridiculous, but something about UT football makes me feel this way. 

I know that it’s only a game, if such a thing exists. For fans, a contest against anyone is as serious a situation as any that might arise in life. Sure, the sun will come up tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean that I’ll get any sleep the rest of the night if Tennessee loses. (Arkansas just took the lead with one minute and seventeen seconds left in the game.)  

I’m exhausted, even though my body hasn’t participated in a single play. A fan can suffer from cramps as his muscles lock up from cringing and jerking on every play. (Arkansas just defeated our Vols.) Jaws ache from clinching teeth to keep from yelling obscenities over the poor play by the team. Headaches before the end of the game and pound throughout the night and into the next morning. Sometimes, rotator cuffs are torn as disappointed fans throw remotes against walls or across rooms.  

Are any of these reactions or emotions rational? I say “no.” However, fans are rabid about their teams. That includes youth teams and high school teams. I’ve even witnessed band parents exhibit these negative traits when their children’s bands don’t receive superior scores from judges. No, it’s not right, but it is reality. Fans and parents put so much time, work, and cash into their children’s activities that they lose control when contests don’t go the way they should.  

I remember a time when children’s teams played against each other, and not a single adult was watching. Children played and adults worked. A loss was sometimes a bitter pill to swallow, but those players soon forgot about the loss; more important was the playing. Maybe we’d all do better if we watched games with the same attitude. Yes, I always wanted my two children to perform well on teams, and because I insisted that they gave their best efforts, I spoiled the joy they felt in just playing and being a part of a team.  

Many of us no longer have small ones at home. Instead, we spend our time and energies rooting for a college team. We lose sight that athletes most often perform the best that they can. Sometimes, the other team is better prepared or more motivated to win the game.  

The week after a loss, fans are filled with gloom and doom. The polls aren’t kind to our favorite team. The chatter begins about whether this year’s team is up to the future challenges against strong opponents. We fret about records, players’ abilities, and playoff possibilities. Additionally, we worry about maintaining our recruiting prowess.  

In the end, none of this stuff matters. A game in no way should determine any of our moods, futures, or outlooks on life. The sun will come up tomorrow; the same serious problems will await our attention. The time is now that we put games in their proper places. If we put half the effort of our supporting games into solving the problems of the nation and world, everyone’s life would ultimately be better.