It may seem like an innocent exercise, but we are exposed to a hidden danger every time we go to a bar to watch a game of sport with friends.

I could launch into a rant about the dangers or drinking, passive smoking, bar food or the like, but I choose not to. Why not you ask? Because these issues pose no threat when compared to the evil precedent set when people pretend that they care about the sport being shown when they really do not.

I will start with a few observations of automotive mechanics. That's right, you are still reading the same article that you were a few lines ago. To truly understand this hidden danger you must first be aware of motor mechanics. This is a necessary trade that allows our cars to run properly. But from the perspective of one who 1) knows nothing about cars, and 2) seems to have been ripped off a few times by the mechanics I've been to, I'm willing to identify a few of the stereotypes.

Certainly there are many mechanics out there who are not only very skilled, but also ethical, fair, and reasonably priced. This article however does not deal with them (if you are a fair mechanic you have no need to feel offended by what follows). As with every profession, there are a number of mechanics who earn their trade a bad name. These dodgy operators may overcharge, they may never fix the problem with your car, they keep fixing different parts at massive cost, or they may "create" more problems for your car.

I am somewhat bitter towards this trade. I will share with you one of the many examples of why I feel this way. It began with the simple need for a replacement starter motor. When I picked up my car I discovered that ...by unfortunate coincidence... my radiator just happened to crack in half that very same day, and cost a few thousand dollars to fix! Similar tales of woe are common, especially for those who drive dated cars that seem to require fifteen different repairs each time you bring it near a mechanic.

So why am I talking about mechanics? My point is that you have to accept what mechanics tell you, because if you knew anything about your car in the first place you would know that you really only need to replace a fuse rather than give the engine a complete overhaul. We face these charlatans and they can easily lie to our faces since we have no idea if the ...new slip spanner insert valued at $500... really needs to be installed in the steering wheel or not.

So back to the pub, this is where the hidden danger lurks when we watch sport...

It's the Super 12 final, and the Crusaders are facing the Waratahs in a classic showdown. Many people are naturally engrossed by the match, but others aren't. Now there is nothing inherently evil about not caring about the game and not watching it. My proposition is that it is truly evil not to care about the match, but then pretend to care and get all excited when Mat Rogers bursts through for a try.

We've all seen such people. They could be anyone, guys who don't like sports, girls who are trying to impress the guys who do like sports, people who are too drunk to even see the big screen; my point is that these groups will feign massive excitement about the match for no reason at all. I do care about the footy, but am dumbfounded when someone who appears bored to tears for the previous forty minutes celebrates more exuberantly than me when a penalty is kicked.

You may be wondering why I care. Surely people are entitled to watch sport however they want. What about free speech? Aren't my complaints seeking to inhibit this? I toss these protests aside because it is in the interests of us all that such phoney viewers be banned from watching sport on the big screen.

It is stereotypically Australian to get excited by watching our sporting teams challenge the world, but by accepting the actions of these pretend fans of Australian sport we are merely accepting and reinforcing this stereotype. Furthermore, we inherently build up a tolerance to dishonest actions that enables the stereotypically dishonest motor mechanic to rip us off.

And that is why watching the footy at the pub can be such a costly exercise. Next time you see people at the pub giving high fives after a Wallaby win even though they've done nothing but send text messages all game, tell them about the danger that they are exposing everyone to.