That's fine...I'm just saying if that's how you feel, I wouldn't go to Penn State or Michigan if I were a Buckeyes fan. Or don't go to New York, Washington, or Philly if you're a Cowboys game. This snowball fight, compared to other things I've witnessed or seen, is nothing.Originally Posted by dougdirt
I agree that I have seen much worse. The fact is though its not acceptable nor should it be expected to happen because you root for the other team. Verbal harassment? Sure, expect that. Something that can physically harm you should never be acceptable. For the record, this wasn't a snowball fight. It was a snowball assault. The 49ers fans weren't throwing snowballs at all.
I've been one of two people in full Reds regalia sitting in the right field stands at Dodger stadium. What I got there was some harassment. "Junior sucks." "The Reds are pathetic." "Kyle Lohse looks like a woman." "Did you get lost? Cincinnati is that way."
I've been at Bengals games sitting behind two Ravens fans and I gave them 'some harassment' saying things about Ray Lewis being a thug or that the only good thing Baltimore ever had moved to Indianapolis.
Those things were some harassment.
What those people got was not harassment, it was assaulted.
Championships for MY teams in my lifetime:
Cincinnati Reds - 75, 76, 90
Chicago Blackhawks - 10, 13, 15
University of Kentucky - 78, 96, 98, 12
Chicago Bulls - 91, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98
“Everything that happens before Death is what counts.”
― Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes
I don't care who you are, what team you root for or what sporting event you go to - under no circumstances should anyone expect to be drilled by over 20 people at a time, consecutively, by snowballs. That's outright assault and since security allowed it to happen, as much as I despise frivolous lawsuits, in this case it would absolutely be justified.
There is no equating this with "harassment."
I usually am pretty easy-going and will laugh at a good joke, or some light-hearted taunting. But that display was disgusting. Those people deserve to spend a night in jail. It's criminal.
"No matter how good you are, you're going to lose one-third of your games. No matter how bad you are you're going to win one-third of your games. It's the other third that makes the difference." ~Tommy Lasorda
What are the damages in the lawsuit? Does that mean the bullied kid can sue the neighborhood kids when he is a victim of a snowball attack?
If I was summoned for jury duty because someone was suing over getting hit by snowballs with no injury, I'd hit him with snowballs myself for wasting my time.
Is it acceptable behavior? No. The Eagles organization should have escorted the Niners fans away and into the nearest club level seats to finish watching the game. But a lawsuit? Frivolous litigation.
Baseball games aren't nearly as rowdy as football games, during the game or during tailgating (Note, I've never been to a Red Sox/Yankees game).
But as for football games...I've witnessed Penn State fans jump Michigan fans at Beaver Stadium. I've witnessed fights between Giants and Redskins fans...during the game.
I'm not saying what the Eagles fans did to the 49ers fans was right. I'm just saying this is nothing new, and frankly, not even that bad compared to the more severe things that opposing fans have had done to them during a game or at a tailgate. The Niner fans shouldn't have had this done to them, but they also should have known that there was a good chance of something like this happening when they're going into a hostile area like that, just it being the two of them.
All I got to say is, the NFC East has one of the most fierce division rivalries in all of sports, and getting snowballs thrown at them isn't one of the worst things that could have happened to them. Like it or hate it, it's the way the sports environment is in certain places of the country.
Does that make it right though? I remember being a mix of embarrassed and horrified at the things a Bengals fan said to a Cleveland fan and his young son during a game at PBS years ago. The Bengals fan was flat out threatening the guy with physical harm the entire game. His son was no more than 10 or 11 years old. The way I look at it, that guy paid good money for his seats too. Call the guy an idiot for being a Browns fan, but violent threats? Really? This was in the pre jerk hotline days and the exact reason why there's a jerk hotline today. It's also a big reason why I shy away from spending my hard earned money on tickets even though I'm a fan of the home team.
I guess I just don't understand the argument that because it happens it's okay. Like Joseph said, there's an acceptable amount of heckling and even harassment you should expect as an opposing fan. But when it comes to being pelted repeatedly with snow balls (which, given how icy they are, could do some serious damage) or flat out assaulted, or being repeatedly threatened with bodily harm, doesn't that cross a line?
How do we know he's not Mel Torme?
I never said just because it happens, it's okay. Simply, it's been this way a while now and this behavior is nothing new. I'm not supporting the behavior, simply acknowledging that harassment or "assault via snowball" is something that opposing fans should expect when they go to a game. Again, I don't agree with it, but that's just reality for you.
Now, if you want to start some coalition against the unnecessary treatment of opposing fans at sporting events, by than all means. Just know it'd be a up-hill fight.
I'll keep you posted on the coalition. I guess belittling civility never gets old...especially in Philly.
How do we know he's not Mel Torme?
All I could think of watching that is shelling out several hundred dollars for tickets, taking my sons to a game where the Bengals are the away team, and getting pelted like that for the mere fact we are rooting for the visiting team? How would I explain that to my sons? "Well, gee, boys, this is just the way human beings treat each other. Learn to live with it." I guess I could give them a lesson in human depravity?
"Rounding 3rd and heading for home, good night everybody"
It felt so good that all the rows of Eagle's fans behind them cleared out. That was a ridiculous display. And a person should expect that sort of behavior in public at a sporting event?
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?
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.
Wear gaudy colors, or avoid display. Lay a million eggs or give birth to one. The fittest shall survive, yet the unfit may live. Be like your ancestors or be different. We must repeat!
I expect verbal abuse. Drunken taunting. Some middle fingers. Maybe a drink or two spilled on someone. But engaging in an all-out barrage of snowballs being thrown at them? Are you serious with this?
This was not some drunken taunting gone a little rowdy. You can be seriously injured from one or two snowballs if there is any ice packed into it, but more than 20 people launching a steady stream of them for over a minute? It's nothing short of assault.
I don't see how you can minimize this. We're not talking about typical fan behavior. This was the equivalent of a criminal action by not one or two fans, but a couple dozen at once.
And yes, Eric, in this case, security let this happen and did not do anything to remove the violators of these snowball attacks. In my mind, that's grounds for a lawsuit. They have a duty to protect fans to the extent possible. When you allow other fans to launch snowballs at someone, you're just as guilty.
"No matter how good you are, you're going to lose one-third of your games. No matter how bad you are you're going to win one-third of your games. It's the other third that makes the difference." ~Tommy Lasorda
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."
"Rounding 3rd and heading for home, good night everybody"
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