A recent Indoor Football League game between the Massachusetts Pirates and Arizona Rattlers descended into chaos when a handful of players from the visiting team went into the stands to confront Arizona’s best and brightest. Sorry, that’s not the correct word. What I meant to stay was desert trash. Just watch how this all plays out:
It was chaotic, although ultimately uneventful. Malice at the Palace, this was not. The Indoor Football League has since suspended all those players involved which is understandable. But it takes two to tango and when you look at the video, the players aren’t the only ones to blame.
As the Pirates player tries to make his way back down to the field, every other member of the Arizona desert trash society thinks it is open season. Seriously, the fans are the ones instigating this here.
The amount of finger-pointing by the fans in the stands here is also worth mentioning. There are others jawing players off to the side. In what world does that seem like a good idea? This all ends with the announcement of the players being ejected from the game.
The Arizona fans celebrate this as if they have somehow contributed to the team’s success. Only in Arizona, I suppose.
Here is what I don’t get about any of this. Arizona is literally about to win this game. They are up by nine with 32 seconds left. It’s a comfortable lead, even by arena football standards. Why are you taunting the opposition players by saying vile things?
And make no mistake, the only reason a player is jumping into the stands is because you said something truly despicable.
There is no upside here. There is no best-case scenario. There is no reason for fans to be doing this at all. Your team is going to win the game; scoreboard should be enough. Especially at this level when you are probably making as much, if not more, than the players who are there for the love of the game. These aren’t multimillionaire professional athletes we’re talking about.
If you must talk trash to the players, keep it light. Maybe dropping n-bombs flies at that Mesa Applebee’s you work at but it’s not appropriate behavior at a sporting event. Get a grip Arizona.
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