I learned in my high school social psychology class that the most domestic violence occurs on Super Bowl Sunday. So this year, on the alleged day of abuse, I decided to investigate these claims and see where the data for this originated.

The information I found was conflicting. Some articles scream, “Myth!” while others steadfastly hold the statistic as truth. Bellaonline.com’s domestic violence editor, Jeanette Stingley, neither confirmed nor denied the validity of the allegation, but did say that it has come to be regarded by some as an urban myth that perhaps started during a 1993 Super Bowl ad. Yet, she also mentions that countless other articles and interviews confirm the allegation, as do many social workers consulted on a regular basis on the topic. Stingley goes on to say that many of the people who are striving to disprove the accusation are men, including Rush Limbaugh who dismissed the accusation as “just a bunch of feminist bilge,” and went on to make the ridiculous comment that men who dress in suits never beat their wives.
While my original question remains unanswered, a new question began to take its place while reading these things. Even if it’s true that more domestic violence occurs on Super Bowl Sunday, whose fault is it? Can football be blamed if a man beats his wife when the Steelers win instead of the Cardinals?

I equate this to the religious persecution of a few centuries ago. People regularly slam Christianity for events like the Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades, but Christianity itself doesn’t really encourage people to harm one another. In contrast, most of the messages are of love and tolerance like the “Golden Rule” of loving your neighbor as yourself.

So it brings me back to the aforementioned question: Is football to blame? Do the head coaches of each team stand up before the game and announce to the cameras, “Now remember gentlemen, this is a big game. If your team loses, it is perfectly all right to take out your frustrations on the wife and kids tonight!” Of course not!

If someone chooses to take their disappointment over a major football game out on their spouse, child, or dog, that is not the fault of the sport. Sports are an important part of our society, and not just as entertainment. They give us something to relate to one another about. If we’re meeting someone new, we can make small talk about the Packers and the Bears. It gives us something to care about, look forward to, get worked up over, and bond with our friends over. Yet, if our team loses, it has no dire effects on our every day lives. If someone does not possess the ability to separate their emotions and deal with their disappointment in an appropriate and non-violent way, it’s their fault and their weakness.

Diffusing the blame to the sport is only letting the guilty party off: The abusers themselves. If a sporting event sets them off, then they will get set off by other disappointments such as bills, restaurants or their job. Are we going to start blaming the electric companies for domestic violence? The cable companies? The Olive Garden? CEO’s? No! Assign the blame to where it is due-to the offender. Anything less is dishonest and is making an excuse for an individual’s violent, inappropriate behavior.