Admit it, fans: We love the villain
It’s generally understood that just about every red-blooded sports fan hates Barry Bonds. So why, then, is Bonds the starting left fielder in next week’s All Star Game? In my latest column for Bullz-Eye.com, I say it’s time to fess up: sports fans love villains, whether it’s Bonds, the Yankees or even Tom Brady’s Patriots.
I don’t know about a villain –
I’d say we love a winner – people really don’t give a crap what goes on while you’re winning unless it’s a Ben Johnson kinda thing, and they just bust you flat out. Bonds is a success. So are the Yankees and Pats.
As long as there’s a fig leaf to hide behind, we don’t really care all the much how they do it.
I hate it – but Jeff is right.
Personally Jeff, I think there’s a large sub culture out there that wants mediocrity, and that’s the group I’m referring to in my column. I understand the American way is still largely, “win at all costs”, (and that’s the group you’re referring to) but there’s an underbelly out there that just wants everything to be fair (at least fair in their eyes).
People loved when the Patriots beat the Rams in 2001 because St. Louis had already won the year before and NE was an underdog. Six years later and people are sick of the Patriots winning every year (by winning I mean the Super Bowl or division). Same thing with the Spurs – people were happy for Duncan and Robinson when they won in ‘99 and ‘03. This past year what did we hear about? Robert Horry’s push of Steve Nash and how the Suns were cheated…fans build a villain because they need it.
It’s almost like, “Hey, we love when the underdog wins…but damn it, don’t win too much now or we’ll freaking turn on you.”
It’s the David vs. Goliath syndrome…we fear the giant beast and respect what he is capable of but we love to see the underdog rise and conquer a greater foe. Think about it…that’s how America was born! We need someone to hate…dare I say, an Evil Empire? The same holds true for all walks of life. Who do you root for…the lion on the Discovery channel in pursuit of a tasty meal or the speedy gazelle, even though you’re pretty sure what the outcome will be? Did you root for Rocky or Apollo Creed? The Bad News Bears or their foe, the Yankees? Doug Flutie’s Boston College or Jimmie Johnson’s Miami team in 1984? Joe Namath is in the hall of fame for a single reason…Americans love a winner who overcomes the ultimate in adversity. Interestingly, the Patriots started out as David but have morphed into Goliath with their success and now we take joy in seeing them get taken down.
Ratings for golf are through the roof (for golf) when Tiger is in a tournament. Why? Because we want to see Zach Johnson take him on, head to head, and beat him. But as much as we enjoy seeing the underdog succeed, we take as much pleasure in seeing the mighty fall. We view Eldrick as having a “down year” when two 2nd place finishes in major tournaments would put any other golfer in contention for Player of the Year. Hey, it’s all we’ve got on him.
This is why those who hate Bonds keep one eye on him at all times, even though they won’t admit it. We want him to be the lion who trips and falls in his quest for food, then trots off into anonymity…but we want to say we were watching when it happened.
To quote you for the ease of other readers – Sorry, this is going to get long.
“You’re a conspiracy theorist who believes Major League Baseball rigged the voting so Bonds could play at his home park in San Francisco. It’s about marketing the game and therefore the all mighty dollar.
You actually like Bonds or the Giants, truly think he never took anything to enhance his already pretty dominant game or believe he was the best player on his team in the first half.
You simply hate him, but can’t get enough of all the drama and therefore love to see him in the national spotlight at all times.”
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You put (perhaps in hyperbole) 75% of fans in the last catagory. My main point was that an awful lot of people just love a winner – they love to ride the bandwagon. Nobody was able to entirely nail ole Barry to the wall, and that tiny fig leaf allows them cover to remain in group #2. I think we really just disagree on the relative proportions of groups 2 and 3.
We do like an underdog. When the underdog becomes a powerhouse, we look for another underdog. Yeah – I gotta agree with you there.
I think we do tend to create villains – personally, as a Packer fan, I have hated the Bears (but loved Walter) and the Cowboys (while admitting they had one hell of a team), the Vikings (while secretly wishing Randy Moss could have come to Green Bay and been something less of an ass), and the Lions (while enjoying Barry Sanders tremendously). Having somebody to root for in some ways requires having someone to root against.
But that’s all in the context of gameday fun – when it got serious during the 80s with Forrest Gregg as Packers HC and hit lists and such – I was ashamed. If you could say the name Charles Martin so that everyone in Wisconsin could hear it, you’d see hundreds of thousands of people look down at their feet at the same time.
When I was in high school, we were playing our local rivals – we hated those guys, and our coaches used it. During the game, one of their players went down after a wicked (but perfectly proper) hit from our MLB. We did what high school kids would be expected to do when a hated rival was down on the field – we high-fived our linebacker. Flopped on the bench and yukked it up.
One of our assistant coaches flew into a rage. “Shut the hell up. You get up off your asses. Line up on that sideline and keep your mouths shut. Helmets off. Anybody who talks is gone. You will show respect. That young man is no longer your adversary; he is a son, a brother, a teammate. He is your brother, and you will show respect,”
To quote a coach I once heard – “I’d rather have a mediocre team that played their hearts out and brought me honor than win a championship with a group who would disgrace me with their disgusting behavior,”
I guess I’m just saying that the whole villain thing can go waaay too far sometimes. Yes, I think there is a subset of folks who are ready for a little honor and sportsmanship to come into sports.
Hats off, T-Bone. Well said.
I think we really just disagree on the relative proportions of groups 2 and 3.
I agree that we disagree about the portions as well. While you’re probably right that 75% is a high – I exaggerate to catch people’s eye by the way – I still think the number of people who need that villain (subconsciously or not) is higher than those who just love to see a winner.
How many millions of fans out there hate the Yankees? I think it’s a larger amount than those who love them. How many stadiums boo Bonds every single time he walks up to the plate? I think the only reason we don’t hear more hate thrown at the Patriots is because of the respect factor and because it’s football. They didn’t “buy every All-Star” like the Yankees did or, “cheat” like Bonds. But there is a group out there that hates them because they consistently win and – as T-Bone stated and how I stated in my column – we want to see the big dog fall.
If I’m wrong and there’s more out there who just want to see a winner, than they’re certainly not speaking out. I just don’t see it (or hear it) through my casual observations, writing or job at a radio station.
Anyway, yes T-Bone – those were outstanding points. Although you ripped the piece about David vs. Goliath from my column! And Jeff, you’re making me miss high school football with your story about the rivals…
Sorry AS…the plagiarism wasn’t intentional, I was supporting your points and got caught up in my own rhetoric! We could do an entire psychological analysis on this phenomenon. Yes, Bonds gets booed in every stadium outside SF however, if he was on another team and played well, the home fans who want him banned for life as a visitor would be cheering his success (see: A-Rod). At the time, nobody was more hated by his home fans than Reggie Jackson because he came into Yankee Stadium and pissed everyone off, including the coaches. But he put up one of his best statistical seasons then hit 3 consecutive home runs in the final game of the world series against the hated Dodgers and said “go ahead, just try to hate me now!”. He shoved it right in everyone’s face and became a Yankee for life. Bonds wants to try and do the same thing with the HR record but the difference is, he cheated to get there and most people hate cheaters.
Great points Jeff…as a Giants fan I always hated the cowboys but I respected many of their players. They’ve been the villians my whole life going back to Staubach and Lilly. But the dislike I have for the cowboys is much different than the hatred I have for the Eagles because I find it difficult to respect them or their fans. I could root for the Cowboys if I had to but I want nothing but misery for Philly.
I think as fans, we tend to give back the same respect as we receive. Obviously Bonds doesn’t respect us or the game so fans loathe him. Same for me and the Eagles (and their fans) who seem to respect no one so it’s not returned. Yet teams I’ve grown up disliking but respecting, I could root for in a game.
Now, having one of these hated guys on your fantasy team changes everything, but that’s for a whole new column by AS!!!
Haha – no problem with high jacking the David vs. Goliath piece, T-Bone! I know it wasn’t malicious and I was just ribbing you…
I like your point about we as fans giving back the same respect as we receive. I think that’s why people find it hard to criticize the Pats, even though they win all the time. They built a team the right way, don’t give into individual egos and have an upstanding guy in Brady to be their leader…so we show them respect. We still love when they fall though, which is my overall point in that we as fans need that villain to hate.
Deep down, you probably love to hate the Eagles and their fans – it’s probably a highlight twice a year when your G-Men play them. I’ve got teams like that too and I’m sure Jeff does as well.
Anyway, this is an excellent debate and great points all the way around by you guys…this is what the site is intended to be for.
All good stuff guys – Myself – I keep it simple – I don’t support the Villans or the bad Guys …………… But they are interesting, and they keep us watching. Nice job.
I guess the question in my mind is whether the absence of “villains” would reduce my enjoyment of sporting events. Would I enjoy an afternoon at Wrigley without somebody to boo? Yeah – absolutely.
Would I treasure every trip to Lambeau without hating guys like Warren Sapp and Randy Moss? Yup. Maybe I’m in the minority here, but there is a point to be made. There are sports fans, and there are sports fans. In spite of blogging about the Packers at 2am in April, I’m a casual fan. I go to one Packer game every other year or so. I get to Wrigley or County . . . err . . . Miller Park now and then.
Among people who take this sort of thing much more seriously, you may indeed be close to accurate with your statements. I think you characterize the ardent fan more so than the casual fan, Just a thought.
Now if we’re talking about teams – I think that’s more about rivalry. Rivalry is central to enjoyment of sports. The NFL would be a pale place without such things as Packers/Bears. I can’t imagine MLB without Boston/NY. I can’t tell you how much I hated the Cards when I was a kid.
Jeff – I think that’s a fair statement about ardent fans compared to casual. I think you’re right – the casual fans just need the game itself, generally don’t buy the or get into the hoopla and enjoy a good winner. Where as the more ardent fan needs something to root for and against in order to completely get their fill of enjoyment from sports.
Good point.