Opinion -- Remember proper etiquette at events

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on October 22, 2008 1:46 PM

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As a sportswriter I have the privilege of not only watching our area's athletes compete, I also have the opportunity to watch their respective fans behave in amusing ways and at times misbehave.

Through observation, I've witnessed some of our community's most loyal fan bases and gained plenty of valuable knowledge on stadium etiquette along the way.

With several fall sports already in the playoff phase and winter sports just around the corner, here's a list of fan "do's and don't's" to help make sure you're not the one person in the stands nobody wants to sit with:

* Read the rulebook -- As a fan, if you're going to question an official's judgment, do yourself and the official a favor and know what you're talking about. There are few things more embarrassing to a fan base and your son or daughter on the field or court for that matter, than a misinformed fan or parent.

* Proud equals loud -- Regardless of what society may lead you to believe sporting events do not constitute as social meet and greets. I don't know how many ballgames I attend where countless teen-agers, children and even parents are clearly there for reasons other than to support their favorite team or athlete.

Tickets cost way too much and these athletes work way too hard for us as fans to use sporting events as an excuse to socialize. Fans are meant to be heard just as much as they are seen. If you truly want to be a fan, sit in the bleachers, watch the game, be loud and save social hour for another time and place.

* Temper expectations -- Perhaps one of the most valuable lessons I've learned as a sportswriter is the limited perspective one gains from the stands while looking upon a losing season or a run to a championship.

Very few individuals truly grasp how draining a rebuilding year can be or how fulfilling seeing hard work culminate in a title truly is. If your favorite team is in the midst of difficult times hang in there. After all, you have no idea how much pressure those players or coaches are under and how trying a losing season can be.

On the flip side, if the team you support is currently having a successful season with dreams of a championship still alive, remember it only takes one injury or one poor performance for it all to come crashing down.

* Life goes on -- I can honestly say this has been the hardest lesson for me to learn and the one I'm most grateful to have come to understand.

When the final whistle blows and the stadium lights are turned off, life goes on. That game that seems so important for a couple of hours is just that, a game. Faith, families, marriages, children, education, jobs and so many other things far outweigh the importance of sports in all of our lives.

Grasping this invaluable lesson sooner, rather than later, helps put winning in real life into perspective and makes days we come up a bit short much more tolerable.