The Joy of Sport

            One of the main reasons to watch sporting events is to get enjoyment out of it, to take pleasure in the great plays and victories. In saying this, it is pretty rare for a game to cause an observer to laugh solely due to pleasure—but it does happen.Laughing in this sense represents a feeling of pure joy, joy that causes one to go past the point of smiling and reach laughter. This laughter appears as belly laughs that come from deep down inside, not some forced chuckle. They expose one’s true emotions and usually one’s passion for the team they are cheering for. If one is happy with the way a game is going it would be normal for them to smile but not to laugh. In order to laugh there is need for a sudden outstanding play. The element of surprise when a play comes “out of no where” causes the laughter and almost follows the incongruity theory of laughter. For this reason, game-winning plays make for the most probable laughing situations because it combines a great play with the result of winning.

            I have experienced many instances of laughing at sports due to delight, but my most vivid memory was from the Super Bowl in 2008 when the Giants beat the Patriots. Being from New York, many of my friends are Giants fans, including my best friend and her family, who hosted a Super Bowl party that year. Everyone there was rooting for the Giants and although I am a Jets fan, I had no problem rooting against the Patriots. When the Giants went on their late game run the excitement in the house really started to build. There were at least three plays on their last drive that definitely caused laughter from the group watching. My friend’s dad, Phil, was the leader of the laughs. I specifically remember him jumping out of seat laughing with excitement when David Tyree made that third down catch on his helmet. When the game ended in a Giants victory the hysteria that erupted included hugging, screaming, crying, jumping, and plenty of laughter. I know I was laughing, but for a different reason—Phil and his brother were crying about the big win. I think some of the reasons for the laugher included the long years of waiting for a Giants championship as well as the dramatic manner in which the game ended.

            For a great example of laughing from sports pleasure check out this video of U.S. fans celebrating Landon Donovan’s goal in the most recent World Cup that advanced the U.S. into the round of sixteen: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/flatpages/video/mediacenterbc3.html?bctid=/services/player/bcpid73315185001&bckey=AQ~~,AAAAAFn2Wfk~,QUqnr01qM6aNc5KpglT31Wg877NObyqI&bctid=101507741001

Suspended for Laughing

One commonplace for laughter in sporting events is the players themselves laughing. Sports can create many funny or laughing situations—shocking collisions, embarrassingly bad plays, or the joy of winning. However another less common but almost more hilarious instance of laughter by athletes is laughing at the referees. I know I find myself doing this out on the hockey field when an especially ludicrous call is made. I think athletes (including myself) have realized that this type of response is more acceptable and less likely to be punished than yelling or displaying negative body language. Refs tend to pile more and more bad calls on players that they have determined are disrespectful and laughing rather than yelling or cursing can keep athletes off a refs bad side. I also believe that finding a way to laugh at refs horrible calls helps to keep athletes calm during a match rather than getting frustrated.

There is quite an amusing video on YouTube of Spurs star forward Tim Duncan being ejected from a game against the Dallas Mavericks simply for laughing (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tim+duncan+ejected+for+laughing&aq=6). The best part is that Duncan was on the bench during the whole extravaganza. Apparently he was not happy with a call made against one of his teammates and decided to laugh it out while sitting on the bench with a towel over his head. The ref must have taken Duncan’s laughter as a mockery of his officiating and gave him a technical foul. The bizarre part of this is that something that occurred off the court had a major influence on the court. As a result of Duncan’s laughter, the Mavericks were given two foul shots and then possession of the ball. Reacting to the ensuing two missed foul shots by the Mavericks player, Duncan is seen again giggling to himself at the lame display of shooting. To Duncan’s and the rest of his team’s dismay, the referee issued him another technical foul, meaning he had to hit the showers. I just think the idea of being thrown out of a game for laughing is so ridiculous but it is true that officials reign supreme.

Maybe laughing at bad calls isn’t the best idea after all. Referees may see athletes laughing at their calls as demeaning and disrespecting their profession.