http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Candian-curling-fans-leave-Danish-player-in-tear?urn=oly,221320

So apparently the Danish are all pissed off because the Canadians were making too much noise while they were shooting. So I guess all of those football, basketball, baseball and soccer players must be cowering down in fear because of the fans...Oh wait that doesn't happen and those who can't take the heat don't make it.

IMHO, any competition that doesn't allow fans to yell and scream whenever they want is not a sport. If they are so concerned about noise, why do they even bother allowing people in to see them play? What's the damn point? Why not just have the players play in empty arenas?

If football, basketball, baseball, and soccer players can handle it, why can't other sports?

Agreed.

The only sport where I agree with is a sport like diving, where a safety issue is involved, or (understand but don't agree with ) golf. In golf, the spectators are so close to the athletes, that someone screaming in a player's ear could cause hearing problems, and/or an extreme level of distraction.

I notice this in a lot of smaller sports. The athletes want everyone to notice them, love them, adore them, sink more money into them, and pay attention to their sport, but they don't want the media/fan criticism, large rabid crowds, etc. that goes with it. They've gotta make up their minds one way or the other.

Someone yelling at a golfer could cause hearing problems? Come on.

Tennis could be put in this category as well. A spectator yelling "out" could mess up a player.

I don't agree in golf. The fans should be allowed to yell and scream as much as they want when they want. If they are concerned about safety, then move the fans further away.

As a fan I like to feel as if I am a part of the action and taking away my ability to cheer removes that aspect.

Also, fans in golf are no closer than the fans in basketball (courtside seats?). If basketball players can handle the noise in an enclosed arena, then golfers should be able to handle it outdoors in front of maybe a quarter of the amount of fans.

Golf and tennis are the worst perpetrators of this problem. If the players don't want people to yell, why are fans allowed in the stands or close by them? ****ing play in closed off areas if they are so worried about noise. If you can't handle the pressure, then maybe you should reconsider whether or not you want to actually play sports.

A perfect analogy for a golfer would be a field goal kicker in football and a penalty kick in soccer or hockey. Just like golf, it's all up to one person, but unlike golf those players don't have the luxury of doing it in complete silence. They have to listen to crowd heckle them or sometimes just listen to deafening noise. Sure it affects them, but it's a part of the game and those that can't handle it don't last long.

Why do figure skaters wear those ridiculous costumes?

Yes it is related because that is part of the sport - just as much as "quiet" is the norm for certain sports played mostly by white wealthy people.

I actually agree with the idea that crowd noise should be normal in most cases.

The sports that require some quietness are those where the starting signal is a sound (like track or swimming).

I understand track and swimming, but then the signal to go is so loud that it's damn near impossible to not hear and the crowd usually roars to life directly after the signal occurs. Those are the only sports where the volume of the crowd should be considered. In everything else, noise should be fair game.

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If the players don't want people to yell, why are fans allowed in the stands or close by them? ****ing play in closed off areas if they are so worried about noise.

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That's why they ask for quiet. They figure that there's more fan interest to be lost by moving the fans further away than there is by asking them to be quiet. I get the feeling that you're never going to patron either golf or tennis either way, so what's the diff? Also, in those 2 particular sports, I think the quietness works into the general attitudes and decorum of the fan base. The same rules apply on your everyday municipal golf course, and thus it's what the fans are used to and expect.

They're not worried about football fans not liking golf because of it. They're worried about golf fans not liking golf because of it.

I'm not saying I like it, but I completely understand why it is the way it is. It's just a part of the sport.

I can tell you at high school swimming - the crowd can be very loud. Recently the announcer had to repeatedly ask the crowd for quiet at the start (high school regional championships).

Completely not an issue at elite meets though.

Tennis, golf, curling, etc... apply the ettiquete for home team football, basketball, etc... fans to the opponent. Instead of being quiet when your team shoots free throws or lines up for a snap, you do it for the opponent to so that the game is about the athletes, not the areana or city or country that particular match is. You do it for issues of respect of player and game. You do it for various reasons.

There are some other circumstances, as well, such as tennis' system of officiating.

The Danish are far from the only team that's "pissed". In fact, the Canadian team and other prominent Canadian figures have perhaps been the most vocal group.

It's just the way it is, and tennis, golf, etc... will continue it until their very profitable, very popular multi-billion dollar industries turn for the worse.

Curling is at a crossroads. We'll see where the sport goes from here. It'll be interesting.


BTW, Dupont "couldn't handle it" for the same reasons many basketball or football players don't handle when they enter the next level (college from high school) or just a particular place (don't we like to take pride in our homefield advantage and how even great players can't handle it?). She hasn't had to handle it before (except maybe once or twice, maybe, possibly) and it's something that takes some time to get used to.

[This message has been edited by TXAggie2011 (edited 2/22/2010 5:45p).]

Count me as one who says **** all sports that "require" silence for its "athletes".

If you can shoot FT's with a game on the line, kick a FG, hit a 3-2 pitch with the winning run on 2nd base, etc with a crowd going crazy, you should damn sure be able to hit a golf ball, serve a tennis ball, slide a rock on ice, etc.

[This message has been edited by Syd_X_Barrett (edited 2/22/2010 5:47p).]

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Tennis, golf, curling, etc... apply the ettiquete for home team football, basketball, etc... fans to the opponent. Instead of being quiet when your team shoots free throws or lines up for a snap, you do it for the opponent to so that the game is about the athletes, not the areana or city or country that particular match is. You do it for issues of respect of player and game. You do it for various reasons.

There are some other circumstances, as well, such as tennis' system of officiating.

The Danish are far from the only team that's "pissed". In fact, the Canadian team and other prominent Canadian figures have perhaps been the most vocal group.

It's just the way it is, and tennis, golf, etc... will continue it until their very profitable, very popular multi-billion dollar industries turn for the worse.

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So what you're saying is that they aren't real sports, gotcha. The fact is, the fans are part of the game at the professional and international competition levels. If you can't handle anything except silence while you play, then you're not playing a sport, you're involved in a competition. Fans make sports interesting and unpredictable.

Did you get kicked out of your local country club after you got pissed at the old men outdriving you or something?

I got reprimanded in High School for cheering on a friend while the girl on the court behind me was trying to serve...

It was my first tennis match. I wasn't sure if what I'd done was wrong or not...

You have to remember where tennis and golf started, too. They were English sports, where things were more proper. That's why tennis and golf are often called Gentleman's sports. I guess it just goes back to tradition, you just don't yell at those two sporting events.