I just can’t

Just when I think things can’t get any worse and that I’ve seen it all, people will inevitably surprise me again with their ability to achieve the ridiculous. 

I just can’t with the unbelievable behavior of some sports fans. 

It’s no secret that coaching can seem like a completely thankless job. Between navigating personalities of players, fans and parents, and doing your best to put your team in the best position to be successful, and spending so many hours dedicated to your sport, there’s a lot of working pieces that can go awry and turn ugly.

Things reached the absurd last week, however, when the Wyoming Cowboys rookie head football coach Jay Sawvel received an email saying that the sender hoped he got shot.

Are you kidding me?

The email was alluding to the Pokes’ opening contest against Arizona State, where University of Wyoming suffered a demoralizing 48-7 loss against Sun Devils, and were nearly shut out were it not for an 11th-hour touchdown by the Cowboys. 

Sawvel took full responsibility, apologized for his team’s performance, and admitted that they all had a lot of work to do.

I know that Cowboys fans are passionate, but to seriously issue a death threat to a coach because of the loss of a football game is beyond passionate, it’s insane.

Sawvel outwardly handled the disturbing threat with class, admitting that “this type of vitriol comes with the territory” (of being a Division I football coach). He also joked that he needed to not read his emails, and that he and his staff and team just need to ignore those types of social media or electronic communications.

His offensive coordinator, Jay Johnson, also insisted that the team just needed to “block out the noise” and take on the challenge of improving every week. 

I know that their options of issuing public responses are limited, but I seriously don’t know that I could be that gracious or nonchalant about receiving an email like that. 

The thing is, while sports are a very important aspect of a lot of people’s lives, they are, in the end, just a game. The outcome of a football game should never result in death threats to coaches or players.

I know that it is a very small contingent of sports fans who would ever take things that far, but when one or two go over the top, it gives us all a bad name. 

It’s disappointing and outrageous that a coach would have to deal with death threats along with everything else they have to handle.

We have to do better. 

The Pokes lost their home opener to Idaho on Saturday 13-17, so I hope that a better showing on their part ensures that no one is threatened this week.