March is upon us and for folks like me who follow college basketball, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. The buzzer beaters, crazy plays and even crazier fans make for an unforgettable experience for anyone who is lucky enough to get tickets to see their team win a game or two. However, just because you are locked into following your favorite team does not give you the day off protecting yourself and your family.
The sheepdog mentality doesn’t allow breaks or days off in these situations. What was forty minutes of friendly competition can turn ugly real quick. The mix of high emotions, stiff drinks, and crowd mentality can turn tense game into a tense confrontation. People can be too passionate about their teams and don’t mind rubbing it in very obnoxiously when their team is doing well. Most people jeer back in good fun and that’s the end of it. However, we’ve all seen the videos or even first-hand how this can turn a sporting event into bar fight. Is it necessary? Absolutely not. Would the players and coaches do the same for you? Nope. Do we fight each other anyway? You bet.
Is there a way to get an edge in a situation like this? The obvious and best solution is move away from any non-essential confrontation. There is nothing to gain from fighting at a sporting event. No one wins and you’ll probably end up on YouTube or TikTok before the bloody noses dry up at the very least. You don’t need to fight the fan from the rival school, but you must be ready if things get out of hand. Here are a few things you can do to give yourself the advantage:
- Keep your cool! I always tell people to “not get excited” but when you are watching your favorite team or even alma mater, emotions will always be attached. Just try to be the reasonable one when someone doesn’t like your chants and remember that everyone has bad days.
- Situational Awareness: Sounds easy enough but keeping an eye on the crowd when watching a sporting event is an indicator of how things are going. If you are visiting an away opponent, chances are there are going to be a few people tossing comments at your favorite hoody. Is it a rival school? That always jacks the level up a notch. The eagle eye advantage of nosebleed seats can be good, but who wants to sit up there?
- Dual Purpose Self Defense Items: Hopefully it never comes to this, but there are things you can carry through the security checkpoints that are considered harmless but can be used in defense situations. For example, a scarf is a very effective way to divert strikes and contain the enemy. A cane can go through a metal detector if you walk with it and then you have a stick! G10 stabbies and pokies are also non detectable and great attitude adjusters. A Sharpie or flashlight with a defensive bezel can be your best friend if you know where to apply pressure!
- Train with your items! The items listed in number 3 won’t help a bit if you don’t know what you are doing with them. I highly recommend finding a local martial arts gym or a class that trains with weapons. Find the disciplines that have a focus on using these types of weapons, so you don’t end up getting choked out with your own scarf. How embarrassing, right?
- Have fun! When you live with a sheepdog mentality, the only times we can truly relax is when we are around loved ones in our homes. It’s hard to let your guard down and just enjoy what’s going on around you when you are looking at everyone’s belt line searching for a pistol print or sketchy demeanor. Remember we work hard, and we should get to play hard. Basketball and other events are a great time, and I have some amazing memories with friends and family from Rupp Arena and others watching the Wildcats play so don’t be afraid to take a buddy and get some tickets. It's a whole new experience over watching sports on TV.
Go Cats!
-Nick
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