Saturday, January 17, 2009

Bullying, Sports, & Losing: A Volatile Blend

So, tomorrow is the  long-awaited, history-making NFC Championship Game to be held in Glendale, Arizona.  At this point, local and visiting fans are revved up, drinking, and partying, as they will until the game ends and, inevitably, one side loses. That's when the trouble begins. That's when the "losers" with too much to drink and bullying tendencies start venting their anger and frustration. Who are the likely targets? Spouses and significant others, kids, and pets. If the Cardinals lose, it will be an especially busy night for local police.

A word of caution: If you are the target of a workplace bully who is one of the "losing" fans, avoid the bully Monday morning. He or she might still be in a foul mood.

1 comment:

Marcia Reynolds said...

My boyfriend, who is from Philadelphia, was a lone fan in a sea of drinking Cardinals fans. As the game went on, they threw not-quite-empty cups at him. Tribal behavior can bring out the bully in otherwise nice people. Bullying can be contagious (I remember this from grade school). Bullies should be dealt with before they rally the troops.