The Awful Things No Sports Fan Should Have to Suffer Through
Sports are supposed to be fun, but, unfortunately, not everything about being a fan involves being happy, as there are some things that make a diehard supporter go nuts!
I'm not talking about going crazy and leading a riot down the middle of a city—although, that has happened before—but things that no sports fan should ever have to live through, causing both heartache and frustration that wastes years of rooting for a team.
There are bad moments, and then there are a few awful things—and these are the worst for any sports fan to have to suffer through.
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Constant Beatdowns by an Archrival
I'll hold back my Ohio State Buckeyes favoritism and resist the urge to bring up how much the football team has dominated the annual rivalry game with the Michigan Wolverines. Still, as those maize and blue fans know, the past 16 years have been difficult—as the Bucks have won 13 of 16 meetings.
And anyone who knows what it's like to lose over and over and over to an arch rival can attest that it's one of the most frustrating things as a sports fan.
The constant trash talk, boasting and ridicule is always there—but it's 100 times worse when it's one-sided year-after-year.
Team Drama And/Or Bickering Teammates
Whether it has been alleged quarrels between Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan or weird, cryptic tweets from LeBron James about Kyrie Irving or Kevin Love, anytime a team is chasing a championship, the last thing a fan wants to hear is drama.
That's because it takes chemistry and cohesion to win a title, with distractions limited during a marathon regular season.
"James Harden pressured Houston to fire Kevin McHale, league sources tell CBS Sports. James also pushed for Howard to be traded last week.
— Russell Johnson (@RussJohnsonNBA) February 25, 2016"
Like family, things are never going to be a perfect paradise, but fans don't want to hear about millionaire athletes going after one another, as it kills team resolve and buries almost any hope of contending for a title.
An Upset Loss
It's one thing to lose; it's another thing to lose when your team is the favorite.
Upsets happen—that's part of what makes sports so great and unpredictable—but when they happen to the team that you're rooting for, it makes for a long night, weekend or, in some cases, offseason.
With the NCAA tournament going on, there are bound to be a few upsets that go down in infamy. Just hope that none of them involve your team becoming one that makes history.
Wasted Draft Picks
Every single team could put together a full roster of wasted draft picks that just failed for whatever reason, but that doesn't mean that they're easier to deal with as fans.
Each year, fans put so much trust in their front offices to deliver the right pick that will provide an instant spark and help build a championship team. Some are better than others at finding those players, leaving fans of teams who aren't so great devastated when an athlete ends up as a bust.
Not only do teams waste money on a guy who didn't pan out, but fans waste energy cheering for the player, as well as seeing the entire franchise take a hit by setting it back when someone doesn't live up to expectations.
It really is one of the worst things ever. So much promise; so little reward.
Dating/Marrying into a Rival Family
While we all believe in true love and finding that special person, it can be difficult if that significant other happens to be the fan of a, gulp, rival.
Of course, it's not a complete deal-breaker, but a house divided is always tough, as one person/family is rooting for one team and sporting gear as the other is trying to bring them down with trash talk.
It can be fun, sure, but the constant struggle and annoying convert attempts grow old fast.
Oh, and may God have mercy on your soul should that rival team ever win a championship, because you'll never hear the end of it.
Blowing Historic Leads
Just when you think it's safe to turn off the TV and call it a night, something like a historic blown lead happens, leaving you fuming in the morning when you hear that your favorite team lost the night before.
There are various bad ways to lose, but doing so by blowing a lead that seems so insurmountable that it's almost humorous has to top the list.
It's like that feeling you get when you think someone's throwing a surprise birthday party for you and then find out that it doesn't happen, shattering your hopes, dreams and mood for the day.
Failed Expectations
Every new season is promised as the fresh start that teams and fans hope for—until things don't go as hoped.
Remember when the Philadelphia Eagles were supposed to compete in the NFC East and revolutionize NFL offenses under head coach Chip Kelly? That never happened in 2015, leading to nine losses and costing Kelly his job.
When a team fails to meet expectations, an entire season is lost and fans are left wondering about what changes might be made and how the team plans on fixing the problems moving forward—which isn't a good place to be as a fan.
Championship Defeat
What makes a championship loss sting so much isn't just that your favorite team came so far only to lose, but that it might be the only time you experience what it tastes like to make it that far as a fan.
Imagine being a fan of the Arizona Cardinals. After losing on a last-minute touchdown in Super Bowl XLIII, they have remained a good team with a number of playoff appearances but have yet to reach that final game ever since.
That has to be tough.
It's good for a team to get there, but if it's not a great enough team to win it all, it's just a reoccurring pin being poked into fans' sides.
Superstar Leaving in Free Agency
Tears.
Those are exactly what fell from my face upon hearing the news that LeBron James would be taking his "talents to South Beach" when he announced his decision to join the Miami Heat in the summer of 2010.
And believe me, I would never wish that feeling on anyone else.
Seeing a player who you've grown up with, watched grow into a superstar, rooted for through thick and thin and experienced good and bad times with is like seeing a friend move away. It stings.
Sports are full of emotions, and sadness and rage are a few that come to mind when an all-timer like James leaves your team. Thankfully, for my sanity, he came back.
Rebuilding
Ah, yes, the old "R" word that no fan ever wants to hear.
More than having to suffer through a bunch of piss-poor seasons filled with losing, uncertainty and dysfunction, though, is the fact that there's no guarantee that your favorite team's plan will work out, because there's no blueprint to stick with.
Do teams build through the draft, free agency or turning over the roster through trades?
There are always so many unanswered questions that when a team rebuilds, it hits sports fans the hardest, sending them into a hiatus from hope until things get better.
Fate
Sometimes, there's just nothing a sports fan can do, as a higher power has already determined the outcome—or so it feels.
Whether it be an upset that no one could see coming, an injury to or an off-night from a star player or some other unforeseen circumstance, there are times where fate proves that it just isn't your team's night.
Of course, there's no way of proving this theory, but we all know it exists. We're sports fans, being paranoid is what we do!
Cheap Ownership
Everyone hates that frugal friend who tries splitting the check when he or she ordered the most food, and no one likes the billionaire sports team owner who refuses to dig into his deep pockets to shell out cash to help improve his or her team.
Spending money doesn't always mean dropping millions on big-name free agents—that's not always the secret recipe to success—but it does mean showing interest in finding ways to improve a team.
This could mean improvements to the stadium/arena or, more so, paying a young player early in his/her career to keep that person around town longer in hopes of building around them.
Sports fans don't need their team to have the highest payroll every season, but they do want reassurance that they have an owner who's willing to spend wisely when needed.
Team Relocation
Just go ask people in St. Louis how they feel just a few months after their St. Louis Rams moved to Los Angeles and re-emerged as the L.A. Rams, returning to the city they played in until 1994.
My guess: probably pretty devastated.
Of all the gutless, spineless, hopeless and depressing feelings a sports fan can have, those, along with hundreds of other emotions, all come out when an owner announces that his/her team will be packing up and relocating somewhere else.
It instantly turns a city that has supported a team through thick and thin into haters, hoping nothing but ill will on their now former team.
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