March Madness

A short time ago I ventured into The Press Box in Oswego, NY to grab a bite to eat and watch some of the 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Much like Greene's Ale House, where I'm gainfully employed, The Box is a casual atmosphere for taking in the games while tasting a couple of brews. Don't get me wrong, I love hanging out at Greene's too, but it was a nice change of pace for this particular afternoon. And boy was I in for a treat with regards to one of the other patrons at that establishment.

Upon entering the building, my friend and I quickly secured a pair of seats right in front of the beer taps in the middle of the bar. It was luck on our part because we were able to get a great view of all of the HD t.v.'s. The game of the day was highlighted by the #9 seeded "Cinderella" Northern Iowa Panthers, who were able to knock off the top seeded Kansas Jayhawks. However, the most entertaining game of the afternoon was the Old Dominion Monarchs battling the Baylor Bears.

Within minutes of sitting down it became quite apparent that somebody seated behind us was either really drunk, had a shit-load of money on the game, or he went to school at Old Dominion in Virginia. As it turned out, he did in fact attend college at ODU. That made his actions more tolerable because he had a legitimate reason to be rooting for his Alma Mater. But the guy was screaming at the t.v. on almost every play. When the Monarchs hit a free throw you would have thought that his team had just won the National Championship. When in reality, they had cut the lead to 2 points with 11 MINUTES TO PLAY! Not exactly a reason to be so enthused.

This gentleman's "fan-hood" got me to thinking about how people can be so childish when it comes to watching sports. I would never embarrass myself by yelling at the boob tube during an athletic contest. I can see being vocal if you're at the game. But if you're in your living room or out at a local pub, I've got a little secret for you. THE PLAYERS CAN'T HEAR YOU!

Many of you know that I'm a big Duke fan. I root for the basketball, football, and lacrosse teams respectively. Whenever the Blue Devils square off with North Carolina on the hardwood, I always get together with my good friend Michele, who happens to be a Tar Heel basketball fan. By looking at her and talking with her you'd think she was a lot smarter than that. But for some reason she roots for those douche bags from Chapel Hill anyway. And every time it's the same thing. While she is yelling and swearing during her many rants throughout the game, I remain seated, calmly enjoying 1 to 2 adult beverages during the contest, never losing my cool.

Although this type of behavior is typical for many sports fans during March Madness, it's not limited to the NCAA Basketball Tournament. I have witnessed such actions during football in the Fall too. In addition to being a Duke fan, I am also a life-long supporter of the Buffalo Bills. Every time they play, I gather with my fellow Bills fans at Thirsty's Tavern. Much like Greene's and The Press Box, it's another local watering hole that caters to some of Oswego's finest. And while all Buffalo fans respect the game and root in an adult manor, that cannot be said for some of the people cheering for other franchises.

Thirsty's is often filled with Cowboys, Redskins, Giants, and Dolphins fans to name a few. And these guys are both obnoxious and annoying. Especially the Dolphin fans (Sorry Galloway). Whenever the Fins make a good play, which believe me is very few and far between, they stand up and slam their hands on the eave that hangs over the bar. I know what you're thinking. How adolescent. If they only realized how stupid they look. And what makes matters worse, Dave Hall, who is on the cleaning crew at Thirsty's, never dusts above the bar so debris falls from the ceiling into our drinks.

Now I admit that I displayed a slight bit of emotion last November 4th when the Yankees won the World Series in 6 games over the Phillies. It was my birthday too so in addition to my standard 2 beers when I go out, I also sipped on 2 shots of tequila to celebrate. But outside of standing to clap at the end of the game when Mariano Rivera got Shane Victorino to harmlessly make the last out, I think I kept my composure quite well.

It's not that I'm some old fashioned fuddy duddy that doesn't like to have fun. I let my hair down from time to time. I'll tap my foot a little when I'm at a concert. I will applaud achievement when I deem it necessary. It's just that in this guy's humble opinion, I think people need to prioritize what's important in life a little better. Enjoy sports for what they are, a game.