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MaddyKuhn
Mrs.Stanford
ENG124
15January2016
FanBaseInvestmentisOvertheTop
AhotJulydayafamilyoffourareheadedtoClevelandtocatchanIndiansgame.The
familywillfeastonnachos,peanuts,andsomeicecoldrefreshingsoda.Thefamilyissittingin
thebleacherslocatedinleftfieldawonderfulfamilyexperiencethatissuddenlyinterruptedby
twootherfansyelling,screamingusingfoulandinappropriatelanguagethenextthingthat
occurs,afightbreaksoutbetweenthetwofans.Allofthisoverabaseballgame.Nowthisday
thatissupposedtoberemomoriableforthisfamilyisruinedbecauseMostpeopleintodaysday
andagelikesports,playsports,orknowsomebodythatplaysasport.Somepeoplemighteven
saythatsportsaretheheartofAmericanSpirit.Fansarebecominginsanelyattachedtothese
professionalandcollegiatelevelathletes.BraxtonMiller,quarterback/wideoutforTheOhio
StateBuckeyeshas352,000followers.Anotherexample,CardaleJones,quarterbackforThe
OhioStateBuckeyeshas224,000followers(Instagram).Theseareextremelyhighnumberof
peoplethatfollowthesetwocollegelevelathletes.Thefanbasesurroundingprofessionaland
collegiatesportsinAmericaarebecomingliterallyandfinanciallyoutofcontrol.Peopleare
investingtoomuchmoneyintoapparelandtickets,spendingtoomuchtimefocusedonthe
sports,andaregettingtooheatedandinvolvedatthegamesaswellasathome.
SportshavealwaysbeenapartofnotonlyAmerica,butthewholeworldaswell.Sports
asweknowittodaydatesallthewaybackto7000BCwithdrawingsincavesdepictinga

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wrestlingmatchsurroundedbyacrowd.Americahasapopulationofmorethan300million
peopleandhowcan300millionpeoplecometogethersomemayask.Wellthroughouthistory,
sportshaveplayedacrucialroleinhelpingtoestablishanidentitytheAmericanshave.While
clich,baseballisindeedAmerica'snationalpastimeforamyriadofreasons(SportsHistory
2004).ThehistoryofthegameisinterwovenintothehistoryofAmerica.Baseballwasalsoat
theforefrontofthemodernCivilRightsmovement.JackieRobinsonenteredtheleaguewiththe
BrooklynDodgersin1947.RobinsonsadditiontotheDodgerlineupwasmetwithresistanceby
someofhisteammates(Shackelford2009).SportshaveshapedwhatAmericahasbecometoday.
YessportsareaveryimportantpartofAmericansandfindingAmerica'sidentityhoweverthat
doesnotmeansportsshouldbeabletotakecontroloverpeople,makethemcrazyandgo
psychotic.Withsportstoday,Americapossesssomeofthemostdiehard,dedicated,allout
sportsfans.Thedefinitionofadiehardsportsfanissomeoneorsomethingthatshowsor
possessesextreme,absoluteorcompleteloyaltyeveniffacingdefeatorhopelessness.
(Yourdictionary2016)Examplesofthesekindsoffansconsistofthembeingatagameevenif
it'spouringrainorifit'sfivebelowzero.Thesefansaredevotedtotheirsportsandtotheir
favoriteplayer.Thefanspraisethesesuperbathletesliketheyaregodsandgoddesses.However,
theseathletesarenottheyhavetheabilitytorunasfastaslightning,jumpsuperhigh,andbe
crazyathleticpeople.Theyarealotofamazingthings,buttheyarenotgodsandgoddesses.
Intodayssociety,peoplebecomeveryattachedandquicklydedicatedtothethingsthat
theyfindinterestingorhaveapassionfor.TheaverageAmericanspends$2,827onsports
entertainment.Thatisagoodchunkofmoneythatpeopleoftodayssocietycouldbeusingto
makehouserenovations,payoffsomesortofdebt,orspenditonfamily.(Wesley2016).There

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aresomanymoreidealoptionsthatyoucouldspendthismoneyon,butpeoplewouldrather
spenditonafootballjersey,basketballtickets,orfoodatabaseballgame.Ownerofthe
ClevelandCavaliers,DanGilbertboughttheCavsin2005.Hepaidawhopping$375million
dollarsfortheCavaliersthen.Nowtheteamisestimatedtobeworth$915milliondollars
(Forbes2016).ThisisacrazyamountofmoneytobepaidjustforaCleveland,Ohio
Professionalbasketballteam.IftheaverageAmericaniswillingtospend$2,827ayearonjust
onsportsentertainment,imaginewhatnationalcelebritiesandhighpoweredbusinessmenwould
bewillingtopaytobeabletoownateam.Peoplehavesomanymorebeneficialoptionsthat
theycanuseandspendthismoneyon,theycanchangetheirlivesandthelivesoftheirpeers
surroundingthem.Foranaveragepersontospendalmost$3,000ayearonsportsisridiculous,
putthemoneytowardsabetteruse.Thinkbeforespendinga12hourshiftonajerseyanda
overpricedtickettoafootballgame.
Sportingeventsandthingsconsistingofsportsaretendingtobecomeoutofcontrol.
Fansarebecomingmorethanfans,theyarebecomingfanatics.AfewChargersfanswere
videotapedbeatinguponeBroncosfaninNationalCity,CaliforniaonSundaynightaftertheir
teamlosttotheBroncosinthedivisionalround
oftheNFLplayoffs(Klopman2016).Thisjust
showshowintenseandinvolvedfansaregetting.Showinghowtheyarebecomingobsessedwith
thecollegiateandprofessionallevelsofsports.AnotherincidenthappenedinSeptemberin2014.
Fansendeduptumblingdownconcretestairsatthestadiumofthe49ersandCardinalsgame.
Menandwomeninredjerseyswerethrowingpunches,andasinglesecurityofficerinalight
blueshirtwasstuckinthemiddle,gettinghitandevenchoked,andwhenthemeleewasbroken
upandthestairwaywascleared,the
stepsweresplatteredwithblood
(Doyel2014).Fromthe

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twoindicationsabove,peoplecantellthatthefansoftodayssportsarebecomingoutofcontrol
andtoooverbearing.Peoplearebeinginjuredandthisisjustthestartofitimaginewhatcould
happenfiveyearsfromnow.
Individualsontheothersideofthistopicmaybelievesportingeventsarenot
becomingtoointenseortooinvolved.Somebelievethatsportingeventsaretheheartofthe
Americancompetitivespirit.PeopleliveforthosefallSunday'swheretheycanwakeupatsixin
themorningandheadtotailgatewithfriendsandfamilyalldaybeforethebiggame.Those
SaturdayswheretheycanputontheirfavoritecollegejerseyandheaduptotheShoetocatchan
OSUgameandcheerfortheirfavoriteplayerthattheyfollowonTwitterandInstagram.Kids
growupadmiringtheirfavoriteathlete:theseathletesoftodayaretheyoungergeneration'srole
models.Theseathletesarewhoweyoungerpeoplewanttobecome.Theyaretheyounger
generation'srolemodels.Theyhopethatonedaytheycanpursuetheirdreamandbecomea
professionalathletelikeLebronJames,DerekJeter,orTomBrady.
Althoughtosomediehardsportsfansthismaybetrue,toothersthisisfarfromthe
realityofthisnewworldthesocietyisbecoming.Theseathletesareputuponsomesortof
pedestalbecausetheycanrunreallyfast,jumpsuperhigh,ordiveoutforaballfivefeetaway
fromthem.Peopleconsiderthemheroes.WhataboutthetrueheroesofAmerica?Servicemen
andwomen?Doctors,firefighters,policemen,andnurses?Thesearethetrueheroesoftheworld.
DobasketballplayersgoandfightforAmerica'sfreedomeveryday?Notheydon't.Cana
footballplayersavesomebodyslifebyoperatingonthem?Onceagain,notheycannot.Thisis
theproblemintheworldtoday.MoreAmericansputpeoplewhodon'tdeserveallthisfame,
fortuneandcreditsohighaboveus.Whataboutthepeoplewhoareactuallymakingadifference

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inthisworldwhatdotheydeserve?Peopleshouldstartrecognizingtherealheroesinthisworld
andpraisethemnotathleteswhomake$20millionayear.
Sportingeventsarebecomingtooinvolvedbecausefansarespendingtoomuchmoney
andgettingtooobsessedandaggressive.LebronJamesissaidtobeoneofthegreatestbasketball
playersofalltime.thisissaidbecause,Inafiveyearspanfrom20092013,LeBronJameswon
atotaloffourMVPsintheleague.OtherlegendaryballerswithfewerMVPsthanLeBron
includeLarryBird,KobeBryant,MosesMaloneandTimDuncan,(15Reasons2016).The
salaryofthisbasketballstaristwentytwomilliondollarsayear(NBAPlayer20152016).This
isalotofmoneyforsomebodythatjustdribblesaballaroundonacourt.Now,takealookatthe
salaryofaservicemen.TheaverageUSArmystaffsergeantwithtwoyearsofexperience
makesroughlyabouttwentyeightthousanddollarsayear(ArmyBase2015).Thesalaryofa
manthatdribblesandshootsaballaroundonacourtcomparedtoamanthatputshislifeonthe
lineeverymomentofeverydayforusAmericans.Theseathletesaren'theroes,theyarejusta
manorwomanblessedwithsomeGodgiventalent.
Forpeopletobeabletopraisetheseathletesandadmirethemfortheabilitiestheyhave,
isridiculous.SocietyshouldbepraisingthetrueheroesofAmericadoctors,servicemenand
women,nurses,policemenandfirefighters.Peoplespendinganoutrageousamountofmoneyon
sportingevents,ticketsandapparelsocietystartingriotsandfightsbecausetheirfavoriteteam
lost,orthegamebecomesfartoointensesofansbecomefanaticsandstartfighting.Theseare
justafewreasonswhysportingeventsarebecomingwaytoointenseandoutofcontrol.Humans
shouldnotdevotetheirlifetoagame,theyshouldlivelifetothefullestthattheycan.Sureif
somesportingeventsareinvolvedandgetalittleintensethatsgreat.However,people

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shouldntjustlivetheirlifeinfullobsessionwithasportsteamoranathlete.Lifegiveshumans
somanymorethingstogetworkedupabout,sowhywasteitonsomesportsgame.Saveitfor
thegoodstuff.

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