Girlfriend Tells Boyfriend to Stop Yelling at TV During Football Games

A football fan’s loud behavior while watching games on TV at home is reminding his girlfriend of negative childhood memories. 

The 23-year-old girlfriend explained on Reddit’s “Am I the A——?” forum that her 25-year-old boyfriend, whom she’s been dating for two years, yells at the television in their shared home during football season.

She revealed that his “screaming at the refs, cursing out the players, cheering loudly when someone makes a good pass” has been triggering. “The problem is I didn’t grow up in a household where yelling was considered safe,” she wrote. “My dad was abusive and whenever he raised his voice, it was almost always followed by something worse.”

She continued, “My boyfriend knows this, and even though I have no one doubt in my mind that he would NEVER lay a hand on me, the sound of him yelling — even when it’s at the TV and never me — makes me really anxious and uncomfortable.”

The girlfriend then asked him if he could “tone it down,” but it backfired. “He got upset when I said it felt aggressive and he told me that hurt his feelings,” she recalled. “He told me he’s just passionate about football because he grew up in a very sports-centered home.”

She noted that he said she “was overreacting,” assured her that he “would never hurt” her and has been “avoiding” her ever since she brought it up. “I feel guilty now,” she confessed. “I just don’t think it’s sustainable for me to try to leave every time he decides to watch football.”

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Wondering if she overreacted like he had said, the girlfriend asked Redditors, “Am I the a—— for asking him to stop yelling?”

Most people took her side in this specific scenario.

“I’m a football fanatic and if my gf asked me to stop yelling because it was sending her back into that dark place I’d stop, no questions asked,” one reader replied. “I legit cannot comprehend how this is hard to do.”

Another person commented, “If my partner had trauma around yelling I’d just stop yelling. It’s football, not oxygen. Dude can still enjoy the game without screaming at a TV.”