The Face of the Devastated Sports Fan
Briefly

The article explores the intense emotions exhibited by sports fans in moments of heartbreak, particularly during losses witnessed on television. It highlights a poignant example involving Roxanne Chalifoux, a piccolo player for the Villanova band during a heartbreaking upset in 2015. The author finds beauty in these moments of grief, relating to the emotional toll and elation that sports bring to individuals, portraying a complex blend of joy and sorrow among fandom. The narrative underscores how these expressions of sadness are part of the shared experience of sports culture.
In the immediate aftermath of a sports fan's heartbreak, there is that sliver of time during which all the emotion passes across their face.
Take, for example, the case of Roxanne Chalifoux, a piccolo player in the Villanova band who, in 2015, was immortalized during March Madness.
There was joyful noise to be made even in defeat, even if the noise-makers didn't feel emotionally up to the task.
There is beauty for me in the sports fan's moments of grief, and there is also, to some degree, relief.
Read at The New Yorker
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