D'Backs Owner Tells Dodgers Fans To Remove Dodgers Gear Or Switch Seats

[OFFNY]

.

And speaking of Red Sox and Yankee fans pouring into OPACY, we didn't see any of that in September and October of last season, and I expect that trend to continue this season, as long as we are even moderately competitive.

[Migrant Redbird]

Then the solution isn't to make them change clothes, it's make them all sit in section 842.

Sorry, these seats were sold to the general public. Teams sell blocks of seats to specific groups all the time and there's nothing to prevent the Diamondbacks from doing that with these "conspicuous" seats, but they didn't do that. While I've not read the fine print on the back of my tickets recently, I assume there's language there allowing the team to eject fans for unruly behavior, including the display of provocative signs and the wearing of clothes with vulgar/obscene images/language. There's nothing about not wearing logos of opposing teams.

Soccer teams separate the fans of the respective fans because many soccer fans are a bunch of rowdies and it's a safety issue. Up to this point, most baseball fans have been more civilized toward the fans of opposing teams. I hope that doesn't change.

In high school football where we live, fans typically sit on the same side of the field as their team/cheerleaders, but there are no restrictions enforced (except for the sections reserved for band/pep club).

Here's the key...the owner OFFERED for them to change seats or accept Dbacks gear AND a free round of drinks, and they accepted, thank you very much. Had they declined and then spoke of freedom of speech, yadda yadda yadda, they might have an argument. But once they accepted the terms offered to them, I don't see how they have much to complain about??????

It's still a legitimate complaint from the Dodgers fans, whether the team bribed them to switch clothing or coerced them. We don't really know how insistent the Diamondbacks officials were.

There are much better ways for teams to handle issues like this than by browbeating visiting fans of the opposing team into not displaying their team affiliation. The teams have wide latitude to designate certain seating sections for specific purposes. For example, no amount of money would enable me to purchase a seat in the press box or broadcast booth.

[DrungoHazewood]

Soccer teams separate the fans of the respective fans because many soccer fans are a bunch of rowdies and it's a safety issue. Up to this point, most baseball fans have been more civilized toward the fans of opposing teams. I hope that doesn't change.

That might be (and I'm not sure) the background of why they do this, but the practice carries over to there's almost no probability of rowdy behavior. I've been to RFK many times where, for example, the 87 visiting fans of the Columbus Crew were the only people in the upper deck.

It just makes for a far more pleasant experience when the fans of the other team are somewhere else. It's so, so much better to have the New York Red Bull fans tucked away in the corner of the stadium under the upper deck overhang than it is to have idiot Yankee fans spread randomly through OPACY ruining the gameday experience.

I couldn't care less about someone's right to make my sports fan experience miserable in my own home park. Without reservation I will fully favor any team's attempts to marginalize the other team's fans by sticking them off by themselves in the nosebleed seats.

[SeaBird]

That might be (and I'm not sure) the background of why they do this, but the practice carries over to there's almost no probability of rowdy behavior. I've been to RFK many times where, for example, the 87 visiting fans of the Columbus Crew were the only people in the upper deck.

It just makes for a far more pleasant experience when the fans of the other team are somewhere else. It's so, so much better to have the New York Red Bull fans tucked away in the corner of the stadium under the upper deck overhang than it is to have idiot Yankee fans spread randomly through OPACY ruining the gameday experience.

I couldn't care less about someone's right to make my sports fan experience miserable in my own home park. Without reservation I will fully favor any team's attempts to marginalize the other team's fans by sticking them off by themselves in the nosebleed seats.

But Angelos feels the Red Sox fans are the best in baseball. If he can sell them the expensive seats at the Yard, he wouldn't want to ruin their fan experience by banning their Red Sox garb.

[Migrant Redbird]

... Without reservation I will fully favor any team's attempts to marginalize the other team's fans by sticking them off by themselves in the nosebleed seats.

You did have tongue firmly planted in cheek, didn't you? It's difficult for me to believe you'd have such a philistine attitude.

[DrungoHazewood]

You did have tongue firmly planted in cheek, didn't you? It's difficult for me to believe you'd have such a philistine attitude.

100% serious. I see nothing at all wrong with sending opposing fans to sit en masse in the worst seats in the house.

[Migrant Redbird]

100% serious. I see nothing at all wrong with sending opposing fans to sit en masse in the worst seats in the house.

That's a seriously uncivilized attitude, more suitable to a soccer fan rowdy than a baseball fan.

I've gone to as many Cardinals games on the road at home and I've always been treated very well by opposing team officials and fans. And I don't think I've ever been asked if I'm a fan of the home team when I've purchased tickets, although I've frequently volunteered the information that I'm a visiting team fan. It doesn't make any difference to the ticket sellers; their job is to sell as many tickets as possible, not to cater to home fan prejudices.

[DrungoHazewood]

That's a seriously uncivilized attitude, more suitable to a soccer fan rowdy than a baseball fan.

Feel free to label me as you wish.

I've gone to as many Cardinals games on the road at home and I've always been treated very well by opposing team officials and fans. And I don't think I've ever been asked if I'm a fan of the home team when I've purchased tickets, although I've frequently volunteered the information that I'm a visiting team fan. It doesn't make any difference to the ticket sellers; their job is to sell as many tickets as possible, not to cater to home fan prejudices.

That's your opinion, not mine. I've been to plenty of away games in various sports. And as often as not I was happy to have a visiting section to separate me from the crazies. I would certainly appreciate a visiting section in OPACY to keep me from having to sit next to the boorish and over-the-top Sox and Yanks fans who infest the place. I've never been more disgusted with a sporting event than OPACY on the night Manny hit his 500th. Oriole fans were regularly taunted into submission, even in the Camden Club and the box seats behind the plate and the dugouts. Heck, game 2 of the ALDS last year. My four-year-old and I had to sit about two seats over from a very loud, obnoxious Yankee fan. 20 rows behind home plate. By the 2nd inning there was nearly a confrontation with an O's fan in the row in front of us, where he bascially had to threaten violence to get the guy to tone down his aggressive Yankeeness. It's absurd, and anything that can be done to minimize it is more than welcome.

[Migrant Redbird]

... a very loud, obnoxious Yankee fan.

I've never run into one of those. I suppose it could be my genial nature (which is less acerbic in person than on line), but I suspect it's been more due to my good luck.

The only Yankees game I've ever attended was at OPACY, with my wife's church group. The pastor was a devout Yankees fan, but he behaved pretty well.

My older daughter has gotten very serious with a Yankees fan. I've teased him (gently) and he's always taken it with good grace. I suppose he's not typical of the Yankees fans you've encountered, but they have managed to avoid me.

... It's absurd, and anything that can be done to minimize it is more than welcome.

I believe there are lots of better remedies than exiling visiting fans to the worst seats in the stadium. Your cure is worse than the disease.