Fan Violence At Sporting Events. Is Alcohol, Rivalries or the Media Fueling This Issue?

Fan Violence, Time To Take Back The Stands!

It's the most exciting time of year for fans of football. The NFL Season has begun and college football rivalries are back as well. It's also a time when tailgates and alcohol collide sometimes with aggressive results. This past weekend a number of violent incidents took place with devastating effects. Fans as we all know are passionate about their teams before ever taking a drink, add alcohol to an already explosive environment and the chances of violence increases. No fan should ever be ostracized for supporting their teams no matter where they are.

We all understand defending our home field advantages but not at the extend of bodily harm to opposing teams fans. The competitive physical encounters should only take place on the field of play and or when welcoming a fellow fan with a huge! If fans themselves refuse to be ambassadors to visiting fans who will? More importantly let's remember there will be a time when you will travel to an opposing teams stadium, wouldn't you want to feel safe to cheer for your team? Violence in the stands or outside the venue should be unacceptable to all fans.

So here's the real question. Is alcohol to blame for the aggressive violence or has our hatred for opposing teams spilled over for their fan base as well? Could it be the media is fueling the violence with their promotions of sports broadcast, pitting fans against fans? Honestly these are nothing more then excuses. Share this blog with your sphere of influence with the following question, is violence in the stands the reason we attend sporting events or do we go to see the worlds best athletes competing for wins and our enjoyment? Lets put an end to the foolishness and take back our stands!

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What A Fan Executive Producer, Lowell Moore, Excited About Moving Award Show and Sports Fans Conference Event To Los Angles in 2016

It began in Los Angles, California 17 years ago, an idea that would recognize fans for their passion. So big that it was to be televised. The Show “What A Fan” would be an insightful look into the lives of passionate fanatics in the sports world. Unfortunately this idea was put on hold when we lost our beloved World Trade Centers on that faithful day September 11^th.  Programming was changed, and the idea had to take a back seat to America’s new challenge. Much like any idea timing is everything. Some ideas seem like they happen over night. People do not know the obstacles and trials great visions go through.

 

The relationship between fans, the college and professional athletics they support is extremely important to the industries success… The fans fill arenas, stadiums, ball parks and bleed their team colors. They witness goals, home-runs, deep 3’s made from downtown and yes The Touchdown! Passion drives them to buy merchandise to showcase their fandom. It drives them to purchase tickets to their respective “churches” to root their team to the next championship. Never asking for anything but the joy of experiencing their favorites take care of business. Without these dedicated individuals there would be no product to speak of. Why hasn’t this been talked about before? Maybe it has, maybe the idea has been tossed around. After all it was taking shape 17 years, even when the light may have dimmed it certainly did not fade.

Historic Live Online Broadcast for Universal City Walks NBA City

While it may have been put on hold, a rebirth of this idea was once again brought to life in 2010 with an online live broadcast taping of What A Fan at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. The spark was lit, and within the next few years this project will be full steam a head.

In 2013 The What A Fan Sports Conference was officially introduced and underway, held at the beautiful Rosen Center Hotel on the world famous International Drive in Orlando, Florida. What A Fan wanted to do something special, to separate itself from anything anyone’s ever seen before. This organization has a mission to celebrate and honor passionate sports fans and provide an interesting look at what fuel these devoted fanatics! 

Historic Inaugural What A Fan Awards in 2013

Through their annual events What A Fan shows it’s appreciation with the worlds only recognition awards show for these outstanding people who dedicate their lives to their teams. The What A Fan Awards made history at its inaugural launch in 2013 honoring NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, Nascar and Arena Football sports fans. There is also an American Sports Icon Award which was awarded to Dick Vitale. The Ultimate Sports Fan is their biggest award handed out. These special people give their heart and soul to their team, and this recognition award is What A Fans way of saying thank you. All of these award winners now have their place in history.

The Inaugural Sports Fans Conference in Orlando Florida 2013

In 2014 What A Fan decided to move the conference to Disney property, the Swan and Dolphin Resort, additionally adding an Online Media Award category to the awards show as well. The move may not have been all that was expected, but proved to be a great lessen in our process. Our progress has been steady through it all and What A Fan's presence continues to expand.  The Swan and Dolphin Resort while beautiful and gracious host, still didn’t seem like the correct fit for the long term vision we have in mind.

Second Annual Sports Fans Conference at Walt Disney's Swan and Dolphin Resort

While not missing the opportunity to take What A Fan to the next level at its mid-way point of our five (5) year development plan, a Re-Birth and strategic plan is underway. In 2016 What A Fan will come full circle and return to the original place of the its creation. We're heading west to Los Angles, the birth place of What A Fan and our new host city. We have changed the dates of both our recognition awards show and appreciation events. The What A Fan Awards will be held Friday, July 15th. Normally What A Fan's Sports Fans Conference is held Labor Day weekend. Upon the move to Los Angles we now moved the date of the Conference to July 14-17, 2016. This is an exciting change, one that will surely be beneficial to the growth of What A Fan. 

Third Annual What A Fan Awards at the World Famous BB Kings

The move to LA is being done for a number of reasons one of which is because of the large presences of sports organizations, both college and professional. Second the City of Angeles is known for producing some of the worlds most popular award shows, which brings me to our final reason. The ESPN ESPY's Awards Show is shot the same week providing several opportunities for What A Fan Award Nominee's and Winners to see their favorite athletes.

The 2016 Floor Plan for the launch in Los Angeles, California

The move back to Los Angles, is just what this Mission needs. Our time in Orlando, Florida has given us the structure and foundation to build on. For additional information stay connected to www.whatafanshow.com

Written by Pamela Michelle