Fans Against Violence – A Mother’s Story

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Maureen Mohr

I am a fan against violence and a mother against violence. On December 11, 2011, my son James Mohr was assaulted in the parking lot of MetLife Stadium after a NY Jets-Kansas City Chiefs game. James had been involved in a verbal exchange with a Kansas City fan who had made some comments about 9/11. He thought that he would enlighten her regarding the inappropriateness of her statements. When that discussion was ended, someone came from behind him and dealt him a beating that resulted in severe but thankfully not life-threatening injuries. Our family continues to be affected by this incident.

Maureen & James Mohr

Of course, our lives came to a standstill as we spent days and nights at the hospital before and after the surgery done to repair James’ face, which had been broken in three places. More frightening was that he had some bleeding on the brain and had suffered a major concussion. James was 23 at the time, and healthy and strong. At first I obsessed about the brain and then started worrying that he would lose his dimples when his face was reconstructed. The plastic surgeon did a magnificent job and he still has those dimples. His eyes, however, are not in sync with one another and he still is being treated for that problem. The effects of the concussion are less apparent – mood swings, headaches, and all the things that sons don’t share with their mothers.

I have never been able to stand violent behavior. I can’t watch violence in movies, can’t even watch a boxing match. I don’t understand why anyone gets pleasure from hitting someone else. When I read about people being beaten, it used to make me sick. Now it makes me sicker. I think about James being left on the ground, his head bleeding and in a state of unconsciousness, and I am astounded that anyone could have done this to my son.

I question whether I should have encouraged my children to be competitive – they are indeed avid fans of some team in every sport. They have played soccer, basketball, baseball, hockey, and have run track and are good swimmers. They have always wanted to win, and they have always wanted their teams to win. Although I don’t really believe that this was an instance of team rivalry, I know that those kinds of rivalries have resulted in similar violent behavior. It is not acceptable. We should be able to root for our teams without anticipating that a physical attack might ensue.

Given the catalyst of this event – the verbal exchange with the Kansas City fan–I wonder if I should have supported my son’s right to state his opinion about things and to believe that he could talk someone into adopting his point of view. Freedom of speech and all that – things I thought my children should appreciate. So I question myself constantly.

And I worry. Never having thought something like this could happen, now I know that it can and it does and it did. My children are adults and yet I never stop worrying. I wonder if I ever will stop worrying and if it’s possible to resign from this job as mother. There are doctor’s and hospital bills to contend with, a criminal case that we try to follow and of course the following up on the health issues. When I see strangers parked on our block, I wonder if someone is stalking one of my family members; if the phone rings in the middle of the night, my heart stops.

I realize that I have become a prisoner of sorts – that someone else’s criminal act has caused me to imprison myself with fear, uncertainty and negativity. By doing this, my spirit is impaired and everything is more difficult. Luckily, I have come to recognize this impairment and I am determined to knock down those prison walls and enjoy my freedoms and cheer for my teams. It is my hope that all fans may do the same in a healthy and safe environment and that no mother will have to meet her child in a trauma center after a football game.

Fan Violence: A Symptom of a Societal Problem

Posted on June 14, 2012 by DocRobyn

Cyber bullying, gossip, backstabbing, bickering, catty behavior, mean mommy in the minivan, dad screaming on the sidelines of a youth game, office politics, ‘reality’ TV, bench clearing brawls, beating someone because they support a rival team… All examples of people not knowing how to handle negative emotions and engage in productive conflict; it is becoming an epidemic.

Dr. Robyn Odegaard

We have accepted that disagreements often escalate into physical violence. Turn on the TV at almost any time and you can find a ‘reality’ program that shows the meanest, most hateful person succeeding and getting ahead. Is it really any wonder this behavior is spilling over into our stadium parking lots? We are allowing stupid behavior to become the new normal. Fortunately, we have the ability (and I believe, the responsibility) to change it.

I am going to break something shocking to you – the tirades people go on are driven by feelings and the inability to manage them, not logic or facts. When did feelings become the ‘F’ word while the real f-bomb is dropped without a thought? How are we supposed to learn what to do with negative feelings? Who teaches this stuff? Somewhere along the way we have forgotten to teach our young people how to have a disagreement without being rude, disrespectful and throwing a tantrum.

Why does it matter? Well aside from general human decency (which I think is a pretty big issue), knowing how to use productive conflict and engage in a professional disagreement has been shown to lead to greater success. And success leads to more happiness and usually higher income. Need evidence? See here, here, here and here.

What are we going to do about it? Well I don’t know about you, but I founded the Stop The Drama! Campaign to show people from junior high through CEOs how to understand what they are feeling and to use language powerfully to move toward resolution rather than epic meltdown. You can call it organizational development, team building, professional coaching or team psychology. Whatever label you put on it the bottom line is this – grownups who are able to act like grownups are going to get further in life. I am not suggesting people suppress their feelings. In fact I teach exactly the opposite. We all can benefit by learning how to express ourselves productively rather than using the volcano method (push it down until the pressure is so great it explodes).

Let me start by defining ‘Productive Conflict’ – The act of addressing and handling a disagreement or misunderstanding using an established set of healthy communication guidelines which lead to resolution (from the book Stop the Drama!).

Here are a few steps for preparing to engage in productive conflict (even if the person you are speaking to does not understand the foundation of it).

Know what you need to achieve with the conversation. Productive conflict isn’t about winning or losing. It is about reaching a resolution. Ask yourself – what is my end goal and do I really need to have this conversation?
Understand and remove any preconceived ideas you have about why the other person did what they did. Small children know you can’t understand why something happens unless you ask. As adults we stop asking why and start making it up. It is important to enter a discussion with a blank slate.
Know your timeout point. All of us have buttons that can get pushed. Know when you have reached the point where you are fighting rather than discussing and take a timeout. As I always say, just because a conversation starts to go downhill doesn’t mean you have to go with it.
Now you are ready to implement the actual steps of productive conflict in this post: We Need More Conflict in Our Lives!

These steps are a foundation to managing emotion and engaging in productive conflict. If there weren’t competitors, if there was no such thing as rivalries, sports wouldn’t exist. There is no reason to be hateful, condescending or rude to someone because of the team they support. Recognize when rivalry is going too far and walk away. Shrug and say, “We’ll see”. The skills you employ could save your life if your rival is part of the no-holds-barred epidemic of conflict management.

RaiderNationTimes.com -Interview with Wayne ‘The Violator’ Maybry

Posted on June 13, 2012 by FAV

In this great interview John Doublin of the Raider Nation Times speaks with one of the Oakland Raiders most well known “Super Fans”, Wayne ‘The Violator’ Maybry about his life, love of the Oakland Raiders and his efforts with many Charitable organizations including FAV. We are honored to have ‘The Violator’ as a supporter.

Below is an excerpt from the interview. To read the full article please visit RaiderNationTimes.com.

Oakland Raiders Super Fan: Wayne ‘The Violator’ Maybry

~By John Doublin-June 12, 2012

These days, Wayne spends his off time on more civic and philanthropic pursuits. He offers his time to several children’s and cancer charities and lends his name and persona to other entities that are working hard to reduce fan violence at all sporting events.

The Silver and Black Angel Foundation is a non-profit organization started by Joe Martinez in the memory of his father, Art. They are dedicated to raising awareness and funds for cancer research and providing opportunities for children and adults throughout many communities. (Click the above link for more information.)

While researching this article, I came across a great example of what Wayne and the people at The Silver and Black Angel Foundation are doing in the community on TheDowneyBeat.com. As you can see by the official photo in that article, Wayne believes in this foundation and is heavily involved.

Raider Nation 4 Life Car Club puts on a car show every year in Lakewood, CA called “Cruise For A Cause,” the proceeds of which go to benefit families in need in the Long Beach, CA area. Wayne and other Raider Super Fans support this cause and do what they can to help.

Wayne hopes to have his custom 2000 Chevy Silverado finished and entered into these shows in the near future.

Fans Against Violence, (FAV) is a non-profit organization started by Raider fan Kathy Samoun and is dedicated to ending violence in the stands at sporting events. Although Wayne isn’t directly involved with FAV, he does lend his time and his name to their cause saying:

“I don’t get to help them very often, but I absolutely support everything their doing over there, so I help when I can, because real fans don’t cross that line. We should leave the violence on the field.”

FAV is also a partner site to Raider Nation Times and can be found in the “our partners” section of our home page.

In addition to all of these great causes, Mr. Maybry also lends his time to the Toys for Tots program and the Ontario, CA Fire Department for their annual toy drive and fund raising events in Ontario, CA.

Needless to say, there is much more to this man than the spiked shoulder pads, face paint and intimidating name. He’s a genuinely caring and giving individual.

Wayne has also begun to plan for his retirement. He’s started his own fitness apparel line called Modo-Sports which specializes in reasonably-priced fitness apparel for the entire family. From youngsters to adults, Modo-Sports has the right fitness clothing for you to “Get it done!”

read full article..

Fan Violence in Sport by Robb Silverstein – San Jose State

Posted on June 10, 2012 by FAV

We recently spoke with Robb Silverstein who was writing a paper on Fan Violence for a class called “Sports in America”. Robb is 4th year student at San Jose State studying Public Relations with a minor in Business Management. He is a huge sports fan who has always had a passion for sports.

Robb was kind enough to include Fans Against Violence in his paper and allow us to share it with you.

Fan Violence in Sport

~By Robb Silverstein – May 14, 2012

An issue that has been a constant in North American sport is the problem of fan violence. This has been an issue particularly in contact sports such as football, hockey and baseball. Some of the main issues surrounding fan violence include team identification, consumption of alcohol at arena’s, the bad economy and the moral panic of the media just to name a few. As the text points out the word fan is short for fanatic. As we all know fanatics are not usually a good thing. Fans are flocking to stadiums and arenas and setting attendance records and according to an article on fan violence by USA today, NFL stadiums averaged 25 ejections and 3 arrests per week (Klemko,2011). Football is not the only sport that has a major problem with this. The NHL and MLB have also run into problems with violence. Pro sports aren’t the only culprit though. According to the National Summit on Civil Disturbances, sporting events account for over 25 percent of event disturbances on college campuses (Gordon et all 2005).

In the following paper I will present reasons why this violence is happening. This will occur through tons of research on the specific issues, which lead to fan violence. Sources that will be used include scholarly journals, newspaper articles, and the class text. Books and interviews with fan violence awareness org’s. All of the above will examine the problem and specifically North American sport fan violence.

The first issue that I will be discussing in regards to fan violence is team identification. According to a piece in Asian Journal of Management and Humanity Sciences, team identification is defined as “the personal commitment and emotional involvement customers have with a sport team.” (Shiue Gau et all 2009).The same piece talks about the social identity theory, which relates to team identification and says that identifying with a group enhances a persons self esteem because of the personal meaning and value that comes from belonging to or associating with a particular group. As Paul Greenwood, who published a study on sport fan team identification for his masters thesis at North Carolina State points out, this identification can take an ugly turn when the team you identify with loses. Greenwood says that “after witnessing a loss, fans with high identification levels look for external attributes in an effort to protect their self-esteem, and aggression is generally directed at officials and opposing players and/or fans which can lead to spectator violence.” (Greenwood,2001).

Winning and losing plays a big role in fan violence, to think of it in a very simple way. People are happy when their team wins. The opposite holds true when their team loses. While riots still happen when wins occur, the actual issue of fan vs. fan violence usually has to deal with who wins and loses. Jerry Middleton Lewis touches on this in his book Sports Fan Violence in North America. Lewis says that that the victory experience is the ultimate form of sports fan identification. He also adds that the typical violent fan wants to be part of the victory, yet they cant do any of the things that they see their favorite players doing on the court. However, they do know how to be violent. Violence gives some fans the ability to feel almost as if they are doing their part for the team) Middleton Lewis, 2001).

Celebratory violence can also be a factor to team identification. Goodtherapy.org, a leading therapist organization, wrote a piece on how celebratory violence increases fan identification, describes this as the celebration of a teams victory and how the results are destruction of property through rioting. The study found that people who had participated in this type of behavior had higher fan identification than those who had not (Goodtherapy.org,2011).

Besides team identification, another factor that leads to fan violence is the over consumption of alcohol at sporting events. The class text highlights this in the section on fan violence. The text says that a way to limit fan violence would be to decreases the amount of alcohol sold at games, that seems unlikely to happen so for now it is important to understand how much of a problem alcohol is when it comes to fan violence. (Eitzen & Sage, 2009)

To do just that, I start with presenting an article from the League of Fans. The League of Fans is a sports reform project founded by Ralph Nader to encourage social & civic responsibility in the sports industry. In the article, Ken Reed, states that alcohol is usually the number one reason for fan violence. “Alcohol is by far the biggest problem when it comes to fan safety at stadiums and arenas. The vast majority of these incidents involve alcohol abuse.” (Reed,2011) Reed goes on to say that it all starts even before the game starts in the parking lot and teams and leagues.

In terms of specific cases, Brendan McCarthy wrote an article for the Times-Picayune, New Orleans main newspaper, on the problem of fan violence and just how bad it is becoming. In the piece he mentions the recent sexual assault of an unconscious Louisiana State university fan by an Alabama fan following the championship between those two teams. In the article he interviews Jason Lanter, assistant professor of psychology at Kutztown University. Lanter says that alcohol and the elation of winning gives fans the idea that they have the right to miss-behave. Both teams’ fans were intoxicated and while you cant only blame alcohol, it clearly made things a lot worse in this case (McCarthy,2012).

Besides the issues of team identification and violence, another factor for fan violence is the economy. I interviewed Kathy Samoun, the founder of fansagainstviolence.org. Samoun started the organization after the Brian Stow attack at Dodger Stadium and the 49ers-Raiders preseason game violence, to raise awareness for a problem that is as big as ever. In the interview Samoun says that people need something to feel hopeful about, and sports like football, are one thing many people can relate to even if they are struggling financially. She pointed out that there is an increase in violence when teams lose and the horrible economy just puts an even stronger emphasis on the desire to win.(Samoun,2012). The USA Today article mentioned earlier also touched on this. In the article Charles Williams a professor of Psychology at Drexel University says that people are looking to escape the lack of money and jobs by going to sporting events. The combination of the bad economy and rising ticket prices is not a good one when it comes to the impact of violence at sporting events. (Klemko,2011)

The 2nd factor that that Samoun discussed was the media’s role in all of this. One would think that media coverage and exposure to the issue would be a good thing, but Samoun argued that is not the case. She said that it’s a double edge sword. People are so on edge now when they attend a sporting event, afraid at the first “boo” from someone that they are reacting quicker out of fear that they will also be attacked. Samoun and her organization aren’t alone in this line of thinking. Russell Ward Jr. published a study in Science Direct that agreed. It compared and contrasted the idea of social problem vs. moral panic. Moral panics, which are “righteous appeals from the media that something must be done to extinguish a social menace.” (Ward,2012) Ward described examples of fan violence coverage by the media as over the top and exaggerates and makes the problem much worse. His main point was that this raises emotions when the best approach would be actual thinking.

Sporting events are supposed to be fun. Fan violence has ruined games for tons of people. As noted earlier, some reform actions are under way. One particular idea that would be effective comes from California Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles). According to the Sf Weekly, Gatto is drafting legislation that would ban fans from games that participated in acts of violence at sporting events. This would look similar to the no-fly list. They would also face severer jail time and a fine (Sherbert,2012).

To look at how specific teams are trying to crack down on this happening at their stadium I bring in an article in the Wall Street Journal on what the 49ers did before their playoff game verse the Giants. Earlier in the season the 49ers had had major problems with violence at games. Well for this playoff game, the article says that the 49ers handled things much differently. For one, they banned tailgating after kickoff. This obviously leads to less people becoming belligerent. The 49ers also increased security by 25 percent and let fans know the week of the game that cops would be dressed as Giants fans. This strategy ended up working considering the 49ers lost a heart-breaker and the number of incidents decreased (Carlton, 2012).

To conclude, it is important to be aware of the problem of fan violence at sporting events. It is a shame that anyone would not go to a game due to violence but you can’t blame anyone who does so, given the high number of arrests and violence at games. The media as shown, needs to do there job to not sensationalize the issue but cover it in a balanced matter. Teams have their role in this as well. As cases like the 49ers –Giants game show, if teams are organized and work to stop this it can be done. Issues like high team identification and even a bad economy don’t have to lead to violence if teams continue to strive to stop fan violence.

Eight People Shot in Oklahoma following Thunder vs Lakers Playoff Game

Posted on May 22, 2012 by kcdermody

Despite the fact that violence at sporting events has been a rather large topic of conversation recently, with the many incidents that have taken place across the nation, yet another horrific shooting has occurred. This time, it happened in the Midwest following the basketball game between the Thunder and the Lakers. While few details have been released, and it is unconfirmed whether this incident was indeed related to the basketball game, we do know that at least eight people were shot in downtown Oklahoma City on Monday night.

According to Capt. Dexter Nelson, the shootings occurred just three blocks from Chesapeake Energy Arena in the Bricktown district where the streets were filled with approximately 6000 celebrating fans. Eye-witnesses reported an argument and a scuffle that erupted between a group of women and a group of men when someone opened fire into the crowd. Eight victims were taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds. One of the victims is currently in critical condition while the others did not suffer life-threatening injuries. Nelson also stated a woman who was pregnant suffered a blunt trauma injury and she was even believed to have been kicked during the aftermath of the shootings. Although initial reports stated two men were arrested, Nelson confirmed there have been no arrests and in relation to the shootings and the initial reports were false.

Ironically, Oklahoma Governor, Mary Fallin, recently signed Senate Bill 1733 into law, known as the “Open Carry” law. This bill would allow anyone possessing a license to carry a firearm under the Oklahoma Self Defense Act will be able to carry openly or concealed at their discretion. Any property owner will be able to open carry on their own property regardless of whether they have a license to carry or not. Oklahoma is the 41st state to allow open carry.

Between the brutal beating of San Francisco Giants’ fan Brian Stow at Dodgers Stadium last March, the shootings following last year’s preseason game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders and the New York Jets’ fan who barely survived after being jumped after the game against the Kansas City Chiefs last December, not to mention countless other acts of violence, it’s quite apparent that tough legislation is needed if we’re to have a hope of reducing these horrible crimes.

What Can Sports Fans do to Take a More Proactive Approach Against Violence?

Posted on May 21, 2012 by FAV

We have had a lot of questions and comments in regards to our posting challenging fans to step up and take a more proactive approach in ending fan violence. Many of you have responded asking what it is you can do.

First and foremost, if you see something escalating, please do not try to get involved. We would never want anyone to put themselves or their family in danger. The best thing you can do is use the Game Day Security Hotlines and Text code to alert security to the issue. All calls are anonymous, so there is no need to be concerned about retaliation.

Although it is important that the venues do everything they can to ensure the fans safety, we as fans have to take on some of the responsibility. Along with the Game Day Security Hotlines and Text code we have also put together a list of Game Day Safety Tips. Please read them. Some of the tips may seem obvious but they are all important.

Lastly, with all of the recent incidents and all of the media attention to the issue of Fan Violence, many fans are afraid and on edge when attending a game. Remember be kind and respectful to all fans, no matter what team they are rooting for. At the end of the day, we are all fans of the sport. The smallest gesture of saying “hi” or “welcome to our stadium” to an opposing fan can make the largest impact!

Incident After Dodgers’ Game Highlights Need for Fans to be Proactive in Eliminating Violence at Sporting Events

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Anna Mohr

It’s another sad day for baseball fans and compassionate human beings alike as news has broken that yet another person has become the victim of violence following a Los Angeles Dodgers’ game over the weekend. The victim, whose name has not been released, was driving one of the vehicles involved in a fender bender while exiting the parking lot of Dodger Stadium. According to reports, the victim was pulled from his car and held down by three men, assumed to have been riding in a third vehicle, and was repeatedly hit and kicked by the driver of the other car involved in the accident.

This April 10, 2012 file photo shows Los Angeles Police mounted patrol officers Steve Cooper, left, aboard Jimbo and Roger Johnson on Ranger watching Dodger fans arrive for the home opener baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Stadium security and off-duty uniformed police officers working for the Dodgers responded to the scene quickly and arrested the four men. The victim, along with his pregnant passenger, was taken to a nearby hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries. Meanwhile, the assailants are, as of 12:45 p.m. PT today, still in custody, according to the LAPD and the Los Angeles County Jail. They are awaiting arraignment and are expected to be formally charged with assault with a deadly weapon. (In this instance, given the position of the victim and the number of attackers, feet and hands are considered “deadly weapons.”)

Kudos to the Dodgers and to the City of Los Angeles. Subsequent to the brutal attack on Bryan Stow at their stadium a little over a year ago, the Dodgers’ organization has taken steps in the right direction in an attempt to minimize attacks on their guests as well as apprehend spectators found to be in violation of city law and/or stadium policy. They are one of the few organizations who are permitted to hire off-duty LAPD officers to patrol their premises, in uniform. In addition, they hire undercover officers donning rival team jerseys to be present at every home game. Yet still, the violence continues.

Police and management can only do so much to combat this problem. In this most recent case, they responded as quickly as they were able, an undisputed claim. But they’re only human. Unless an officer happens to be standing in the middle of a brawl (and let’s face it, most people possess the minimal amount of common sense necessary to tell you not to break the law in plain view of a cop or security guard), he/she can only reach the victim as quickly as his/her legs can move. And while surveillance cameras may help, alerting authorities when a potentially dangerous situation arises and often used as evidence ex-post-facto, they are still just devices that can neither prevent nor halt a physical altercation.

The rest is up to us, the fans. It is up to us to absolutely insist upon acceptable behavior from our fellow game-goers. It is up to us to take responsibility for our own actions, and to think before we commit them. It only takes one decision and split seconds to change a life, many lives, including your own. Let’s start making the right ones. Indifference changes nothing. Demand concern. Demand outrage. Demand change.

BaseballintheBlood.com – On The Phone With…Fans Against Violence

Posted on May 18, 2012 by FAV

We recently had a great phone interview with Todd Coppernoll of Baseball in the Blood. Below is an excerpt from the interview and article about Fans Against Violence.
To read the full article please visit BaseballintheBlood.com.

Shootings and Savage Beatings…at the Ballpark

On The Phone With…Fans Against Violence

~By Todd Coppernoll-May 18, 2012

Over the past year, fan violence at U.S. sporting events has received heightened media attention. The savage beating of San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow, in the parking lot at Dodger Stadium, is causing many to take a second look at what is “acceptable” behavior in the stands.
Last August, the San Francisco 49ers hosted the Oakland Raiders for a preseason NFL game at Candlestick Park. Following the game, three fans were hospitalized…two had been shot, and the third had been beaten unconscious in a stadium restroom.
In September, Kathy Samoun, who is a Raiders fan, founded “Fans Against Violence.” read full article..

Anti-Fan Violence “Improving Personal Safety at Stadiums Act” Passes CA State Assembly Unanimously

Posted on May 18, 2012 by FAV

Yesterday, Thursday May 17, 2001, the bill known as the “Improving Personal Safety at Stadiums Act”, passed The California State Assembly unanimously with 72 votes. With the ever growing number of incidents of fan violence, this is great news for Sports Fans statewide.

AB2464 would require all professional sports venues to post Game Day hotlines and Security Text Codes in designated areas throughout the stadiums and arenas, as well as parking lots. Currently, a majority of professional sports venues already have the Game Day Hotline and Text code program in place. Should this bill become a law, it would, by extension, require all sports venues to adopt this program.

Although AB2464 will not end Fan Violence in its entirety, it is a small step in the right direction. While sports venues have a major responsibility towards ensuring fan safety, Game Day Text Codes and Hotlines are great tools for Sports fans to take a proactive approach in their safety.

The next step for the “Improving Personal Safety at Stadiums Act”, will be to pass the State Senate then on to the Governor for signature. In speaking with Assemblyman Mike Gattos staff today, there was an air of reserved confidence that AB2464 will not be met with resistance through the State Senate. If it does indeed pass and is signed by the Governor, the law could come into effect as soon as January 1, 2013.

We at Fans Against Violence, encourage sports fans to get behind and show your support for AB2464. If you are interested is joining us in supporting this bill, please email us at info@fansagainstviolence.org.

Could Intentional Violence on the Field Lead to More Violence in the Stands?

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Anna Mohr

There’s nothing like intentionally pelting an opponent with a 93-mile per hour fastball to heat up an already sticky sports rivalry. And that’s exactly what happened on Sunday, when Phillies’ pitcher Cole Hamels plunked Nationals’ outfielder Bryce Harper in the back with a pitch in the first inning. Hamels later admitted, with no apology, that he threw to hit, and his actions were simply “old school” protocol. He was slapped with a five game suspension and fined by MLB. The punishment seems arbitrary, at best, and left many wondering, “Is it enough?”

I’ve often asked myself why violence on a baseball field, basketball court or any other playing ground is treated any differently than the violence that occurs on the streets, amongst “regular” civilians. Why is Cole Hamels any different from the average Joe who picks up a hard object and throws it in the direct path of another human being? Why do we abhor the common assailant, yet feel a sense of allegiance to a member of our favored team who, essentially, is guilty of the same offense?

All I have deduced from contemplation of such questions is because we, as fans, allow it. We somehow interpret such behavior as the honorable defense of our team, our fan base and our hometown. We justify such acts by trying to reason that sports is a perpetual effort towards retaliation, and that people deserve to be mistreated simply because they support a team other than ours. It’s a vicious cycle when treated with such gravity and we, as fans, have it in our power to put an end to it.

Whether you’re a Nationals’ fan, a Phillies’ fan, a fan of a different team, or not a baseball fan at all, please do not condone Sunday’s events. Do not allow Hamels’ poor judgment to escalate the problem of uncivil, unfriendly rivalry. Keep in mind that his conduct not only could have resulted in the serious injury of an up-and-coming 19-year old who was just trying to do his job, but will likely create more hostility amongst the two organizations and their supporters. And this is something we at FAV desperately want to prevent.

While ultimately the Phillies defeated the Nationals 9-3, Bryce Harper managed to steal home after he was hit by Hamels’ pitch, a feat in its own right. When asked to comment about the incident, Harper simply said, “Hamels threw a great game tonight.” Perhaps these “old school” players can learn a thing or two about good sportsmanship and class from these young rookies.