Hilarious (to me anyway) post-game exchange

[Juulie Downs]

Originally Posted by jearef

C'mon, Juulie. With all due respect, if you're looking for a reason to chastize, at least read ALL of the posts I put up about the issue. Particularly the one that says "it would absolutely have been the wrong thing to do", "it would have ruined my career", etc. I recognize that initiating a physical confrontation with a fan is never acceptable; I was simply trying to convey the extreme level of anger I was feeling at the moment. Anger control is not the absence of anger; anger control is the ability to recognize the emotion and resist the urge to act upon it. Under the circumstances that presented themselves last night, I was able to do that.

If you can go out on the floor, work your rear end off in two consecutive games (the first of which you worked alone), see a fine young man hurt and then listen to a fan screaming that it is your fault without getting angry, you're a far better person than I. Perhaps you are able to do just that, and if so, you are to be commended. I can always take whatever abuse the fans dish out about my eyesight, my family tree, my overall ability, etc. We all have our "hot buttons", and the fellow last night found mine. I'm glad the confrontation was limited to a verbal exchange.

I was responding to this sentence from your post, "I was so angry that if the guy had been standing in front of me, I might have punched him. I wish I could control myself better in those situations." I would have been exceedingly angry too, and I'm not saying that the anger is wrong. It's natural. But even you were worried about how you might handle that anger, and that's what you CAN and SHOULD work on. Do it NOW before you regret your response. And in fairness to you, I'll agree with Rich, that "grandpa" also needs to work on his anger issues too, he didn't vent his anger well at all!

[jearef]

Originally Posted by Juulie Downs

I was responding to this sentence from your post, "I was so angry that if the guy had been standing in front of me, I might have punched him. I wish I could control myself better in those situations." I would have been exceedingly angry too, and I'm not saying that the anger is wrong. It's natural. But even you were worried about how you might handle that anger, and that's what you CAN and SHOULD work on. Do it NOW before you regret your response. And in fairness to you, I'll agree with Rich, that "grandpa" also needs to work on his anger issues too, he didn't vent his anger well at all!

I understand the point you were trying to make. Twenty-three years in, and I still haven't had a physical altercation with a fan. I've been tempted on few occasions, but I've always been able to resist the primal urge. We all work SO hard at doing what we do: study, training, camps, scrimmages, time away from our children and our spouses, etc. Then to have some dope in the stands scream at us . . . . I know it comes with the territory, and we all knew that coming in. Like I said in the first post, one day, those folks will realize they are ruining the game for the kids. I just hope it isn't too late when they do come to that realization.