Since the dawn of humanity, between 100,000 and 200,000 years ago, the species has proved to be dispicable over and over again. A Jarren Duran heckler at Target Field in Minneapolis on Tuesday night proved why this statement is an irrefutable fact. In a 6-0 loss to the Twins, Duran went 0 for 4 and faced the wrath of the crowd in attendance. According to Boston’s outfielder, one fan yelled at him, telling him to kill himself, which led to Duran flipping the bird towards the fan section.
While Major League Baseball has said it will investigate the matter, the incident is not isolated. It is just the latest in a long, almost never-ending string of behavior by every fan base, in every sport. While being an athlete helps develop character, particularly in young players, it has become acceptable, if not embraced, for fans of athletics to engage in vile and reprehensible behavior. At times, this behavior ventures into flat-out violence, which includes throwing popcorn at players or dumping water on them (which is technically assault).
In this instance, the fans chose to avoid using sticks and stones, and while words can not penetrate the skin, the choice of phrases used by fans in stadiums and arenas across the world reveals how deeply flawed and mentally underdeveloped homo sapiens still are. It’s not just professionals who deal with abuse, but amateurs as well, all the way down to athletes who aren’t old enough for school yet. What is wrong with the wiring inside the skulls of human beings?
Jarren Duran Heckler Is No Different Than Any Other
On one hand, if an athlete chooses to compete in front of a crowd, they accept that they will be showered with boos and jeers at every opponent’s home venue. It wasn’t always like this, though. The deplorable behavior of the average fan has evolved over time. The first fans were there just to watch the sport, and interacted little. Wanting to be a part of the game (which is a dangerous mental condition), fans began to cheer the good play of their favorite teams and players.
Positive reinforcement is boring, however, and it was not long before fans decided that, along with cheering for their favorites, they would try to distract the opponent. The 12th man mentality that some cities wear as a badge of honor. What started as, “Boo!” or “You suck!”, quickly turned to deeply personal shouts from the stands, and in this current climate, nothing is out of bounds.
A player’s personal flaws or defects are fair game. If they have a scar, it’s OK to point and laugh at it. If they have a loved one who passed, after a terrible bout with cancer or ALS, it’s ok to mock that person’s death and joke loudly about it. As witnessed in Minnesota, some fans think that it’s fair game to encourage suicide. At this point, it’s not even about getting in the opponent’s head and distracting them. It’s about self-indulgence of the darkest kind.
The modern fan isn’t a fan of anyone but themselves. They record themselves for social media, saying they want to rape a player or someone in their family, then look at their iPhone and say, “I just yelled something that no human being should ever say. I made the player cry, and it was fantastic. Like and subscribe for more!”
Professional sports need to rid every stadium of anyone who chooses to yell horrible things at their fellow humans. In biblical terms, at their brothers and sisters. There should not be a place in sports for bad behavior. If it can’t be said to a supervisor’s wife at work, it shouldn’t be shouted from the bleachers. The species should be better than this, but unfortunately, it’s not. The giant asteroid can’t hit this planet fast enough.
