Why Is It Ok To Heckle Sports Players

Nameless Ghoul said:
That just reminds me, I went to a small private college and my friends and I would print the visitors team roster off for basketball games and taunt them by name. It was always in good fun and we'd even get them laughing at the stuff we said. A lot of our main targets at a given game would come over to us after, win or lose and shoot the shit.
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We did something similar way back when. We were on a road trip and it just so happened that our home hockey team was in the same place for a away game. It was a neutral game (in order to keep costs for the league down as it was starting, they had 3 teams travel and play each other over 3 days so there was always a neutral game). We gave the goalie so much grief, the local team gave us a two for one tickets + beer to come back the next day to heckle the goalie some more.

In our drunkeness, I'm sure we crossed the line a few times but I don't think it was overly personal (small hockey community in this country so everyone knows everyone). Our chant to the goalie was "ffffffuuuuunnnneeelllll!!!!!" (because unlike a sieve, everything goes through a funnel).

All the teams would come over after and have a drink with us.
 
Foppa21 said:
No, no they don't. Or rather, they're have to be a whale for it to be even considered that. Paying money to show up does not give you carte blanch to conduct yourself outside good taste. Does paying for a meal give you the right to be a complete ass to a server?
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Thats not even the same thing.
 
rearnakedchoke said:
Thats not even the same thing.
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They're not the same thing, but they're similar. The point I'm trying to get at one goes to work to get abused or take crap from others. The volume of money probably makes it a bit easier, but it doesn't make it right either.

This is going to be one of those things where I'll happily agree to disagree with people on tbh because everyone will have a different opinion across the spectrum and I probably wouldn't say that they're "wrong"
 
I've never said anything insulting or demeaning to an athlete but when I was a kid we used to have seats a few rows above the visitor dugout at Exhibition stadium in Toronto. Whenever Ricky Henderson used to come to town we would yell at him, "Ricky!!!!!" when he was on deck. A few times he looked around to see who it was.

Fast forward 15+ yrs later and I'm meeting up with a buddy after work at the Marriott in Times Square when Ricky Henderson was in his last MLB season with the Mets. I'm waiting for my buddy int he lobby and there is Ricky Henderson standing about 20 feet away.

I go up to him and say, "hey, you were one of the best players every to play ball. We used watch you when you came to Toronto.".

Ricky says, "hey man, thanks".

Then i said, "we used to shout your name every time you were on deck".

Suddenly Ricky has a puzzled look on his face and says, "That was you?".


giphy.gif
 
my buddy stopped Ricky around midnight speeding up Ashby Ave at around 58mph in a 25 zone many years ago.
when he approached the car, Ricky looked at him incredulously and asked "Do you know who I am?"

cheap way to get an autograph IMO.
*line 22
 
Smokes said:
Why is it socially acceptable for people to scream and cuss out sports players when they at work?

this dude was just trying to take a break and people pressing him for no reason.


Stadiums should just start tossing out hecklers. Cheering for your team is fine but just stay quiet when the other team is doing good. We need more positive energy
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It’s called freedom of speech
 
Liverwarrior said:
It’s called freedom of speech
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It's also called bullying. One is executing their freedom of speech against someone whose freedom of speech is severely restricted. The sportsperson is restricted in how they can reply (if able to at all).
 
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Smokes said:
Why is it socially acceptable for people to scream and cuss out sports players when they at work?

this dude was just trying to take a break and people pressing him for no reason.


Stadiums should just start tossing out hecklers. Cheering for your team is fine but just stay quiet when the other team is doing good. We need more positive energy
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{<doc}Get this ghey shit out of here. I would have willingly took that L and C walked all the way to the bank.


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Grow thicker skin, you women.
 
Fedorgasm said:
It's a good question. It's not okay to heckle a comedian or a play, but it's okay to do it to athletes

I guess because you don't need to hear in order to watch sports, so it doesn't matter if people yell. And keeping track of who is yelling good stuff vs bad stuff would be a nightmare.
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I don't necessarily condone it, but fans do it for a psychological advantage. No need to do that to a comedian:

 
If you talk shit to a player and get hit, don't be a bitch and try to sue, you asked for it.
 
It’s sports entertainment the players make an obscene amount of money for something that means jack shit. If you pay to watch and the game is currently shit then you have the right to chew out the millionaires. There should be limits for how far you go but heckling is part of a lot of live entertainment.
 
I don't understand why idiots think it's okay for hecklers to talk shit to an athlete without facing any repercussions. If some random stranger walked up to you and talked shit in your face or over your shoulder, are you going to just stand there and take it like a bitch? Men are becoming more pussified these days all under the guise of having better morals or etiquette. Pathetic.
 
gondo said:
It’s sports entertainment the players make an obscene amount of money for something that means jack shit. If you pay to watch and the game is currently shit then you have the right to chew out the millionaires. There should be limits for how far you go but heckling is part of a lot of live entertainment.
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Yep, a heckle/chirp they'll probably let slide. But don't go off about their family and stuff or affect the game in any direct way.
 
Possum Jenkins said:
Because sports isn't a common, everyday job. You get paid millions for playing a child's game.
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I understand that they are playing a game, but calling it a child's game is a very stupid cliche. American football is undeniably a game that is better for adults or teenagers than children. And athletes have been respected as competitors since ancient times.

I think you are right though that a major part of the response to the question in the thread title is that being a pro athlete doesn't compare well to other jobs in many respects, and this is one of them.
 
IngaVovchanchyn said:
I understand that they are playing a game, but calling it a child's game is a very stupid cliche. American football is undeniably a game that is better for adults or teenagers than children. And athletes have been respected as competitors since ancient times.

I think you are right though that a major part of the response to the question in the thread title is that being a pro athlete doesn't compare well to other jobs in many respects, and this is one of them.
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Football with full rules has to be played by older kids, true, but you develop a love for it and start playing it as a little kid, just like with all other sports. Either way, sports are still a leisure, recreational activity. Of course they should be admired because they can do things 99.99999% of people can't.

Also, the very nature of competition invites heckling. If you're a band playing a concert, you're not competing against anyone so hecklers would be understandably ostracized. But athletes are trying to beat each other so the crowd taking sides with one group and heckling the other is almost natural. Obviously this is much more true in team sports.
 
MMA since 1993 said:
If you talk shit to a player and get hit, don't be a bitch and try to sue, you asked for it.
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I hear in Japan, on the pro wrestling side, it's a badge of honour. As they walk in, basically gently heckle so they bitch slap you then thank them for the honour
 
People just don't get heckling is a part of the homefield advantage. You talk shit to rattle players. How fucking beta do you have to be to not be okay with heckling
 
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