12/22/24
September 20, 2002
KC Coach attacked.: In a win at Chicago, Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa was attacked by two Sox "fans". I know this isn't the first time, and it unfortunately won't be the last time. More inside...
More details on this bizarre incident are available on CNN. This reminds me of the Dan Rather "What's the frequency, Kenneth?" assault, but you kind of expect a raving loony to attack without provocation on the streets of an urban area. A father and son charging out of the stands to attack a coach on the field is insane.
posted by rcade at 08:45 AM on September 20, 2002
bcb, the link to other incidents at MLB parks was pretty solid, but they forgot about one big one that just happened in May of 2000, when some moronic Cubs fans stole L.A. Dodgers catchers Chat Kreuter's cap. That resulted in Dodger players fighting with the fans. What happened last night is ridiculous though. And unfortunately, it's obvious that there's even only so much stadiums can do standing security guards on down the first and third baselines.
posted by rosey8810 at 10:16 AM on September 20, 2002
Chicago woke up to pictures of this indident on the front page of the Sun-Times. Unfortunately, in some places, this kind of thing is no longer front page news. Football (the one played with the feet) fans have long shown us that "passion" sometimes spills over into violence. No Violence is a group with a simple mission: Our goal is to educate soccer fans worldwide that soccer and violence do not go hand in hand! But really, groups like this have no power where it really matters-- in the stands. Which leads me to wonder (contra rcade) how insane this incident really was. Beer + south siders (making a Chicago assumption here) has always equaled some pretty goofy stuff. Most of the time, somone ends up running onto the field and giving the finger or dropping his trousers. But not all drunks are funny drunks, as the national television audience found out last Monday evening. Banning alcohol in stadiums would go a long way towards lessening violence in the stands and (gasp) on the field-- but does anyone really expect that to happen before hell freezes over?
posted by rabi at 10:26 AM on September 20, 2002
Banning alcohol in stadiums would go a long way towards lessening violence in the stands and (gasp) on the field-- but does anyone really expect that to happen before hell freezes over? Why not? If I remember correctly, the reason for the ban in alcohol at stadiums in the UK was an especially horrible fight in Glasgow during/after a Rangers/Celtic game in which seven people were killed with knives. I can't speak for the frequency of such events now, but I don't see much harm in taking away the alcohol at stadiums (oh wait, less revenue for the owners, nevermind). Of course, it's kind of thumbing your nose at the problem, as most people in the UK now get tossed before the game, then celebrate afterwards. We'll for sure see more of the "Family Fiendly" alcohol free seats at stadiums in the future, though.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:42 AM on September 20, 2002
The latest report from the Star makes it sound like these two idiots ran down from the right-field line and attacked the closest person in a Royals uniform, Gamboa. The adult is being charged with a felony because he also attacked a cop.
posted by rcade at 11:26 AM on September 20, 2002
Are you kidding? Alcohol will never be banned in stadiums in the United States because the corporate execs running these teams and stadiums see alcohol only as a means of profits. If you were in Daniel Snyder's shoes, would you halt the sale of $8.00 beers because of unruly fans?! Ufez is right, it will happen -- as soon as hell freezes over. It's such a sad situation.
posted by rosey8810 at 12:48 PM on September 20, 2002
The Chicago Tribune has a quote from one of these rocket scientists claiming that Gamboa flipped them off.
posted by rcade at 03:18 PM on September 20, 2002
Why not? If I remember correctly, the reason for the ban in alcohol at stadiums in the UK was an especially horrible fight in Glasgow during/after a Rangers/Celtic game in which seven people were killed with knives. Of course, this happens all the time in the US so we need such a ban. I've been to sports venues all over the world (including Old Comisky and New Comisky) and the only time I've been in an altercation was after a Roma-Lazio soccer game in Rome. In that fight, alcohol was not a factor, considering no alcohol was served during the game and the stadium is very far from any pubs. It was the moronic attitude of the instigators, not booze, that was the problem. Banning booze is not the solution. Violence at US sporting events are rare, often limited to a one-on-one altercations and rarely spill onto the flied. What happened last night was a freak occurrence. I see no need to completely ban booze. While you're at it why don't you ban hotdogs too?
posted by Bag Man at 05:04 PM on September 20, 2002
Ufez is right, it will happen -- as soon as hell freezes over. rosey, let's give the rabi his due, although I wonder what a rabi really knows about hell.
posted by jacknose at 06:48 PM on September 20, 2002
I don't think violence at sporting events is particularly rare. When I was a Dallas Cowboys season ticket holder, it was common to see fights break out in the stands, especially when the Philadelphia Eagles came to town. I've also seen fights in the parking lot. Booze is already restricted in some ways, such as closing down sales early for a late game (as they did in here Jacksonville during the preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys). In some instances, such as the times when numerous fans chuck batteries and other hard projectiles at the field, stadiums ought to consider shutting down alcohol sales for that game and the next game. It wouldn't take much for hooliganism to become popular at American sporting events, which will cost a lot more in declining attendance than lost beer sales.
posted by rcade at 11:17 PM on September 20, 2002
The game is on MLB Audio for Sept. 19. Begin listening at the 2:35 mark on either feed to hear the play-by-play on the assault.
posted by rcade at 11:36 PM on September 20, 2002
How this could possibly happen. Very funny.
posted by brove at 10:42 PM on September 23, 2002
A history of some other incidents at ballparks around the MLB landscape can be found here. Will MLB do anything to stop this type of incident from happening again? With Brittanie Cecil being killed at a hockey game in Columbus last year, the NHL has taken steps to try and keep that from occurring again. If MLB wanted to do anything, what could it do? Metal detectors don't scan people's intentions. A huge net around the ballpark? What can be done?