Fanaticism amongst Sports lovers

         FANATICISM AMONG SPORTS LOVERS


Beloved, as a human being or as a mortal, you’re bound or privileged to imagine anything that is likely to take place in your life-time including any state of misery. But have you ever imagine being mad or walking on a lonely street like a homeless he/she goat?

In fact let’s take it this way. The last time I checked, I understood that every created soul has the potential or ability to figure out what his/her future may look like or what could be obtained in the near future. Thus, we also possess the ability to imagine how we ought to look like if we eventually get mad. But God forbid!

Let me ask a question; one who forbids a certain predicament but never takes precaution(s) in respect to encountering the forbidden circumstance, isn’t he/she mad already? Often times in my state of solitude, I’m usually filled with fathomless amusement due to numerous scenes I have been observing in any society I found myself.

In case if we have forgotten, we are discussing fanaticism amongst sports lovers. Fanaticism is a state at which someone feels very strongly about something and often behaves in an extreme way because of it. Taking Nigeria as a case study, the manner in which most sports, football precisely, lovers behave in their everyday lives is disheartening, therefore requires a very cogent and drastic measure to ensure that the worst wouldn’t taken place.

Sometime ago in a certain English league match between Liverpool and Arsenal football clubs which I was viewing in one of the football viewing centres in my vicinity, a fellow who happened to be an Arsenal fan almost accidentally hit my eye because one of his closest neighbours told him that Arsenal must lose the match. It didn’t even stop at that. Subsequently in various occasions I have been privileged to witness one of two similar circumstances. I wonder how they predict matches; is it by tongue or by what they see or observe in the teams in question. Let me quickly flash back to 2008 during my final year in the university, FUTO to be precise. Immediately after the match between Manchester United and Chelsea football clubs in an European Champions League finals in which Manchester United defeated Chelsea in a penalty shoot-out, the fans of both English leagues who happened to be students of the University started breaking empty bottles and were throwing the broken bottles to each other. It was a state of morass. I managed to find my way to my humble lodge so I wouldn’t fall victim. What is actually happening to us?

If I’m meant to analyze, then I will frankly tell you that sports is the only common language being spoken by all and sundry across the globe. And since football is the most populous among all sports, then I must inform you that football is the most language understands by mankind. Thus apparently, football remains the most vital epitome of unity in the whole world. But it’s quite appalling and pathetic that same symbol of unionism has been abused greatly by its lovers thereby making it a sign or mark of danger.

That you truly love something or someone shouldn’t call for extremism while trying to defend its/his interest. Let me use this opportunity to digress to the popularly cited philosophy which says, “Love is blind”. Frankly speaking, love is not blind and had never been blind. It can see clearly even in the dark. For instance, that you love someone does not mean that you’re not bound to observe the bad side of the person. Most times we end up overlooking the bad side due to love not that we don’t see it. We must understand this fact very well; there’s a big disparity between not seeing something and overlooking something. So if you acknowledge the bad side of a certain person you truly love and another person knows about this bad side, then you ought not to apply brutalism while trying to defend him/her if the other person eventually comes up with the truth or tries to analyze the truth about your loved one or beloved. Because if you react in that direction, it’s a silly approach.

The high level of fanaticism observes amongst football lovers are actually becoming deadly. Yes, it’s no longer news that several souls have been lost as a result of this. And if adequate and drastic care is not taken, more millions of souls are likely to follow suit. Apart from trying to defend a certain football club through oral deposition, the high rate of betting that it has been coupled with is also no doubt an alarming issue.

The funniest part of this syndrome is that most of these so-called football aficionados, especially those from Africa, are not even patriotic to their respective local (indigenous) leagues. They detest the aforementioned leagues with passion for no just reason. What a world!

Honestly we must return to the dressing room because we have derailed tremendously, else we are likely to encounter madness which may lead to fathomless death rate in the process. Think about it!



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COMR. FRED NWAOZOR

Social analyst & activist