We had yet another incident of post-game violence in the Los Angeles Dodgers parking lot. That’s two years in a row and thankfully this one did not have results as severe as the last one. Unfortunately, incidents such as these happen too often at sporting events. What is it that makes rational people think it’s a good idea to beat someone up because of their rooting interest? What immediately comes to mind is alcohol. Alcohol can work on a fan the way gamma rays worked on Bruce Banner. “Me angry. Me drink beer. Me see man wearing uniform me don’t like. Me attack! (OK well not exactly but you get the idea).
Another thought is that some fans are overly protective of their teams because, well, they don’t have much else going on in their lives. This is sad but true. Their team becomes their Don Corleone and they will do whatever they can to make you respect “the family.”
Final speculation on why people beat on others due to team affiliation: some folks are just looking for a fight. You know they’re out there. You’ve met them on the playground, at the gym or in your local bar. But those venues weren’t enough. Now they want to take it to the big audiences. What better place than the stadium (well not Miami because nobody goes there)?
Ah but there is hope. Let me offer my suggestions for making sporting events safer for all fans:
1) Breathalyzers at all entrances and exits. With all the money being pumped into stadium upgrades and new stadiums, what’s a few thousand more to test BAC levels? Someone fails the test trying to get in, turn them back towards the parking lot. Over the limit on the way out? A nice officer will escort you to the pokey. Cut down the boozin’ and cut down the brusin’.
2) Expand your horizons. Your favorite team should not be your entire life. No matter how much you care about them, they don’t care nearly as much about you. Do you honestly think Metta World Peace is going to direct an elbow to the head of some guy that did you wrong? I seriously doubt it. So go out. Play some golf. Take a pottery class. Stalk celebrities on the internet (no, don’t do that). Just stop hitting people because they wore a Braves hat in Philadelphia.
3) Anger management training. Seriously, dudes and dudettes, if all you can think about is coming up with a reason to punch someone you have a problem. Get yourself into therapy immediately. At least there you get a pillow with a picture on it of some guy wearing a Cowboys jersey to hit instead of the real thing.
Attending sporting events should be fun and a way to forget about the real world for a while. None of us want to walk out and literally get a smack in the face back to reality.
-JB