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Most of us have experienced temper tantrums in our lives. We tend to forget any of our own and never forget those we have seen in others and often like to recount the incident later in life. I once ordered a McDonald’s hamburger for my grandson when he was very young and forgot to tell them, despite his emphatic request, to put nothing on it. He acted like I was trying to murder him when he saw the catsup, cheese and onions. He could not be consoled.
Who hasn’t seen a child in a supermarket or mall crying, hitting, kicking, stomping, throwing things and as a last resort (and one of my favorites) – holding their breath?
I remember putting a rubber spider on my sister’s shoulder and then pointing out that the ghastly insect was there. She was around seven years old and after screaming in terror and watching me roll around on the floor in laughter, she quietly went to her toy pile, grabbed a roller skate and proceeded to clobber me over my head. She was very, very angry.
As we become parents ourselves, we learn that tantrums are quite normal and, for the most part, should be ignored.
We are a little more shocked when adults, however, throw a tantrum. I once was playing golf with a friend who became so frustrated at the game (and possibly himself) that after having a particularly bad round and hitting a poor shot from the fairway on the 18th hole, individually threw every one of his clubs into the nearby woods. He then also tossed his golf bag in the same direction. We ignored him and took great pleasure in watching him try to retrieve every one of his clubs and bag.
Much like a child in a store, Trevor Bauer of the Cleveland Indians on Sunday vented his frustration about being taken out of a game by throwing the baseball from the pitcher’s mound over the center field fence.
http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=27276659
While it is easy to understand Bauer’s frustration, his reaction to it – not so much. But it isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. Basketball coach Bobby Knight threw a chair across the court when he didn’t like a referee’s call. Tennis great John McEnroe was the king of the tantrum when he questioned a line call. NBA’er Dennis Rodman once almost stripped down to his jock strap and kicked over a Gatorade cooler when he got tossed from a game. He followed that up one other time when he kicked a cameraman (who, by the way, was carried off on a stretcher).
I was in attendance in Madison Square Garden in New York the night the Boston Bruins went into the stands after the New York fans after one of them slapped a Bruins player with a rolled-up program. The fans suffered quite a beating.
I think the epitome of anger getting the best of a sports figure, however, occurred during the Mike Tyson – Evander Holyfield WBA heavyweight championship rematch. In the third round, Tyson became so frustrated by Holyfield’s tactics that he bit off a portion of his opponent’s ear. Even with a part of an ear on the boxing ring’s canvas, the fight continued until Tyson did it again. Then the fight was stopped and Holyfield declared the winner.
I am positive there are much better ways to vent your frustration than demonstrated here. But, I must admit, it is often entertaining to watch someone lose it!
And in case you’re wondering, my grandson grew up to be a very mature, successful, and quite likable young man, although we often remind him of the hamburger incident.
ABOVE THE EARS (SOME MUSINGS)
- Add Carson Wentz to the list of people who eat gluten-free. In an effort to do the most that he can to avoid injuries and prepare his body, his nutritionist recommended he go gluten-free. The nutritionist also advised him to give up beef for two full months. Wentz says he feels great and even goes vegan from time to time. Eagles’ fans hope it works!
- It will be even more fun this season when the Giants play the Eagles. Penn State fans will be torn – root for Saquon Barkley or root for Miles Sanders. Both will be prominent in their respective backfields and both are game breakers. Both are former Nittany Lions.
- Whom do the Phillies root for this week when the Washington Nationals play the Atlanta Braves, the two teams who are ahead of them in the standings? I know – the Phillies should worry about themselves.
- A 10-year-old boy suddenly fell to the ground during pre-game at Coca-Cola Park on Saturday. His leg was bleeding behind his knee. It was determined that he had been shot by a bullet that came from the sky as far away as one or two miles. The boy will be fine, it appears, but doctors say they will not remove the bullet fearing nerve damage. This appears to be a mystery that will never be solved. Prior to this incident, the Pigs had never even had a fight or thrown a fan out of a game in their existence.
- John Leone will be a guest blogger next week as I work in a little time off before the first football game broadcast (August 23). Much like his work behind the microphone, his writings are always entertaining!
