Monday Manners: The Love of the Game

Okay. Super Bowl XLII was yesterday, and while I'll admit that few people were happier than I to see Tom Brady's cute little ass handed to him by Little Brother Manning (and I usually hate The Giants), I didn't gloat too much to my New Englander friends. And I certainly didn't go out and mock every Patriots jersey-wearing sportsfan at the bar around the corner. (Yes, believe it or not, there are some Pats fans in Philly.)

Know why?

Because I didn't want to get my ass kicked.

There's a fine line between team pride and an empty Yuengling bottle to the head. There's nothing unmannerly about cheering loudly for your team (provided you're at a bar and not, I dunno, listening to the game on an earpiece while you're out to dinner at Le Bec Fin), and a little playful ribbing directed at the fans of the other team never hurt anybody. (Well, almost never. Some people can be so touchy!) But repetitive shouts of "You suck!" aimed, not against your rival team, but against their fans sitting a few barstools over, is not only rude to the people who came out to actually watch the game, but it's quite potentially dangerous.

Alcohol + sports rivalry = an extremely sensitive emotional state that can sometimes make even the sweetest, most teddy bear-like men, turn into serious bruisers. When you have a room full of people in this state, it's best to stay as polite as possible, while still having a good time and showing enthusiasm for your team.

And if you can't keep yourself in check, maybe it's best to just watch the game at home, amongst friends who cheer for the same team. Not as much fun as going to a bar, perhaps – but far better than having to get your lip stitched up.

Image that we're using because we're not amongst Pats fans and are therefore safe from a bar fight, by Flickr user silas216.