A Rant on Crowd Misbehavior

[Stucki]

Tonight’s game against the Wizards was disappointing on several levels. First, and most important, the game was our first MLS loss on turf. This loss cost us another point in the standings as Colorado drew at San Jose. Second, a beautiful strike by Kreis to hit the century mark was wasted in a loss. Third, the behavior of some RSL fans tonight was completely unacceptable.

Some anti-social behaviors are allowed and sometimes encouraged at sporting events. Supporters will heckle opposing players any time they come near to the stands, especially during corner kicks and throw ins. Some abusive language is tolerable, especially when it coincides with play on the field. Sometimes fans get lucky and the opposing players will even interact with their hecklers.

However, the behavior of the fans must remain in the stands. Tonight there were many objects thrown onto the pitch in anger. Streamers flowing onto the pitch after goals are an attractive sight, but that comes with a break in the action which allows stadium crews to remove most of them from the pitch before play resumes. When streamers are thrown during play because of disagreement with referee’s decisions, it can provide an obstacle to the game. Streamers on the field, however, were not the biggest problem tonight.

Several wax cups full of ice, water bottles, game programs, miniature soccer balls, and one Jack Daniels bottle were thrown onto the pitch during the game. Other “fans” were throwing ice cubes into a crowd of KC players. This type of fan behavior is in no way acceptable. Salt Lake is getting a reputation for having passionate, knowledgeable fans. After tonight, we may get a reputation as hooligans. Fan behavior tonight will undoubtedly result in more stringent security measures for the stadium. Flags and bags will surely be checked more closely. Streamers will probably now be banned from the stadium. More security will probably be patrolling those areas of the stadium where most of the debris was flying from.

Supporters show your passion in any of the many acceptable, yet unruly forms of behavior that are accepted as part of the beautiful game. We should be glad that this game was not televised, or the rest of the country would be able to see our boorish behavior.

[edaw33]

AMEN! To the idiots throwing stuff on the field . . . I AM WATCHING! You will get a nice slap in the face for your behavior, and for making us all look like "hooligans"

[Section 37]

That game was so over the top emotional.

Two things worry me. One is obviously that fans translate their frustration into physical attacks on the players and officials. That's bush league.

The other is how upset we all were at the officiating. I hope we don't develop a martyr mentality. However bad it was, I don't think better officiating would have changed the outcome at the game. We still would have lost.

No one is picking on us, but we (me) are taking the poor officiating very personally.

I know I need to watch out for that.

[Jose Luis Luviano]

Originally Posted by edaw33

AMEN! To the idiots throwing stuff on the field . . . I AM WATCHING! You will get a nice slap in the face for your behavior, and for making us all look like "hooligans"

Slap in the face?

Jail for throwing with an intent to injure and prison for felony assault if you hit anyone. That would be more effective.

[Aero]

I know that this is a little late, but I agree that throwing stuff on the field has to stop. I hope that they start taking this a little more seriously and throwing people out and cancelling their season tickets if they have them. This is just poor behavior and something I would imagine a 4 year-old throwing a temper tantrum might do, not anybody over the age of 8.

If you think you are supporting the team by doing this, you couldn't be more wrong. I will also gladly point out anyone I see doing this no matter who they are.

I'm really thankful now that the game actually wasn't televised. That's all the rest of the world needs to see is how poorly we behaved.

[mr.malo]

Yeah, it was an ugly display. Come on use common sense! By acting that way we're teaching our kids that when you disagree with a call it's ok to use violence. Gimmie a break. We need to set an example of how true fans act to our kids. We're not thugs so let's not act like them.

A Big thank you to the fans that acted like "REAL" fans

[RSL_Fan]

I saw one person sitting up behind the RCB section (i'm not putting blame on the RCB'ers, he was just sitting up a little higher) who threw a soda bottle that still had soda in it out on the field, and then he hid so as not to be noticed. I wish I had paid more attention to who it was...don't think I would recognize his face.

I agree with you guys, throwing things on the field is BAD. I hope it doesn't happen any more.

[Sctn37:20]

I also have a hard time shoring up my emotion during a game. It was hard to keep anything in my hands at my side. I wanted to throw myself out on the field. Thankfully I didn't. I remember a Jazz game where fans threw stuff on the court and a ref was hit in the balls. It was all over Sports Center. It was embarassing for Utah.

I don't care who the person is, but I promise that I will turn anyone in if I see them throwing stuff. Call me anyting you want, but the last thing we need are idiots throwing crap on the field.

[rabble-rabble]

As I stated elsewhere, at the very LEAST anyone caught attempting to throw debris onto the pitch should be firmly reprimanded by those around him and told to immediately desist. Make them feel very uncomfortable about their actions. If they continue, have security haul them out of there. (And I certainly don't find any reason not to call security as soon as you see it occur either.)

I want Salt Lake to recognized as a place with passionate knowledgable supportive fans, but NOT at the expense of having a reputation for poor sportsmanship and dangerous behavior.

You know some nights you get the calls (like the winning penalty kick awarded against Chivas which was roundly critized as a horrible call by neutral fans on Big Soccer) and sometimes you don't. Referees are human so get over it already.

Besides, KC played a classly relatively clean game and didn't deserve the treatement they received at the end.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Section 37

However bad it was, I don't think better officiating would have changed the outcome at the game. We still would have lost.

Kreis would have had 101 (called back) and 102 (uncalled penalty) and we would have tied. Maybe.

--Geoff :dontgetit