It’s common for fans to get riled up during a sporting event that they’re passionate about, but there’s a big difference between booing when disappointed and channelling that frustration into physical violence. So when one woman’s partner started spewing harsh words at her, and even punched a wall, during a Super Bowl commercial, she knew that the relationship was not going to work out. Below, you’ll find the full story that she shared online, as well as the important conversation that followed about domestic violence.

After one man’s fervor for the Super Bowl escalated to physical violence, a post his girlfriend made detailing the experience went viral

Image credits: JessPected

Image credits: JessPected

The woman initially broke up with her boyfriend following the incident, however, she later shared that she was considering giving him a second chance

Image credits: JessPected

Image credits: JessPected

Now, many readers are having important conversations about domestic violence online

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The Super Bowl is a huge event in the United States. The entire NFL season culminates in this one exciting event where about one third of the nation, 113 million people to be exact, gathers around their TVs to see which team will take home the big trophy. Even for those who aren’t passionate sports fans, the day can still be enjoyed by viewers who get to eat all of the delicious game-day snacks and watch the half-time performance and Super Bowl-specific advertisements. Every year, companies try to go above and beyond to grab audiences’ attention with their Super Bowl commercials, as they know about a third of the country is watching, and one ad in particular caused quite the stir this year. 

The controversial ad in question, which is referenced in this post, was created by Tubi, a free TV and movie streaming app. Their 2023 Super Bowl commercial was essentially a prank, making it appear like the game had come back on TV but someone was using the remote to go to the Tubi app instead. While it confused and upset many viewers for the 15 seconds it was on their TVs, it’s just an ad. Most people laughed and enjoyed the commercial’s humor once they realized what had happened. Unfortunately for the woman who shared this story online, however, this commercial brought out a side of her partner that she had never seen before.

Some people might not consider punching a wall to be a big deal, but it can be an indication of much larger anger issues or potential patterns of domestic abuse

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The woman’s first impulse to get out of this situation was absolutely correct, as punching a wall is a frightening indication of domestic abuse. Yes, there is a difference between punching a wall and a person, but this kind of behavior tends to escalate, and it’s not worth it to stick around until you become the wall. According to Healthline, violent outbursts such as punching a wall should never be ignored because they can be a sign of underlying anger issues or a tactic of abuse. “While punching a hole in the wall might not seem like abuse (since it only hurts the person doing the punching), it can be a form of intimidation,” Crystal Raypole explains. 

“An abusive partner might destroy property to control you or make you feel afraid. Their aggressive acts are essentially saying, ‘Don’t make me mad, because I might not be able to control myself,’ or ‘Do what I say or this could happen to you’,” Raypole goes on to note. “Wall punching can be a pretty big red flag even if they don’t show other signs of physical aggression. Maybe you truly believe they’d never hurt you, but abuse involves more than just violence. Living in fear of saying or doing the wrong thing can take a huge toll on emotional health, even if you never experience direct physical harm.”

And unfortunately, there is a link between reports of domestic violence increasing during and after sporting events. During the 2018 World Cup, the domestic abuse helpline of The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in the UK received an unsettling one third more contacts than their average month. Kimberly Truong wrote in a piece for Refinery29 that, “A 2013 study from Lancaster University found that domestic violence reports at a police department in the northwest of England rose by 38% after matches in which the English national soccer team played and lost (and a 26% increase even when the team won).” And an 11-year study in the United States found that domestic violence reports increased by 10% following NFL games in places where their local teams had lost.

And while sporting events cannot cause violence, abusers often use these emotional events to justify explosive behavior

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But let’s be clear about one thing: the Super Bowl and this controversial commercial did not suddenly make this man react in the way that he did. Rachel Goldsmith, LCSW-R, told Refinery29 that abusers may use the strong emotions that surface during a heated sporting event as an excuse to take out their emotions on a partner. “People who are abusive like to find ways to justify their abusive behavior,” Goldsmith explains. “When you have something like a high-stakes sporting event, you have emotions involved, you might have money involved for a bet, you have drinking involved — all of those things can give a built-in excuse as to why domestic violence occurs, but none of those things actually cause domestic violence.”

We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Would you have immediately broken up with your partner following this incident as well? I hope this is a reminder to stay safe and always follow your gut. Don’t let anyone ever justify making you feel unsafe. Let us know how you would have reacted in this situation, and then if you’re interested in reading a Bored Panda article discussing red flags to look out for in your partner, we recommend checking out this story next.   

Readers are calling out the normalization of aggressive behavior from men, noting that anger does not justify violence

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