Super Bowl covid empowers entitled sports fanatics
Fanaticism is a hell of a drug. After several decades of cheering for the buccaneers, fans irrationally celebrated outside during the pandemic. But What makes the championship worth the risk of catching a deadly virus? Fans could’ve stayed in their homes or house party instead of amongst thousands of people. Why do sports fanatics lack the discernment to know when they’re putting themselves at risk?. Let’s find out why the Tampa Bay super bowl celebrations ignore the Covid-19 pandemic.
Is entertainment a right or a privilege?
Despite the glitz and glamour of entertainment, at the end of the day, it’s a business. Before black lives matter was stigmatized for destroying property in the name of injustice, sports fanatics destroyed property for winning a game. .What goes on in the mind of a fanatic that tells them to destroy things because of a basketball game?
Tampa police arrested 18 people for the entire night which is a low number, considering thousands were maskless.
But as protests against racism tell us, police often care more about protecting property than the people they’ve sworn to protect and serve. Fans were given leeway to celebrate but crossing the line is destroying property as opposed to possibly spreading covid..
This irrational dangerous type of sports championship celebration gets a pass due to the revenue sports bring to the city. Mayors of cities are willing to risk the spread of covid if millions will be generated from their sports teams..Players are signing multiple million-dollar contracts and the minimum is 500,000..So how much do you think the owners of teams are making off of the fans?..
Speaking of money, Tampa currently has a 20% poverty rate. Over 71thousand of the three hundrend and fifty plus thousand Tampa residents live below the poverty line..The average ticket price was over 7,500 dollars, will ensure that the those 20% of residents won’t be able to attend the games. Because sports is in the entertainment business it will always be a slap in the face to the poor but a symbol of success for kids in poverty who make the league.
Are these fans even thinking of how much of the money goes back in their community? Just because fans can’t afford the games, doesn’t mean their attention towards it doesn’t cost. Even the concession food is high, a Ruben sandwich is $18. Yes, the workers have to be paid as well but the work is only seasonal..
This isn’t the first time this has happened in Tampa. Just a few months ago in October Tampa celebrated the Stanley cup championship. Just as during the super bowl victory the mayor took precautions and told fans to celebrate safely, hundreds of thousands of masks were passed out but the pictures show not many people if any at all wearing them..
Jane Castor, Tampa bay Mayor has enough sense to know that sports fanatics will be fanatics. Politicians have less control over their citizens than entertainers and athletes which is why politicians try to emulate their popularity.
As much money as athletes earns and advocate they won’t risk their careers to fight injustice. They will talk about how the system leeches off of minorities but have yet to mention how sports bleeds the leisure time and resources from communities that need them the most. Teams with several sports franchises often have high poverty rates, underfunded and underperformed schools. Yet the mayor knows this and allows it to continue, why?
“Tampa mayor slams Super Bowl fans for not wearing masks as they crammed into bars to celebrate – before announcing an official Buccaneers celebration this week where ‘everybody’ can participate”-The daily mail
Because the mayor is the CEO of a city. He or she sees its citizens as a means to an end, and those who provide revenue receive leeway to operate. From the sport’s owners to the athletes on down to the fans. Athletes aren’t aware of how “privileged they are to be in their position of power. Racism and inequality aren’t the only issues. In fact, poverty has just as much if not more of an effect on black communities as police brutality. But sports aren’t the only events with large gatherings during the pandemic..
Many churches were cited for violating attendance protocol during the pandemic. Like many of the championship celebration pictures, some of the church members weren’t wearing masks but they were arrested in Moscow, Idaho church event. But churches don’t pay taxes nor do they contribute to the economy. Church members are “regular” people while professional athletes are perceived as special..Perhaps bias plays a role..
The life of a professional athlete is only achieved by a select few. Sports provides us with an escape from reality although sports is a reality itself. But anything that makes us forget about our troubles and worries we will in fact like it more.
Even sports betting took a hit during the super bowl. The MGM station shut down in the middle of the super bowl and betting apps faced disruptions. So if the entertainment aspect wasn’t hypnotizing enough then the possibility of making money will hook you in..
The covid celebration leeway is just a microcosm of the illusion that sports provide. People feel their lives have no value because of how their taught to perceive themselves. As a result we live through the success of others, just like people who are doing time in jail. Only in this situation the people are self imprisoned to enjoy entertainment.
Even for the nonsports watchers, it’s important to realize how detrimental and powerful the entertainment business can be on our communities and leisure time. Furthermore, the lack of accountability from authorities proves that this issue deserves priority.
But who do you blame? Sports has an agenda to create fanatics to keep their stadiums filled and pay athletes millions of dollars. Millions of dollars are spent on marketing and branding teams, mascots, logos to build a familiarity with their fan base. The fans become so invested and dependent on sports to relieve them from the real world that an intimate relationship is built.
After being loyal and “die-hard” supporters for years and years starting from childhood. It’s almost impossible for them to be self-aware of their fanaticism. It’s a part of their lives. Kids see the adults taking time out of their lives and prioritizing sports so the children never question it. Kind of like a family religion in a household not being questioned.
In conclusion, the inability to prep for covid, Tampa’s poverty rate coupled with its sports consumption shows the fallacy of sports fanaticism. However, being unproductive with our leisure time is the American way. Furthermore the revenue sports and entertainment bring to their respective cities allows the law to be lenient against them…After all, there are no real winners in sports..
Is entertainment a right or a privilege? Let us know in the comment section below.