Emtional State | Sports and Emotion

October 8, 2008 · Print This Article

Let’s be honest. Those of us passionate about our sports teams curse the maker when certain players from our favorite team fail to take our team to the brass ring and a championship. I’m sure Boston Red Sox fans(pre 2004) still lament why first baseman Bill Buckner “let” New York Met outfielder Mookie Wilson’s ground ball elude him in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, allowing the Mets to force Game 7 and eventually win the title. It is something to this day still is a sore subject with Red Sox fans and Buckner himself. Fortunately, Buckner didn’t go off the deep end and is still with us today.

This wasn’t the only instance where emotions played out and crossed the line. In 1994, a Columbian soccer player was killed upon returning home “simply” for scoring an ”own” goal against the United States, causing Columbia to be eliminated from competition that year and propelling the U.S. to the next round. Hell, let’s not even talk about team sports for a minute. What about Mike Tyson’s infamous “ear biting” incident against Evander Holyfield or the morbid, almost prophetic words scribed by UFC superstar Evan Tanner shortly before his death. Even Kevin Garnett couldn’t hide his emotions upon Boston winning the NBA title. The point is, have we put too much of a premium on the result and less on the spirit of the competition?

Why do I say this? Well, let me see. I think it might have something to do with the recent incidents with Cowboy wideout Terrell Owens (who made headlines with his ”alleged” suicide attempt. Or perhaps the talk of suicide surrounding Tennessee Titan quarterback Vince Young, who has been unable to digest and cope with Titan fans barbs and insults and contemplated retirement. I’ll go a step further. Anyone watch UFC‘s Ultimate Fighter series on Spike TV? Remember Season One? I do. And just as much as I remember the classic finale between future UFC light heavyweight champ Forrest Griffin and Stephen Bonnar, I remember the emotional basket case that was Chris Leben.

Leben was considered to be one of the most controversial and outspoken fighters on the show due to his tough guy attitude coupled with his propensity to shed tears. In the first episode he got drunk and urinated on future teammate Jason Thacker’s bed, stealing his pillow afterward. After a heated confrontation where Josh Koscheck and Bobby Southworth sprayed Leben down with a hose while he was asleep, Leben punched a window out as Koscheck ran away to hide. After the confrontation, UFC president Dana White set up a match between Leben and Koscheck. Leben ended up losing the two round fight by unanimous decision due to Koscheck’s ability to score points by controlling Leben on the ground. Leben was visibly upset, especially since Koscheck made no effort to advance his position, only holding Leben down. Needless to say, Leben’s emotions ran very high and any one of us put in that situation would surely have been just as distraught if we felt that we weren’t ”good enough”.

While on the subject of UFCfighters, what about Quinton ”Rampage” Jackson (who ironically lost his light heavyweight title to Griffin at UFC 86? On July 15, 2008, Jackson was arrested and booked on suspicion of felony reckless driving, and felony hit and run after striking several vehicles. He led pursuing officers on a chase while driving on the wrong side of the street and on city sidewalks in his lifted Ford F-350 with his picture painted on the side. During the chase one of the tires blew out on his truck and he continued to flee while driving on his rims and showering the street with sparks the day before his arrest, Jackson gave an interview and said he had become depressed after his recent loss by decision to Forrest Griffin. On July 16, 2008, someone in Jackson’s household flagged down police and reported that Jackson was acting unusually. Jackson was escorted to a mental health institution for observations. On July 18, 2008, UFC President Dana White gave an interview to Yahoo! Sports in which he said that Jackson had initially been detained for a 72 hour stay, but that had been extended. White was quoted as saying, “I think it’s going to be a while before we get him back.” White also claimed that before the detainment, Jackson did not sleep for four days and was not eating, but only drinking water and energy drinks. According to White, no drugs were found in Jackson’s system.

Want more examples? I got another (although I know many of you cynics would never consider it an “athletic “endeavor).How about the double murder suicide perpetrated by former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Chris Benoit? On June 19, 2007, Benoit wrestled what was to be his last match, defeating Elijah Burke in a match to determine who would face CM Punk for the vacated ECW World Championship at Vengeance. Benoit missed the weekend house shows, telling WWE officials that his wife and son were vomiting blood due to food poisoning. When he failed to show up for the pay-per-view, viewers were informed that he was unable to compete due to a “family emergency,” and he was replaced in the title match by Johnny Nitro. Nitro won the match and became ECW Champion. On June 25, 2007, Benoit, his wife Nancy, and their 7-year-old son Daniel were found dead in their Fayetteville, Georgia, home at around 2:30 p.m. EDT. Lieutenant Tommy Pope of the Fayette County, Georgia Sheriff’s Department reported to ABC News that police entered Benoit’s home on a “welfare check” after several missed appointments, leading to concerns. Pope also stated the police were not searching for any suspects outside of the house, as the instruments of death were located at the scene of the crime. Detective Bo Turner of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department told television station WAGA-TV that the case was being treated as a murder-suicide. The station reported that investigators had discovered, and would eventually cite as an official ruling, that Benoit murdered his wife and son over the weekend and hanged himself sometime on Monday.Bednoit has since been literally erased from any WWE related private or public domain and is not even a footnote in the company’s extensive video archives(which includes footage from Benoit’s stints in World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling, both of which were purchased by World Wrestling Entertainment in 2001)

But erasing history doesn’t solve a problem. And clearly, there is a problem. The latest red flag (potentially) shows a distraught Terrell Owens after last weekend’s Cowboys “win” over Cincinnati. Owens, always known to be emotional, continues to deflect media criticism concerning his discontent with not being the focal point of Dallas’ offensive game plan after losing to the Washington Redskins the previous week. As I have spoken about before, media has a responsibility, as well as us as fans. Yet we continue to sherk it.

Bottom line, millions of dollars made by one man does not by piece of mind. Sure we may not care for Owens antics or have no sympathy for Rampage Jackson’s actions. But clearly, we must temper our enthusiasm and be mindful of our misguided venom. I mean, I want the Dodgers to win the World Series. But I will not blame Manny Ramirez if they don’t even if he makes a bonehead play that contribute to it not happening. The emotional psyche of every human is very delicate. You don’t have to be an athlete to realize the high premium and pressure we place on ourselves in everyday life. Now imagine that with hundreds of millions of eyes glued to you, their life’s worth riding in the balance. I think you’d be a little emotional too. I’m not defending (especially in the Benoit case. There is truly no defense for that.).I’m just saying. Late