One thing that has largely escaped my understanding is crying over the outcome of a sporting event.
I’ve been upset at the result of many a game – to this day I snap off the television whenever Kirk Gibson’s game-winning home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series is shown, to the point where I still have never seen it in its dastardly entirety – but I have never been moved to tears.
Of course, when I say there’s no crying in sports, I’m talking about adults, not small children, the latter of whom, a wee short on perspective, might understandably be overwrought when their team loses. (I’m also not referring to athletes, who, having trained their entire lives, have the right to display whatever emotion they want should they lose a crucial game.)
When it comes to fans, however, unless the individual shedding tears is a parent, spouse or possesses some very close bond to an athlete playing, crying because your team loses is ridiculous. Crying when you’re team loses a regular season game is flat-out absurd.
Thus, we have the above unnamed individual, who, as we can see, took Duke University’s 90-74 loss to the University of Miami last week rather hard.
But, as though bursting into tears wasn’t bad enough, she took it a step further.
After the histrionics were shown on television, the sports journalism site The Cauldron captured a screen grab of the weepy Duke follower and posted it on its Twitter site. Not surprisingly, the image was retweeted numerous times.
The next day a “rep” for the tearful fan contacted The Cauldron and told the site that the blubberer wanted the image “taken down.”
A couple of points: Beyond the sense of entitlement that the student exudes, one can’t help but be stunned that someone of college age would believe that asking a website to remove an image would actually eliminate said image from the Internet.
If you don’t want a photo of yourself bawling like a 7-year old who just witnessed her beloved pet being flattened by a semi floating around the ether for all eternity, then don’t burst into tears when a group of scholarship athletes lose a basketball game. And for goodness sakes, don’t do so when your team loses a regular season basketball game.
Just how sheltered has your life been when this is what causes you to go into meltdown mode, anyway?
The Cotton Boll Conspiracy 
From what I understand, Leafs fans tend to do their weeping in private- otherwise the JumboTron would feature nothing but the images of people falling to pieces… ;P
We also silently gnash our teeth until our gums bleed. But no crying. Never crying. We leave that for the coaches.
I thought that the Leafs were ‘sans’ coach at the moment…
Don’t damage your teeth. The aren’t worth it (like that advice will ever be followed by a TRUE glutton for punishment. I mean ‘Leaf’s fan’)…
no grit.
I am sure that youth causes over-emotional times. I have never cried over sports but I felt so overjoyed when Ohio State won the National Football Competition. When my brother sent me, via cell phone picture message, the New York Empire State Building lit up with their colors I kept showing it to every one.
I am sure after the loss’ effect was over, the girl was embarrassed. I agree, she should know it cannot be taken back easily off the twitter or multiple media spots.
I have felt excitement on the handful of occasions when my teams have won it all, and disappointment when they have lost close contests, but never come close to tears. I suppose when one gets older, it becomes easier to put things into context and realize that a loss at a sporting event doesn’t really compare to what life can through at you.
I’m wondering what kind of a bet she had on that game that would cause such a reaction….
I hadn’t considered that possibility. Perhaps she’s pondering having to face daddy and ask for funds to keep her bookie happy. Now *that* would be worthy of a tear or two.
I am simply happy–happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy–that no sexist troll has put a comment here related to her time of month.
But maybe THAT was why she cried. (tee-hee. my friend Joey says I am Satan.)
I hadn’t even considered that …
Was she more demonstrative while on camera? You used the word “histrionics”, which I don’t see in the photo. She simply looks like she’s shedding tears, not “bawling like a 7-year old”. I’ve never cried about a sporting event, but young people who go to these games and get into a frenzy while winning can be expected to show the same emotional intensity when they lose. What else do they have to worry about, or compare it to?
This post seemed rather harsh for you. 😉
I have a hard time having sympathy for grown woman who cries when her team loses a regular season basketball game, then has a friend demand that her image be removed from the Internet.
They may not have much else to worry about, but it would appear her parents didn’t do an adequate job of instilling any sense of what’s important in life and what’s not.