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Welcome to Snyder’s Soapbox! Here I pontify every week about matters related to Major League Baseball. Some of the subjects will insist on things, some may seem insignificant in the large schedule of things, and most will be somewhere in between. The good thing about this website is that it is free and that you can click away. However, if you stay, you get smarter. That is a money-back guarantee. Let’s go there.
It is only April 15, which means that there is still a long time in the marathon that is the Major League Baseball season 2025. Yet there are more than two weeks in the books and we have seen a lot of pretty complete crowds so far. Attending a game personally beats it to look at a screen – the weather is the only thing that the needle can move for me in the direction of a screen – but in the truzen in the stands always means that we take a bit of a risk: running against the bad fan.
The good fans definitely close the bad, to be clear, but there are a lot of bad fans. Some are so bad that they can ruin the whole experience for people who meet them and that is a real shame. I have already created the biggest Rule of thumb in an attempt to catch a error ball or home run and that was “not a jerk.” That applies everywhere when it comes to a fan.
As long as everyone follows rule no. 1 (you can call it the Jerk rule, if you want), I would like to dive into more specific fang behavior, especially if there are fans of both teams in the same environment of each other.
Let’s go through the good and the bad.
Good: playful Booing
I am completely on board with benign ridges in the fan, as long as it is done between two parties interested in such a meeting.
This does not even have to take place at a game. As an example, a friend of mine is a Tigers fan who lives in Los Angeles and the Dodgers opened the season with the Tigers in Dodger Stadium. This friend walked with his dog and wore a Riley Greene sweater and said he passed a Dodgers fan who kept him playfully. He in turn shot the bird back immediately and both got a nice chuckle. This is good and healthy and fun. It is the benign “hey, you fuck!” To a friend during a poker game.
Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly difficult to deduct them personally with strangers, because so many people have chosen their confrontation meter at all times until 11 instead of trying to stay relaxed and smile.
Yet this is the goal if you have fans who root in the same game for two different teams that share a stadium with each other. The playful rib must always win the day.
Bad: the Turn-Around Taunt
There may be some exceptions to this rule, but we have all seen these people. They appear at an opposite location that wears equipment from their favorite team- not even close to a violation! – And every time their favorite team does something positive, they get up, turn around and taunt all opposing fans around them. There is usually pointing and especially grabbing the team name on the sweater to show everyone, as if we didn’t know which team you rooted for. The distinctive researcher here between this and the benign rib is that this fan makes it all over himself and leaks to the realm of confrontation. It’s not enough to just root for your favorite team, you have to make everyone around you miserable in the process.
A bigger problem is that this opens the door for others, much worse behavior. There are layers here. The Turn-Around Taunt often happens in the course of a game, can activate someone from different rows behind him to escalate the matter. Sometimes it goes so far that it throws something. Yes, the big problem there is the person who throws objects and we will deal with that in a second, but the turn-around Taunt is annoying. If the goal is: “Everyone looks at me and get angry!” That is absolutely not benign.
Good: sincerely patronizing
Have you ever been sitting next to an opposite fan who you have never met and have been exchanged before they start to flow about how good your team is? That is a path to a very nice viewing experience. Whether it is a team or a player or even a comment about the visiting city, it is always a good place to start.
For example, suppose you now end up next to a Padres fan while rooting for the other team.
“Man, your team has been great so far. Fernando Tatis Jr. looks like an MVP and it was nice to see them here in the beginning. Oh, and San Diego is a great city.”
There is something to be said as a nice person and putting the tone of kindness with a person you sit next to for more than three hours. I am also a fan of giving back, such as: “Yes, but your team looks pretty tough in itself.” You can even follow it with some benign ridges.
For example, take the above quote and tack, “but losing is about to start tonight!” Make sure you accompany it with a smile or even a small smile.
Lukewarm: the subtle, down -bending Jab
I am an Indiana grader and went to the IU in the Ohio State Football match last November, when IU was undefeated and Ohio State would eventually win the national championship. Although in line to get into the horseshoe for the game – I clearly wore Indiana’s equipment, but caused no problems at all – a fan of Ohio State tapped me on the shoulder and said: “That is a nice small season that you have put together.”
Hmmmm.
Yes, he said nice words. I think. But the condescendingness dripped straight through that ‘small’.
The message? We are a lot of time and your little boys have no business fish in this pond.
But there was also no reason for me to do something other than smiling and thanking and that it has been a nice ride. It is possible that I have misunderstood his intention (I doubt it, but it is possible), plus, there is no reason to go to enemy area with a chip on your shoulder. Because …
Bad: Confricting attitudes
This is the root of all problems in Ballparks. So many fans are already angry as soon as they see an opposite sweater and are ready to scream obscenities and personal insults. As long as this person did not specifically start problems with you, why so angry? Why so bad? Why so confronting? People have the right to appear and root for their favorite team. Sit down, man.
Don’t be the person who is ready to fight against someone you perceive to do your sensitivities during a sporting event too wrong.
And yes, if a person violates one of the above rules – remember that we are not confronting – the correct answer is to just ignore. Does not come well from legitimate confrontations at sporting events. Ever.
The worst of the worst: physical violence
Do not throw things. Ever.
Don’t push someone. Don’t grab. Absolutely not striking.
A bigger problem here is that these emergency not only involve the people in the fight, whether it is one-on-one or a group brawl. It ruined the night for everyone who witnesses it, let alone that someone is actively scared.
Attending a sporting event should be fun. Everyone who resorts to any kind of physical violence is a total loser and must get a life. Point.
Don’t be a jerk. Be a good fan.
Best: Good fans
We have to end up on a positive note. Again, most fans go to games and enjoy themselves as they cheer for their favorite team. They are just there to have fun and to create good memories.
This is for you, good sports fans. You make the sports world a fun and productive place. We would not have a sport without you.