Wear you Jerseys!
Two weeks ago, a column appeared in the Big Daily authored by John Steigerwald. Steigerwald is a Pittsburgh native and has covered sports for nearly four decades in the area. He got his TV career started at WTAE-TV and was a member of the Front Four back in the late 70s (Steigerwald, Stan Savran, the late Myron Cope, and Bill Hillgrove). Steigerwald then moved to KDKA-TV in the middle 1980s. I remember my dad sending me the press clipping while I was in college.
Up until a few years ago, Steigerwald remained at KDKA until his contract was not renewed. He did a stint on KDKA Radio and was also on what was then known as The Zone, a radio station for man talk (now known as KDKA-FM, The Fan, an all sports talk station). He now writes a column for a number of newspapers and also has a blog called JustWatchTheGame.com. He has also authored a book that has pretty much told it like it is and thrown no punches. He is the very epitome of old school and he admits it.
That column discussed the Giants fan who was savagely beaten while attending the Giants/Dodgers season opener in Los Angeles. His comments go on to say that the fan wearing the Giants jersey at a Dodgers game was pretty much him asking for the punishment. This got a lot of reaction by some very irate people and most of it was negative directed at Steigerwald.
He has been known to rub people the wrong way with his comments. An old curmudgeon, you might say. In this instance, what he brought up was the fact that a middle aged man was wearing a jersey of his favorite team and he thought that was more than a bit overboard. You are not part of the team, he went onto say, so why are you wearing the jersey? Well, here is my take on that.
I am a middle aged man, mature beyond my years, yet I still have jerseys in my wardrobe that I wear proudly. In that collection are the following: I have the entire Sidney Crosby line (home black, road white, and both alternate jerseys that were created for the two Winter Classics the Penguins appeared in). I have two Mario Lemieux jerseys (home black, the style that was worn before the current jersey was designed by Reebok; and the current Winter Classic jersey). I have two Jack Lambert jerseys, one Terry Bradshaw jersey, one Greg Lloyd jersey, and one Rod Woodson jersey. I also have two Ben Roethlisberger jerseys, his past issues not withstanding.
We wear these jerseys to identify with the teams we follow and root for. I don’t care how old you are, if you feel like wearing a team jersey, wear it! Why do you think sporting goods stores and team stores sell these jerseys? Because people buy them to identify with their favorite players and favorite teams. There is nothing wrong with that. Hey, age is just a number. If someone wants to point this out to me and say something, go ahead. I am free to wear whatever I want as long as I am not offending anyone.
Now, the story takes on greater significance because this fan was beaten while attending a game. This is where the line gets crossed. For years, someone could attend a game and not have to worry about being beaten up just because they were wearing a different team jersey. Sure, someone might give them a bit of grief, but it was only in good, clean fun. No problems ever surfaced. Today, it’s a much different story.
I have attended games at Three Rivers Stadium, the Civic Arena, and now Heinz Field and PNC Park. I have not been to Consol Energy Center. But all three venues attract different crowds. It goes without saying that, hands down, Heinz Field attracts the most belligerent crowd of all of them. Eight home games during the regular season in the NFL. Whether game time is 1:00 pm. 4:00 pm, or primetime, there is plenty of time before the game for people to “tailgate.” This is where the problems start.
I will go on record as saying that I do not drink (again, minority). I am not a prude by any means, but I refuse to spend my time around people whose sole purpose is to get drunk beyond oblivion. This is a major reason why I refuse to attend professional sporting events. That and the fact tickets can be hard to come by. When you have a crowd that is tailgating, that gives them ample time to tie on a pretty good buzz. That leads to problems in the stadium. And that leads to more alcohol sales in the venue, where beer is pretty expensive.
Get someone who is feeling more than rather good in a sporting event and you know what the possibilities are. It leads to very boorish behavior, recklessness, and possible legal issues. Is that really worth it? For some, it must be. For some, having a good time means the consumption of alcohol. Me, I’ll pass.
When I go to a sporting event, I want to watch the game. I do not need to put up with someone who is acting like an idiot, whether they are born that way or have to work at it, and spoiling my fun. Personally, I would rather stay at home and watch games on my HDTV and stereo sound. No line to the restroom or the food stands, no worries about parking or traffic, and no worries about an idiot spoiling my fun.
However, this is all a sign of the times. People feel that are entitled to not only act like idiots, but also drink themselves into a drunken stupor. Then they feel they are entitled to spoil it for the rest of us who are there to enjoy a game. It used to be going to a ball game was family entertainment. Not anymore. A family, in most cases, can’t afford to go to a game. When it can afford it, it has to deal with these issues. Children do not need to be exposed to this stuff. They will have plenty of time for that to happen later in life.
Regardless of your age, there is nothing wrong with wearing the jersey of a player/team of your choosing. You are just showing support for that player and that team. As for the unruly behavior, I don’t know how you can curb that. Only the law can keep you from attending a game, and that can present issues with lawyers getting into the middle of it. This is truly a sad situation on several levels. If you don’t drink, then you are left out in the cold because a large segment of attendees do drink. So, what do you do? This is an issue that may never go away, and that’s sad.
*The Pens went up in their first round series with Tampa Bay, 2 – 1, thanks to a 3 - 2 win in Tampa Monday night. Game four will have been played Wednesday night in Tampa (game results too late for press time) and game five will be played Saturday at noon back in Pittsburgh at Consol Energy Center. If necessary, game six will be played Monday night in Tampa and game seven Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.
*Jimmie Johnson won an incredibly close race at the finish line last Sunday in Talladega as eight cars in packs of two car tandems raced to the finish. Johnson edged out Clint Bowyer by .002 of a second. After 188 laps of racing, it came down to a front bumper at the finish line. One of the closest finishes in NASCAR history.
The Sprint Cup series has the weekend off (it does not compete on Easter Sunday). The Camping World Truck Series will have competed Friday evening and the Nationwide Series Saturday afternoon. The Sprint Cup series will get back at next Saturday night in Richmond, Virginia.
Up until a few years ago, Steigerwald remained at KDKA until his contract was not renewed. He did a stint on KDKA Radio and was also on what was then known as The Zone, a radio station for man talk (now known as KDKA-FM, The Fan, an all sports talk station). He now writes a column for a number of newspapers and also has a blog called JustWatchTheGame.com. He has also authored a book that has pretty much told it like it is and thrown no punches. He is the very epitome of old school and he admits it.
That column discussed the Giants fan who was savagely beaten while attending the Giants/Dodgers season opener in Los Angeles. His comments go on to say that the fan wearing the Giants jersey at a Dodgers game was pretty much him asking for the punishment. This got a lot of reaction by some very irate people and most of it was negative directed at Steigerwald.
He has been known to rub people the wrong way with his comments. An old curmudgeon, you might say. In this instance, what he brought up was the fact that a middle aged man was wearing a jersey of his favorite team and he thought that was more than a bit overboard. You are not part of the team, he went onto say, so why are you wearing the jersey? Well, here is my take on that.
I am a middle aged man, mature beyond my years, yet I still have jerseys in my wardrobe that I wear proudly. In that collection are the following: I have the entire Sidney Crosby line (home black, road white, and both alternate jerseys that were created for the two Winter Classics the Penguins appeared in). I have two Mario Lemieux jerseys (home black, the style that was worn before the current jersey was designed by Reebok; and the current Winter Classic jersey). I have two Jack Lambert jerseys, one Terry Bradshaw jersey, one Greg Lloyd jersey, and one Rod Woodson jersey. I also have two Ben Roethlisberger jerseys, his past issues not withstanding.
We wear these jerseys to identify with the teams we follow and root for. I don’t care how old you are, if you feel like wearing a team jersey, wear it! Why do you think sporting goods stores and team stores sell these jerseys? Because people buy them to identify with their favorite players and favorite teams. There is nothing wrong with that. Hey, age is just a number. If someone wants to point this out to me and say something, go ahead. I am free to wear whatever I want as long as I am not offending anyone.
Now, the story takes on greater significance because this fan was beaten while attending a game. This is where the line gets crossed. For years, someone could attend a game and not have to worry about being beaten up just because they were wearing a different team jersey. Sure, someone might give them a bit of grief, but it was only in good, clean fun. No problems ever surfaced. Today, it’s a much different story.
I have attended games at Three Rivers Stadium, the Civic Arena, and now Heinz Field and PNC Park. I have not been to Consol Energy Center. But all three venues attract different crowds. It goes without saying that, hands down, Heinz Field attracts the most belligerent crowd of all of them. Eight home games during the regular season in the NFL. Whether game time is 1:00 pm. 4:00 pm, or primetime, there is plenty of time before the game for people to “tailgate.” This is where the problems start.
I will go on record as saying that I do not drink (again, minority). I am not a prude by any means, but I refuse to spend my time around people whose sole purpose is to get drunk beyond oblivion. This is a major reason why I refuse to attend professional sporting events. That and the fact tickets can be hard to come by. When you have a crowd that is tailgating, that gives them ample time to tie on a pretty good buzz. That leads to problems in the stadium. And that leads to more alcohol sales in the venue, where beer is pretty expensive.
Get someone who is feeling more than rather good in a sporting event and you know what the possibilities are. It leads to very boorish behavior, recklessness, and possible legal issues. Is that really worth it? For some, it must be. For some, having a good time means the consumption of alcohol. Me, I’ll pass.
When I go to a sporting event, I want to watch the game. I do not need to put up with someone who is acting like an idiot, whether they are born that way or have to work at it, and spoiling my fun. Personally, I would rather stay at home and watch games on my HDTV and stereo sound. No line to the restroom or the food stands, no worries about parking or traffic, and no worries about an idiot spoiling my fun.
However, this is all a sign of the times. People feel that are entitled to not only act like idiots, but also drink themselves into a drunken stupor. Then they feel they are entitled to spoil it for the rest of us who are there to enjoy a game. It used to be going to a ball game was family entertainment. Not anymore. A family, in most cases, can’t afford to go to a game. When it can afford it, it has to deal with these issues. Children do not need to be exposed to this stuff. They will have plenty of time for that to happen later in life.
Regardless of your age, there is nothing wrong with wearing the jersey of a player/team of your choosing. You are just showing support for that player and that team. As for the unruly behavior, I don’t know how you can curb that. Only the law can keep you from attending a game, and that can present issues with lawyers getting into the middle of it. This is truly a sad situation on several levels. If you don’t drink, then you are left out in the cold because a large segment of attendees do drink. So, what do you do? This is an issue that may never go away, and that’s sad.
*The Pens went up in their first round series with Tampa Bay, 2 – 1, thanks to a 3 - 2 win in Tampa Monday night. Game four will have been played Wednesday night in Tampa (game results too late for press time) and game five will be played Saturday at noon back in Pittsburgh at Consol Energy Center. If necessary, game six will be played Monday night in Tampa and game seven Wednesday night in Pittsburgh.
*Jimmie Johnson won an incredibly close race at the finish line last Sunday in Talladega as eight cars in packs of two car tandems raced to the finish. Johnson edged out Clint Bowyer by .002 of a second. After 188 laps of racing, it came down to a front bumper at the finish line. One of the closest finishes in NASCAR history.
The Sprint Cup series has the weekend off (it does not compete on Easter Sunday). The Camping World Truck Series will have competed Friday evening and the Nationwide Series Saturday afternoon. The Sprint Cup series will get back at next Saturday night in Richmond, Virginia.
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