The Worst Fans In Sports

Every day there are thousands of people vying for the coveted position of worst fans in sports. Many of them live in Philadelphia, others attended Duke University, and then there is anyone who roots for baseball teams based in New York or Boston, especially those who have never lived in New York or Boston.

But when you get right down to it there is one group who transcends even those fine sports fans from Philly who attacked Santa one cold day long ago -- the "GET IN THE HOLE" men. Basically, there are a few sports (and for this argument golf is a sport) that have an unhealthy obsession with quiet, namely tennis and golf. And what's amazing is that while I can should obscenities and wave all manner of objects at a college basketball players as he's taking free throws. I have to be absolutely silent while Tiger or Roger, who very very rich professionals, practice their craft.

This leads to a very strange behavior in golf. A second after Tiger or Phil hits a putt, one yahoo in the crowd will be the first to yell at the top of his lungs "GET IN THE HOLE." Because of golf and tennis's obsession with quiet, they've created a perfect storm the second people are allowed to vocalize for really dumb things to be heard very very clearly.

In every other sports people routinely shout dumber/more obscene/more mind-boggling garbage on a regular basis, but because everyone is cheering or booing throughout the match, a lone nutter will rarely be heard above the fray. But it golf, some of the more boorish folk have figured out that they can get their voice heard and say something that absolutely positively is the dumbest thing to shout out at a sporting event.

The solution is simple, allow the noise of all other sports. If Tiger and Phil can't hit a shot while people are shouting, then they shouldn't be wearing the green jackets. And I'd bet that if the volume rose tomorrow at golf tournaments they wouldn't miss a single extra stroke. Why? Because they're professionals.