Scapegoating Farve: A Psychological Lesson in Self-Awareness

As a psychologist, football fan, and individual who is interested in the cultural ethos of our time, it saddens me that the American public, both supported by and supportive of mainstream media outlets, could so easily turn an ordinary man, whom they once deemed a hero, into a scapegoat—a dynamic which reflects the pervasive lack of self-awareness and accountability within our culture. Scapegoating is always the result of lack of accountability on the part of the individuals pointing the fingers.

As I see it, the Farve situation is not so complicated. Brett Farve, and any human being on this planet, has the right to change his mind. Period. The people around him, namely the Green Bay Packers, have the option of saying yes or no to his playing: They can choose to release him or bench him or start him. Period. Of course, there are procedures to follow, but in essence it is all really this simple. The seemingly complicated nature of the negotiations and public relations nightmare emerges when the parties do not take responsibility for their choices, and when the public refuses to take ownership of their responses.

I am not so naïve that I don’t understand the extreme competition that serves as a backdrop for decisions being made. Still, they are decisions that will in fact be made and each party involved will need to live with, and hopefully own, the consequences of such. This includes Farve living with the consequences of deciding to retire, apparently prematurely, back in March. Whether pressured in some way or not, it was his decision and he made it. If he completes official procedures required for reinstatement—which he has the right to do, the Packers will have decisions to make, for which they will need to accept accountability. Pointing fingers at each other is a poor strategy for not owning choices made and their consequences. To get through this with dignity, both Farve and the Packers will need to take fuller responsibility for the choices they are making.

How sports fans and non-sports fans alike then believe that this has something to do with them personally reflects a culture-wide problem much bigger than a football franchise. Fans everywhere were deeply touched witnessing the power of the human spirit on December 22, 2003 when Farve threw for what was arguably the game of his life one day after the sudden death of his father. Not five years later, many of these fans seem eager to crucify this same spirit. How can we understand this? In much the same way that Farve and the Packers have been attempting to shirk accountability for decisions made and to be made, fans fail to acknowledge why this situation “triggers” them. It is easy to identify with and support a person in their vulnerability because in such a state they are not threatening to us. I believe that Farve’s potential decision to be reinstated is psychologically threatening for many individuals, and to the public at large. If we could have looked inward at why this might be so rather than scapegoating Farve for our own insecurities, not only would we have averted what is now an entangled mess, but we could have learned something valuable about ourselves. The good news is that the saga is ongoing and gives those of us with strong responses an opportunity to learn something. We need only to be willing to accept ownership for all of our reactions, rather than projecting them onto the same man we projected hero status not too long ago. Here is a hint to get you started: Notice any judgments you are making about Farve and/or the Packers, then apply those words to yourself and acknowledge any fears that exist related to such judgments. Let’s do our part to increase self-awareness and accountability within the game of football, and within our world.