Growing up, I was surrounded by all different kinds of sports. My parents put my sister and me in soccer, volleyball, softball, basketball, and even golf. While only one of them stuck, my experiences playing led me to also watch a lot of these sports on TV. Of course, it also helped that the Giants, Warriors, and the Sharks were pretty good in the 2010s: the first two bringing home six championships within the decade and the Sharks’ making it to the Stanley Cup Finals in the 2015-16 season.
All this to say, I’m a big sports fan. However, a byproduct of watching so much is also becoming attuned to the many toxic behaviors of fans. Last season in the WNBA, a crypto enthusiast orchestrated the stunt of throwing a bright green sex toy onto the court during a game between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries to advertise his online community’s new crypto coin. His reasoning for choosing the WNBA: “Where is there already controversy and how do we intercept some of that attention?” While he is certainly not a fan of women’s basketball, the audacity to take the spotlight off of how much the league has grown and instead sexualize the athletes is outright disgusting.
The disrespect between fans and the opposing team can also be highlighted by Austin Capobianco, a New York Yankees fan, forcefully ripping the ball out of Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts’ glove during Game 4 of the World Series. While fans are becoming more enthusiastic about their team loyalty, they’ve also toed the line between simple passion and blatant disrespect for other players and fans. In England, 24% of football/soccer players have been subjected to racist abuse. From making monkey noises at black and brown players to beating up fans of opposing teams, the lengths some fans go to display their devotion ends up pushing them to cross the line of sportsmanship and into straight-up abuse.
Additionally, the pressure on collegiate and professional athletes is nothing new, and has only been augmented by the rise of social media. The constant need to curate the perfect profile and engage with followers has encouraged athletes to become influencers as well, increasing time spent looking through Instagram comments and TikTok likes. With that, avoiding hate comments is impossible. Hidden behind pixels, toxic fans spew vicious hate when their team or a specific player does not perform to their standards. Just 2 years ago, when Louisiana State University’s women’s basketball team won the national championship, the blossoming ‘rivalry’ between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark persisted in the proliferation of racism and misogynoir on Twitter. After making a ring gesture toward Clark, the media ripped Reese apart, threatening her, calling her names, and more. Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool, wrote a tweet calling her a “classless piece of sh*t” for the motion.
Sports are a place to connect those from all walks of life, yet they welcome the most harassment against both players and opposing fans. Every time you turn the TV on, remember that these athletes have worked hard to get where they are (even if they aren’t playing to your standards). Furthermore, fans find so much joy and connection in watching games. Ruining that atmosphere creates an exclusive environment, detracting from all the potential positives.