Emotions In The Movie Gladiator

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Despite the triple digit temperature, the stadium is packed with spectators. The first group of men storm the grassy field dressed in their protective armor. They jump up and down, chant, and butt helmeted heads, fueled by adrenaline from the deafening cheers of the spectators. Another group, dressed in a different color storms the field, and the spectators cheers turn to boos that echo around the stands. Both groups line up face to face with their opponent, awaiting their leaders command to charge. In a blink of an eye they charge, clashing into one another as they fight for the upper hand, fueled by more monstrous applause… What may sound like a scene from the movie Gladiator, is actually the beginning of a college football game. The University …show more content…

After a referee makes a call against Arizona, the crowd around me erupts with anger; booing and cussing at the referee, accusing him of cheating or being unfit for the job. In that moment I realize that the referees actually have a very stressful, and even dangerous job. The spectators take every call made against their team as a personal attack and reciprocate in return. When the same referee makes a call in their favor, he is suddenly a hero who can do no wrong. I asked multiple people what made them the football fans they are, and their answers ranged from, “It’s how I was raised” to “I’m American”. I never got a good, scientific explanation. No one could explain how they could go from being regular, soft spoken people outside of the stadium, to raging adrenaline fueled spectators shouting at players they don’t even know personally until they have no voice left. But at the same time, no one thought their actions were out of the ordinary or unwarranted. …show more content…

One thing I did learn, however, was that I definitely did not belong in that stadium. Being there as a health care provider I was able to observe unnoticed, but I had nothing in common with the football fans around me during the game. Even some of my coworkers had trouble containing their inner Arizona football spirit and I found them yelling along with the spectators on multiple occasions. I think when it comes down to it, the behavior of football fans across the country, behavior that is not normally accepted in society, has roots in mankind's raw, animalistic instincts. At the same time, I can respect the “safe place” that that stadium creates for the spectators. They are allowed to express themselves more than they are allowed anywhere outside their home, yet it is still a semi controlled environment. It also creates a camaraderie not found anywhere else, and that is something that I think might be unique to Tucson as a whole. Businesses around the county proudly display their support for the University Football team, more than any one professional team or sport. Despite the intimidating and borderline dangerous environment in the stands during a game, football pulls Tucson residences together more than any other major city I have

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