Adrian Peterson made headlines a few months ago, when news of Peterson beating his four year old son with switch surfaced. Reactions ranged from outrage to disgust, but a Vikings' fan decided to show up to a MN VS NE game with a switch and Peterson's jersey:
According to a local news report, the fan was "playfully" hitting others with the switch. It's not 100% clear if the woman in the pic was simply looking for attention or not, or what motivated her to bring the switch, but after the news broke, and the details were released, you have to believe she supports Peterson and his decision. On top of that, other Vikings' fans made a willing choice to show up to the game with their own Peterson jerseys.
The Ray Rice incident sparked controversy, when TMZ released the video of Rice punching his wife (his fiancee at the time) Janay. Now, Rice is a pariah, but in September, Ravens' fans showed up to a Thursday Night Football game against the Steelers to show their support:
They're in the spotlight this year, but negative headlines involving criminal charges, other incidents, or failed drug tests are not limited to the NFL. Every year, stories about professional athletes, college athletes, universities, and coaches grab headlines for one reason or another, and sometimes, depending on the crime or the incident, the story snowballs into a full blown scandal.
As a Dolphins' fan, it's almost impossible to forget about the bullying saga between Richie Incognito and Johnathan Martin. Going by all the reports, and the news surrounding the story, I had the feeling Martin was in a "damned if you do and damned if you don't" quagmire. If he complains about Incognito and others, he's a softy. If he tries to stand up for himself, he's too sensitive, and he can't take a joke.
It took a while, but the Dolphins moved on from Incognito and Martin, and they're pushing a "stronger together" theme this year. During the whole fiasco, I never thought about taking all of my Dolphins' merchandise, and throwing everything in a bonfire to denounce my support for the team.
I didn't feel any sympathy for Incognito, and some of the quotes from the rest of the team were questionable (inclining Joe Philbin), but I never reached a point of outrage, where I felt the need to turn my back on the team as a fan.
If the incident (or incidents) is isolated to one player, then I don't see the need to group the rest of the team in with one guy to condemn or point any fingers. All in all, whether it's the whole team or one player, the incidents or the crimes need to reach egregious levels for me to consider dropping my support altogether, or if said player or team has a history of bad habits.
If we're talking about failed drug tests for steroids or other performance enhancers, it's a tricky slope. If we're talking about someone, who consistently cheated to become a powerhouse, and break records or win championships, then I can't look at or praise the same person in a positive light again. If we're talking about first time offenders, then I believe in second chances.
As far as showing my support for a player or a team during a scandal or a series of negative headlines goes, depending on where I stand, I've never felt the need to stand up and vocally protest to show my support. I'll still wear my jersey or t-shirt, and I'll openly acknowledge the fact I'm a fan in public, I'll offer my opinion on the matter, if someone asks, but I don't feel the need to go the extra mile and go to a game with signs or join other fans in a protest somewhere else.
What I want to know is, as a fan, have you ever considered turning your back on or severing ties with a particular athlete or the team as a whole after a sports related incident or an off the field/off the court incident? When do you reach your "enough is enough" point?
If you plan on taking a stand one way or the other, do you feel the need to vocalize or show your support in public?
This thread is not limited to the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA, MMA, or boxing. The field is open to discuss or use examples for sports, sports teams and athletes across the world.
According to a local news report, the fan was "playfully" hitting others with the switch. It's not 100% clear if the woman in the pic was simply looking for attention or not, or what motivated her to bring the switch, but after the news broke, and the details were released, you have to believe she supports Peterson and his decision. On top of that, other Vikings' fans made a willing choice to show up to the game with their own Peterson jerseys.
The Ray Rice incident sparked controversy, when TMZ released the video of Rice punching his wife (his fiancee at the time) Janay. Now, Rice is a pariah, but in September, Ravens' fans showed up to a Thursday Night Football game against the Steelers to show their support:
They're in the spotlight this year, but negative headlines involving criminal charges, other incidents, or failed drug tests are not limited to the NFL. Every year, stories about professional athletes, college athletes, universities, and coaches grab headlines for one reason or another, and sometimes, depending on the crime or the incident, the story snowballs into a full blown scandal.
As a Dolphins' fan, it's almost impossible to forget about the bullying saga between Richie Incognito and Johnathan Martin. Going by all the reports, and the news surrounding the story, I had the feeling Martin was in a "damned if you do and damned if you don't" quagmire. If he complains about Incognito and others, he's a softy. If he tries to stand up for himself, he's too sensitive, and he can't take a joke.
It took a while, but the Dolphins moved on from Incognito and Martin, and they're pushing a "stronger together" theme this year. During the whole fiasco, I never thought about taking all of my Dolphins' merchandise, and throwing everything in a bonfire to denounce my support for the team.
I didn't feel any sympathy for Incognito, and some of the quotes from the rest of the team were questionable (inclining Joe Philbin), but I never reached a point of outrage, where I felt the need to turn my back on the team as a fan.
If the incident (or incidents) is isolated to one player, then I don't see the need to group the rest of the team in with one guy to condemn or point any fingers. All in all, whether it's the whole team or one player, the incidents or the crimes need to reach egregious levels for me to consider dropping my support altogether, or if said player or team has a history of bad habits.
If we're talking about failed drug tests for steroids or other performance enhancers, it's a tricky slope. If we're talking about someone, who consistently cheated to become a powerhouse, and break records or win championships, then I can't look at or praise the same person in a positive light again. If we're talking about first time offenders, then I believe in second chances.
As far as showing my support for a player or a team during a scandal or a series of negative headlines goes, depending on where I stand, I've never felt the need to stand up and vocally protest to show my support. I'll still wear my jersey or t-shirt, and I'll openly acknowledge the fact I'm a fan in public, I'll offer my opinion on the matter, if someone asks, but I don't feel the need to go the extra mile and go to a game with signs or join other fans in a protest somewhere else.
What I want to know is, as a fan, have you ever considered turning your back on or severing ties with a particular athlete or the team as a whole after a sports related incident or an off the field/off the court incident? When do you reach your "enough is enough" point?
If you plan on taking a stand one way or the other, do you feel the need to vocalize or show your support in public?
This thread is not limited to the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA, MMA, or boxing. The field is open to discuss or use examples for sports, sports teams and athletes across the world.