Evrett's take on the Oakland

[Crapshoot]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/sox/cst-spt-doug15.html

For what its worth, I agree completely- too many fans think acting like drunken louts is acceptable behavior, and abuse players non stop- on a personal level, I find it fairly disgusting. At some point, the fan has to learn his/her ticket is not a right to be an asshole.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by Aadik

http://www.suntimes.com/output/sox/cst-spt-doug15.html

For what its worth, I agree completely- too many fans think acting like drunken louts is acceptable behavior, and abuse players non stop- on a personal level, I find it fairly disgusting. At some point, the fan has to learn his/her ticket is not a right to be an asshole.

I agree about insults relating to the players family and personal life, but there's nothing wrong with heckling a ballplayer about what he does or does not do on the field.

[condors]

you need to make over 10 million dollars a year before you have a right be an asshole, although they seem to make exceptions for quite a few baseball players

[Cards4ever]

Texas owner Tom Hicks apologized Tuesday "for the conduct of some members of our club last night in Oakland."
"Their behavior, especially the injury to a fan, was unacceptable. Even in a difficult or abusive environment, players should never be provoked into such actions," Hicks said in a statement.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1881941

[miked]

I agree with Carl that this is a problem that officials turn a blind eye to. Every Red Sox game I attend, there are at least 5 fights in the stands involving druken idiots. It usually doesn't work its way on to the field, except the incident last year with the idiot groundskeeper sticking towels in people's faces. Basically, it's gotten to the point where I really don't want to go to games anymore because I have to deal with wayyyyy too many druken fools. I like to have a beer or two (that's all I can afford anyway at nearly $6 a pop) but is there really a need to get so drunk you are a disturbance to everyone? Apparently the teams think it's ok because it makes them money, which makes MLB happy. It sucks, but it'll be hard to tell people not to drink as much.

[panerd]

Well I enjoy having a few beers and don't act like a fool. I think it should be the vendors responsibility to not sell beer to drunken fools and not take away beer sales from people who are responsible. (Having someone else driving and cause nobody around them any problems) So as far as restrcting beer sales goes, it is just another step that doesn't hurt the drunks at all but punishes those who can handle it.

I would guess a large percentage of the drunks are the guys who stumble out of the stall in front of me and leave their empty flask on the toilet lid.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by panerd

Well I enjoy having a few beers and don't act like a fool. I think it should be the vendors responsibility to not sell beer to drunken fools and not take away beer sales from people who are responsible. (Having someone else driving and cause nobody around them any problems) So as far as restrcting beer sales goes, it is just another step that doesn't hurt the drunks at all but punishes those who can handle it.

I would guess a large percentage of the drunks are the guys who stumble out of the stall in front of me and leave their empty flask on the toilet lid.

Fair enough- I do think vendors need to be instructed to be more cautious on who they sell stuff to. I think security needs to deal with drunken louts early, rather than letting them go until a particularly gregarious incident.

[Cards4ever]

I don't know how you are going to be able to do that, it's hard for the vendor to tell who's out of control, especially if they are just coming down the aisle, and even then the drunks buddy will just buy it for them.

The only answer to that is cut off beer sales even sooner, I don't see teams doing it, though it certainly doesn't bother me, I rarely have a beer at a game, and if I do it's one and it's early in the game.

[KevinNU7]

Originally Posted by miked

I agree with Carl that this is a problem that officials turn a blind eye to. Every Red Sox game I attend, there are at least 5 fights in the stands involving druken idiots. It usually doesn't work its way on to the field, except the incident last year with the idiot groundskeeper sticking towels in people's faces. Basically, it's gotten to the point where I really don't want to go to games anymore because I have to deal with wayyyyy too many druken fools. I like to have a beer or two (that's all I can afford anyway at nearly $6 a pop) but is there really a need to get so drunk you are a disturbance to everyone? Apparently the teams think it's ok because it makes them money, which makes MLB happy. It sucks, but it'll be hard to tell people not to drink as much.

There's an easy solution. Don't sit in the bleachers

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by KevinNU7

There's an easy solution. Don't sit in the bleachers

No - its perfectly reasonable of me to expect that I can go to a baseball game without having to endure a screaming abusive jackass. I live in Boston- I can't afford anything else without selling body parts.

[Huckleberry]

I agree with Everett, but I don't have enough information on this one. Clearly the fact that multiple Rangers reacted hotly indicates the fan was over the line. But I've sat in the left field bleachers and watched Rickey Henderson turn around to a 16 year old kid and tell him "fuck you, you little bitch" because the kid mocked him for not hitting the cutoff man, which allowed the hitter to move up to second base and score on a single. Of course, that's because I was the kid, but it's not like I cussed at him.

He probably was rightfully pissed, though, after I spent the next couple of innings mocking him for letting a 16 year old get in his head.

So some players deserve the shit.

[miked]

I don't sit in the bleachers. Fights at Fenway are all over, and Everett is correct in that they are moving fans closer. Heck, in Fenway they've got both roof decks open now and at the foul pole, you can practically walk on to the field.

Putting the onus on the vendors is very difficult...what's the cutoff? Besides, why would the stadium want to restrict alcohol sales, at $6 a pop for a beer, they want as many drunken louts as they can have. In Fenway, there aren't any beer vendors in the aisle anyway, but people still flock to the inside to get their 2 beer limit per sale.

[Raven Hawk]

There's nothing wrong with a good heckling, but when brawls break out and F-bombs get dropped all over the place, how can any professional sport think that I'm going to bring children to the ballpark? Seems like it hurts the future of the sport in the long run, even for the quick buck that it makes them right now.

[CraigSca]

Slight tangent here...

I went to my first game at Fenway back in June when the Twins were in town. I was amazed to find there are NO beer vendors in the stands. Also, if you go run to get a beer during play you are not allowed back into the seating area of the stadium until the half inning is over.

Quite a difference from Camden Yards where you hear, "Beer HERE!" every five minutes. I get a little wistful just thinking about it.