The end of January and beginning of February often is perceived as the dead of winter, the end of the holiday season, and dreams of summer and warmer weather. For your football fanatic friends, it is one of the most exciting times of year. With the AFC and NFC championship games approaching Sunday, January 25 and the Super Bowl right around the corner on Sunday, February 8, the anticipation can be felt in the air. Joy and hope for our teams who have made these events, and who may make the game of the year, are at the forefront of our emotions, but with every competition, we brace for the possible defeats that could take place.
After every single football game, celebrations are had when our team takes home the win. Our local bar crowd can be heard joyously celebrating from miles away, and house parties rage through the night when the timer runs out and the scoreboard soothes our hearts. On the opposite end, the same local bar crowd can be heard yelling and growling, and the house parties are filled with anger and despair when that scoreboard reveals a nightmare. As the season moves closer and closer to the finish lines, these celebrations and defeats become louder, larger, and possibly even violent.
Almost every year we see a similar headline–an outburst surrounding a win or a loss from a team. When that end-of-game timer goes off, fans rush to the streets outside of their stadium or in their hometown to come together to celebrate, or mourn, the result of the game. In some cases, we see streets being destroyed, with street signs being damaged, fights breaking out, and a mess of litter and debris filling the city.
There are many, many cases from over the years of assaults taking place after a devastating game, and of fights between opposing fans breaking out at stadiums. We love to celebrate our winning team, and of course a community comes together when our team does not take home the trophy. Sports give many of us a sense of devotion and community, and when the results are devastating we feel that pain within ourselves. It can cause individuals to take part in crazy actions and situations, which can lead to the danger of both our cities and other individuals.
Showing our pride for our teams is never the issue. Our teams and its players need our spirit and our support in order to compete at their highest level. However, while we are getting our beer and chicken wings ready, we should also be preparing for the possibly dangerous aftermath when all is said and done. There is little to be done to avoid this event, but ensuring we are in a safe environment and keeping our cool despite any outcome is important to maintain that same pride and devotion to our teams.
