The Battle of the Bay is Ruined By Tough Guy Syndrome

Blame it on the booze. Blame it on rowdy fans. Blame it on a violent sport. Blame it on some combination of all three. In the wake of the violence that broke out at Saturday's Raider vs. 49ers pre-season game (which included numerous fight and two shootings) there's plenty of blame to go around. But above and beyond all the usual culprits I think there is a bigger social phenomenon at play, I call it Tough Guy Syndrome (TGS). It typically effects males ages 18-30; the generation that was weaned on first person shooters, Tony Soprano, and 50 Cent. It is triggered by alcohol consumption at high testosterone environments (i.e. clubs, concerts, and sporting events). Those who suffer from Tough Guy Syndrome tend to have the false belief that their manhood is defined by the ability to intimidate and/or assault other men.

Of course there has always been a strain of TGS in our society especially in connection to sporting events. As life long 49ers fan I have witnessed the occasional fistfight and other acts of drunken unruliness at Candlestick Park, but this Saturday was the tipping point in terms of the level of senseless violence (two shootings a pre-season game!!). For a small but growing minority of people getting drunk and is "F****in somebody up" is the experience of choice and backing down from even the most minor altercation is never an option. Now that Tough Guy Syndrome has reared its ugly head yet again something fun like the 49ers/Radiers Battle of the Bay Exhibition game has been destroyed and the 49ers organization is now looking at trying to curb tailgating (football without tailgating, sad). If you suffer from Tough Guy Syndrome please remember there are plenty of healthy (and legal) ways to express your man-rage, like joining an MMA studio or going to a shooting range but if all else fails STAY HOME you're ruining everything for everyone.