I have a pet peeve. It’s a big one to me, although I’m sure other people would not necessarily understand what the fuss is all about.
I attend many different sporting events throughout the year. Loads of them.
I love watching sports of all kinds, but when my kids are playing, I especially enjoy the time spent in the stands.
Tonight I went to a basketball game to watch Keegan play in a neighboring town.
The game was exciting and close, the kids played well, but the fans sitting next to me were aggravating. My experience tonight made me realize I’ve never written a blog post about fan etiquette.
I think it’s time.
The Walkers….
I’m going to sound like a disgruntled elderly person in this post. I’m not bothered by that, however you may want to heed this warning, along with a disclaimer that this ‘life ramblings’ edition may not be for you.
Finding the perfect spot to watch a basketball game (or any other game, for that matter) is not something I take lightly.
I like to have plenty of room with an unobstructed view of the game.
Tonight I walked into a packed gym with the Varsity girls’ game already deep into the second half of their play. I should have arrived earlier, but didn’t. That was my fault.
Seats were limited, but I figured I’d find a spot to finish out the girls’ game, and then move before Keegan’s game started.
That part of the evening went well. Khloe and I were able to move to a spot that had more space, up high, with our backs all the way up at the top. Brian was down helping with the book at the scoring table so we didn’t need room for him.
A minute or two before the National Anthem was set to begin, three fans from the opposing side sat in the visitor’s section right next to me.
It seemed as soon as they sat down, one of the three had to get back up and go in front of me to either head to the bathroom or concession stand. Either way, it was fine. Just once right? Nope.
The lady came back, talking to others along the way, sat down, and then after a few minutes was up again – walking in front of me.
I’m grumpy about it.
I really like to watch the game. It’s the whole reason I came. I want to hear the refs, the coaches, listen to what plays they are calling, etc…
I’m as active a participant in the stands as I can be without being directly on the court. I am not scrolling on a phone or reading a book. I’m watching basketball.
I should have moved seats. If there had been more options open, I would have.
I do want to say that if this person had been taking a child to the bathroom or dealing with kids in some way, I would have completely understood.
That wasn’t the case.
Rule #1: Fan etiquette dictates that you minimalize walking in front of another person’s line of view as much as possible.
The Talkers….
I can’t hear very well. I have hearing aids that I don’t wear. Again, my fault.
When I’m in a place that has a great deal of background noise, it’s difficult to distinguish what I am actively listening for. Because of this, side bar conversations are very impactful in a negative way.
Two of the people that chose to sit next to me tonight decided that the game was a perfect spot to catch up on small talk.
Now, I’m usually a very easy-going person. I work well with most of my colleagues and generally don’t make waves or look for any type of confrontations.
Tonight I almost snapped. Why did the two ladies next to me decide to start talking about irrelevant, ‘How did your holidays go?’ kind of malarky right in the middle of an intense Boys’ Varsity game? (Yes, I said, malarky. I’m actively trying to bring back ‘old’ words.)
I could have glared at them. I didn’t.
My plan of action involved pointedly turning in the other direction, and counting backwards from 20 in my head.
When that didn’t work, I started to cheer, loudly, for Keegan’s team.
I can self-reflect and admit that maybe I was a little annoying. I don’t care. My goal was to draw their attention back to the fact that we are sitting in a gymnasium where there is a game going on.
It worked and the droning small talk ceased.
Small victories can be extremely rewarding.
Rule #2: Minimize the gossipy conversations when attending an event that requires fans to hear what is going on.
Solutions?
There are other rules to fan etiquette.
Rule #3: Refs have a difficult job and should not be yelled at.
Rule #4: People should show kindness, to other fans, the players, and the coaches.
I could keep listing qualities of Good Sportsmanship, however this post was mainly about my frustrations tonight.
Did I mention that I’ve been dealing with pain on the side of my face from the ‘Tooth Extraction’ that happened a couple of days after Christmas? (I wrote a post about it. The whole ordeal was unpleasant, to say the least.)
To put it plainly, I was already in a bad mood before I walked into that gym tonight.
My solution should have been to find a different place, to either sit or stand, for the game.
For what it’s worth, Keegan played some great defense tonight.
Eaton Rapids ended up winning, 58-56.
I was able to spend time watching one of my twins play a sport that I love. I should stop complaining and look at all of the blessings I’ve been given.
Life is good.
Goals for Today:
- Clean the Kitchen
- Start a Load of Laundry
- Search on Fiverr for Advertising for Life at Loon Lake