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The Scoop by Carla Maull

The Scoop | Sports Front Page

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My Pet Sports Peeves
From the Jan. 7, 1999 TV Times

I have been a fan all my life and like many, I have a love-hate relationship with sports.

Whether it's watching a sporting event on television or in person, there are a few things that annoy me. As the new year begins, I can only hope for a change in some of these things that get on my nerves.

FOOTBALL

• Fans who don't know the rules.
• Deion Sanders' "turf toe." Does anyone realize there are ballerina's out there performing nightly with broken toes and getting paid a fraction of the salary he makes?
• NFL Officials. Claiming football is played too fast to get all the calls correct is ridiculous.
• John Madden. If I've said it once, I'll say it again. John, there are other teams besides the Dallas Cowboys.
• Kickers. Do these guys know what they're getting paid to do? It's called putting points on the board.
• The opening segment to Monday Night Football. Enough with the bombs, fighter jets and half-dressed girls! Women watch football too.

BASEBALL

• Fans who don't know the rules.
• Ticks and rituals. Between the batters and pitchers, the length of each game could be cut in half.
• The Oriole Bird mascot. Would it hurt for the guy in this suit to take a few lessons from the Phillie Phanatic and be funny for once?

BASKETBALL

• Fans who don't know the rules.
• Dick Vitale. Hey Dickie V, take a valium.
• The NBA. I really don't care if these guys ever play again.

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING

• Those people who will not let Jessie "The Body" Ventura get on with his life. Heaven forbid he contribute to society.

FIGURE SKATING

• Annoying Music. There is so much good music in this world, does anyone really need to skate to "Firebird" anymore?
• Skaters who win gold medals even after falling down. Case in point, the 1992 Olympics. After falling twice, Victor Petrenko won the gold medal over Paul Wylie who had a flawless performance.
• Politics. I don't know if this sport will ever be free of its corrupt judging system.

TENNIS

• Not letting the spectators cheer. Maybe tennis would sell more tickets if the fans could express themselves.

GOLF

• The Casey Martin fiasco. I still have a bitter taste in my mouth over the PGA's attitude toward his situation. Golfers I had once admired showed there true colors when they thought Martin would have an advantage by using a cart. Never mind that this young man is fighting a debilitating disease that affects his ability to walk.

NASCAR

• Dale Earnhardt fans. Jeff Gordon rules and you know it.
• Those who think you must be a redneck to enjoy NASCAR.

Don't get me wrong I love sports. And I have to admit, despite the things listed above, it wouldn't be as much fun if there weren't something to complain about.