Last night, with seven minutes left between the Lakers and the Sixers, Carmelo took exception with fans who were heckling him. They referred to him as a ‘boy’ amongst other things. “There’s just certain things you don’t say to anybody. If I was outside and I bumped into you and you said those things to me, then it would be a totally different story,” Anthony said. I am all for fandom, but you gotta have respect. These players are human.
Fans have been pretty shameful this year. A Knicks fan spit on Trae Young. A 76ers fan dumped popcorn on Russell Westbrook while he limped off the court with an injury. A Celtics fan threw a bottle at Kyrie Irving. A Yankee fan threw a baseball that struck Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo in the back. I mean throwing popcorn at an injured player? Sadly, having fans back post covid is somewhat scary. Come on, man!
Fans have always been rowdy, but it’s happening more and more and our response to it is changing. No one knows exactly why fans become belligerent – a few too many beers, frustrated with calls, or insane love of the team. Sport has so many social benefits, but it’s always been a boiling pot of competition, adrenaline, and alcohol. So, in many ways, it’s a perfect storm, but with social media and cell phones, I think athletes are going to continue to speak out and there will be greater punishments for the out-of-control fans. You can’t behave yourself, you’re out!
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