There was an unfortunate incident that overshadowed another exciting week of basketball action in Northern New Mexico. The brawl between Pecos and Mesa Vista’s junior varsity teams Jan. 24 at Pecos was followed by two weeks of rumors swirling around Mesa Vista junior varsity coach Jaime Cruz Sr. and his son, Jaime Cruz Jr.
Cruz Sr. was relieved of his coaching duties and Cruz Jr. missed two games reportedly because he was sick. He returned to the team amid rumors that he was going to leave and go to Coronado (see related story above).
It got me thinking about how our attitudes change according to the roles we play. Looking back on my own experiences as a player, fan and sportswriter, the way we look and react to a game changes dramatically according to those roles.
As a player, I pretty much had to keep whatever I felt about officials, opposing players, teammates and my coach under control. The primary concern was playing and if you talked back to officials, you could be ejected from the game. You also couldn’t focus on playing if you became too obsessed with officials’ calls. I still remember a tennis match at summer camp where I was beating the best player at the camp, but let a call by an official get into my head and I ended up losing. Bad calls on the baseball field sometimes set me off, to the detriment of my game. You had to keep your feelings under control and concentrate on your performance.
As a fan, though, those restrictions were taken away, and I’ll confess that at times I was a really bad fan, screaming, swearing and yelling. In a way, it was kind of liberating not to have to worry about being thrown out and I kind of reveled in it. The emotions that I had to keep bottled up as a player I could unleash with full fury as a fan and at times I did. I’m not proud of it, although I did gain a kind of infamy.
Now, as a sportswriter, my personal feelings and emotions have to be back under control. It’s given me back my perspective that I had as a player and then some. No longer do I just root for the home team. I have to be fair, balanced and objective.
Although it does take away some of the raw emotion I felt as a fanatical fan, it’s a much better way to watch the game and certainly less stressful to those around me. I have to watch the game and understand what’s happening. I’m back to concentrating on my performance.
If I ever retire as a sportswriter, I sure hope I don’t revert back to the way I was as a fan.