Philly fans keep it super classy

[Oxilon]

The point is I SHOULD be able to take my sons to an NFL football game in another city, wearing my team's colors, without having to risk them spending a day in the equivalent of a jail holding cell. That I could not is obviously a problem. Enumerate all the debauchery at other events all you want, but it is a problem that should be addressed, not shrugged at as "well, boys will be boys."

When the same amount of time, if not more, is spent drinking/tailgating for the game rather than watching the game, violence/harassment/assault is going to be issue. You want to get rid of the animosity that opposing fans are shown when visiting a game, than you have to get rid of tailgating.

And I'm addressing the situation as "boys will be boys." I completely understand where you're coming from. Ideally, you should be able to bring your child to any sporting venue. But, times have changed and it's simply not that way any more, football games especially. The game has become second to tailgating. But like I said before, if you want to address this issue, by all means . Unfortunately, violence upon opposing fans has become something of the present and I don't see much change.

[wolfboy]

There's the rub. No damages = no lawsuit. No lawyer would even take the case unless he or she could show that his clients suffered damages. No damages = no get paid. Well, unless the lawyer is one who likes getting their name in the paper.

Since this situation involved the potential for actual physical injury (versus, say, mere verbal abuse), I don't see damages being a huge obstacle. One snowball to the eye, or a nice icy snowball to the face and this seems like a slam dunk case to me. Add to it the fact that you have a video record of what happened and it becomes even more of a no brainer.

[Razor Shines]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMrhiBwF4MU

Apparently this guy wasn't working security at The Linc.

[dougdirt]

Honestly, I wouldn't bring any young child to a major college football game or NFL game. Should it be that way? Of course not, but that's the reality. A violent, aggressive sport mixed with 80K intoxicated fans is a recipe for disaster.

Honestly, again I'm not condoning what the Eagles fans did. But what do you expect? A civilized experience between fans? Of all things, it was snowballs too. I don't know where you have lived or experienced sporting events, but assuming you've been limited to the Midwest, it's on the bottom of the list as far as violent acts towards opposing fans. Been to a SEC rivalry game? Big 12? Big 10? NFC East? If a snowball fight was the worst thing that happened at some of these games, it would be considered a relatively good (safe) game. And all of these pail in comparison to soccer games in Europe (England, specifically) -- you want to talk about assaults during a game?

You aren't exactly condoning it, but you are saying its not a big deal. Let me ask you this.... what if those two guys who were being pelted by the snowballs just went off and brutally beat several of the fans that they could get ahold of who were throwing snowballs at them, would it have been justified by the law?

I am pretty curious as to the law on this. I would see it as protecting ones self from being assaulted. Would the law see it that way as well? Lawyers, got an opinion on it?

No one is saying its the worst thing that has happened. We are just saying that its assault and should never be allowed to happen at a football game without punishment. If someone punched him in the back of the head at the game, even if it didn't actually hurt him, that person would still be arrested if the guy wanted to press charges because it was on camera, yes?

[Oxilon]

You aren't exactly condoning it, but you are saying its not a big deal. Let me ask you this.... what if those two guys who were being pelted by the snowballs just went off and brutally beat several of the fans that they could get ahold of who were throwing snowballs at them, would it have been justified by the law?

I am pretty curious as to the law on this. I would see it as protecting ones self from being assaulted. Would the law see it that way as well? Lawyers, got an opinion on it?

No one is saying its the worst thing that has happened. We are just saying that its assault and should never be allowed to happen at a football game without punishment. If someone punched him in the back of the head at the game, even if it didn't actually hurt him, that person would still be arrested if the guy wanted to press charges because it was on camera, yes?

I'm not saying it's not a big deal. I'm saying this stuff isn't unheard of, and unfortunately, has become a sad part of sporting events now. Is it right? No. But like I said, this kind of stuff has become commonplace.

And if the two 49er fans attacked some of the Eagles fans...good for them. Than it would just be another fight at a football stadium, which we all know isn't unheard.

And yes, harassments and assaults shouldn't be part of the game. Ideally, they wouldn't ever happen, and if they did, prosecution would be to the fullest extent. But as sad as it is to hear, that's being naive, and that's the world we live in now. Fights, verbal abuse, harassment have become all to common at sporting venues. You'd like to see it stopped? So would I? I just don't see it stopping anytime soon.

[Roy Tucker]

Cut off alcohol sales at stadiums and you'd eliminate 90% of the bad behavior. But that won't happen.

I just don't go to NFL games any more. I'd like to, but even in a "friendly" stadium, its a whole lot of drunk and wild behavior. No way I'd wear opposing team colors to an "enemy" stadium. I like to have a good time, but not like that. I guess many other people do though.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Maybe I have just been lucky, but as an OSU fan I've been to road games at Michigan, USC, Purdue and Wisconsin and have never had any problems. Obviously I got a lot of verbal crap but have never been close to a fight or had someone near me throw stuff.

You do have to be careful as a road fan for sure. Whenever you encounter a fan that is clearly drunk and stupid you just have to ignore it or walk away.

In this case I just don't see how those fans could have avoided what happened since there were just so many fans involved. Who knows what they may have done (if anything) to instigate the situation, but security needed to get in there faster.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMrhiBwF4MU

Apparently this guy wasn't working security at The Linc.

Looks like a bunch of spoiled brat, punk kids that all need to spend some time in jail.

[Yachtzee]

Since this situation involved the potential for actual physical injury (versus, say, mere verbal abuse), I don't see damages being a huge obstacle. One snowball to the eye, or a nice icy snowball to the face and this seems like a slam dunk case to me. Add to it the fact that you have a video record of what happened and it becomes even more of a no brainer.

Admittedly, my area of expertise isn't personal injury, but I haven't heard about any cases where damages were awarded for a potential injury that could have occurred but didn't. The main purpose of tort law is to make the party suffering injuries whole again. If there aren't any actual damages, there isn't going to be much of an award because the party is pretty much in the same position they were before the incident occurred. To try and craft an award on potential damages is too speculative and so a court isn't likely to entertain such a case.

[camisadelgolf]

Looks like a bunch of spoiled brat, punk kids that all need to spend some time in jail.

Did you seriously just type that?

[Brutus]

Did you seriously just type that?

Why not?

How stupid can you get? Throwing snow balls at someone, and then when you find out they are a cop, you continue to mouth off and throw more at them? I'm sorry... I think he's precisely right. Those kids deserve a night in jail to think about how stupid they are.

I'm not saying throwing one or two snowballs is the worst thing in the world. Perhaps the cop overreacted a little bit. But at the same time, he was clearly upset, he told them to stop, they didn't stop, he showed them he meant business that he was a cop and they needed to stop, and they CONTINUED to throw snowballs. Are you really about to defend that?

[Tony Cloninger]

I agree the cop let it get to him but after that.....those kids....just like some criminals...know what they are doing and they kept mouthing off and trying to bate them. They want a response knowing full well...that most likely the worst that can happen is that they get arrested but could still find a way to file a police harassment or brutality claim against them.

Calling out "Pigs" over and over...really? That does not show some sort of ingrained sense of entitlement to verbally abuse someone beacuse it is just words after all?
I have known people like this in my late teens and early 20's....they love to start something and then when they get caught they will deny no matter what and continue to provoke things just beacuse they obviously have issues with any and all authority.

They were breaking the law by throwing those snowballs.....also they could be cited for unlawful assembly probably. Maybe even inciting a riot if you really want to get technical about it.

[Boston Red]

I can't believe anyone can justify this behavior in any shape or form. I hope all of the people throwing snowballs were caught on camera, arrested, got to spend a night or two in jail and pay a nice, hefty fine.

It's not okay, and it should not be expected or condoned in way, shape or form. There's no justification, excuse or "boys will be boys" aspect for battery. I've been plenty drunk at plenty of sporting events with plenty of heated rivals, and physical violence has never once come to mind. This is just idiotic.

[Boston Red]

By the way, if these guys weren't injured, I think they'd still have a claim for whatever they paid for their tickets as well as their travel expenses if they came from out of town since this display likely frustrated their whole purpose for coming to Philly and paying for the tickets.

[camisadelgolf]

Why not?

How stupid can you get? Throwing snow balls at someone, and then when you find out they are a cop, you continue to mouth off and throw more at them? I'm sorry... I think he's precisely right. Those kids deserve a night in jail to think about how stupid they are.

I'm not saying throwing one or two snowballs is the worst thing in the world. Perhaps the cop overreacted a little bit. But at the same time, he was clearly upset, he told them to stop, they didn't stop, he showed them he meant business that he was a cop and they needed to stop, and they CONTINUED to throw snowballs. Are you really about to defend that?

Yeah, a day in jail would probably fix that. The kids--not all of them but a great deal of them--clearly showed poor judgment. Where do you think they learned that? And is flashing a gun in a snowball fight really appropriate? You're pretty much asking for trouble at that point.