Inspirational Letter from the Mohr Family to Arredondo Family

Posted on October 18, 2014 by FAV

Three years ago, Jets fan James Mohr was viciously attacked following a Jets vs Chiefs game. Fans Against Violence immediately contacted the Mohr family to offer oursupport. Anna Mohr, James’ sister, has been a big part of FAV since that day. With every incident that occurs, the feelings they had that day come rushing back to James’ family, particularly

Anna. When Anna heard about Alex Arredondo, the Anaheim Angels fan attacked after the Angels’ playoff game against the Kansas City Royals, it really hit home with her and she immediately felt the need to reach out and offer some type of support.

The following is the inspirational letter she wrote to the Alex Arredondo and his family. Anna agreed to allow us post her letter in the hopes that it might help other victims and their families.

We would like to thank the Mohr Family and the Arredondo Family for allowing us to share this beautiful letter.

Dear Arredondo Family,

I do not know you, but we share something in common. It is something that most people are fortunate not to know or understand or experience. It is something that happens so quickly, so unexpectedly, so inexplicably, and yet it has changed our lives.

My brother was savagely beaten after a Jets/Chiefs game in December of 2011. He spent a week in the hospital, underwent hours of surgery to repair the broken bones in his face and due to the severe concussion he sustained and the bleeding on his brain, he was unable for months to do the basic daily things that come so easily to the rest of us.

I’m sure there are some things with which James struggles that he doesn’t share with me, or anyone for that matter. But I do know that now, almost three years later he still experiences headaches and visionary problems. Sometimes I wonder if the physical scars remind him of his traumatic ordeal, and I have to close my eyes and pray that no matter what he sees or feels, he knows he’s still as beautiful as he ever was and that his perseverance and strength are admirable and inspiring. I could not possibly be more proud of him.

I was, for lack of a better term, a complete mess when this happened. I was so overwhelmed with emotions it began to feel debilitating. At first, I was scared. We didn’t know the extent of his injuries and I’m the type of person who assumes the worst. When I knew he was conscious, fear turned to anger that someone could do this to another human being. As details emerged, anger turned to sadness. As witnesses recall, he responded to taunts from a group of people who targeted him for reasons that will probably forever be unknown. My best guess is because he was walking alone. He doesn’t remember what happened next. It’s believed he was hit from behind with a bottle or some other blunt object. (His injuries were consistent with this theory.) When I learned that my baby brother, who I will always look at as this adorable little boy, was left on the ground in a parking lot in the middle of a cold New York December, facedown in a pool of his own blood, I was physically ill for days. To think that someone could take someone so important to me and my family and toss him away like he was litter was such a sickening feeling, and it completely shook my faith in humanity and God.

I will not promise you that these feelings and thoughts will ever go away completely. I still have moments of sadness and rage and even guilt that I wasn’t there to protect him. But I can promise that over time, if you can find the strength to seek out a silver lining, life can in some aspects get even better. I have learned not to sweat the small stuff. I’ve come to love and appreciate family more than ever. I recognize the fragility of life and don’t take a second I spend with James for granted. I have restored my faith and can again see that for every act of evil, you can find a hundred acts of kindness. That last lesson was learned quickly, thanks to Fans Against Violence. When I would go home from the hospital at night, exhausted and upset and feeling alone, I’d have a mailbox full of messages from people I had never met, spread out all across the country, who just wanted to express their support. Sometimes something as simple as kind words can provide desperately needed comfort. I hope this letter does just that.

And to Alex, my heart breaks that you are suffering through this because of someone else’s stupidity, recklessness and complete disregard for your well-being. Please know that there are thousands and thousands of people thinking about you, praying for you, and cheering you on through your recovery. It is my great hope that one day you will be able to look back on this experience and know it made you a stronger and better man.

And finally, one day, when the pain subsides and the wounds begin to heal, I hope you can forgive. Emotional recovery is just as important, and it is hard to do when you hang on to the anger and hatred. It is not easy for me to know that the people who assaulted my brother get to carry on with their lives, never held accountable for their crimes, while the rest of us have to pick up broken pieces. I’m sure you’re experiencing immense anger right now, and you have a right to. But when I look at the big picture, I pity them. We have our families and our extended family at FAV. We have the support of so many. We still have our brothers, most importantly! It is a safe assumption that people who do things like this are missing the fundamentals that teach right from wrong, good from bad, and I find that extremely sad. So try to focus on Alex’s recovery, and celebrate what a tough and brave man he is!

If there is anything I can do to help you get through this, I hope you will reach out. Here’s to a speedy recovery, Alex! Thinking about you all the way from New York!

Best always,

Anna Mohr

Justice for Jets Fan James Mohr

Posted on May 7, 2013 by FAV

On May 3, 2013 in Bergen County Criminal Court, a judge sentenced Merle Lee, the man responsible for the brutal attack on James Mohr outside of MetLife Stadium on December 11, 2011, to three years in a New Jersey State Prison following Lee’s plea of guilty to the assault.

The attack left Mohr with several fractures, including his jaw and eye socket, as well as internal bleeding on his brain. He spent a week in the hospital, undergoing a four hour surgery to repair his face, and months recovering at home before being able to return to work and other daily activities.

Lee was initially cited a desk appearance ticket for disorderly conduct, but upon learning of the severity of Mohr’s injuries, police officials raised the charge to aggravated assault and a warrant was issued for Lee’s arrest. He was taken into custody two days following the attack and was indicted by a grand jury.

The judge’s ruling comes as a victory for the Mohr family, who has waited over a year for justice to be served. While the family was not present at the sentencing, the outcome was welcomed with great relief and tears of joy. It is now a closed chapter, and focus can be redirected to James’ ongoing recovery and a celebration of the strides he has made in the process.

Fans Against Violence has followed this case from the beginning, and we are ecstatic to learn of this news. We hope this serves as a lesson to fans everywhere- violence at sporting events can be extremely dangerous, even fatal, and offenders will be held accountable for their actions and poor judgment. This incident caused many people pain, and now a man will lose three years of his life behind bars for his crime. It is never worth it. No one wins. Everyone suffers. Please remember that it is just a game, and we are there to enjoy ourselves, root for our teams and show respect for our fellow man.

Fans Against Violence – FanShake PSA – Brought to You by TheMadFanatic

Posted on December 4, 2012 by FAV

We are so thrilled to release our first Public Service Announcement for our FanShake Program. The FanShake program and the FanShake Cam was built on the premise that the smallest of gestures can sometimes have the most impact. With the simple act of shaking an opposing fans hand and welcoming them to “your house” you can change the entire mood of your section.

The FanShake Cam first made its debut at the Oakland Raiders season opener versus the San Diego Chargers and was a huge hit! Our hope is that by encouraging fans to welcome each other through the FanShake, we can start to help reduce the number of incidents at sports venue nationwide.

So Next time you are at a game..make sure and do the FanShake!!

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.

James Mohr Foundation Fundraiser a Huge Success

Posted on May 18, 2012 by FAV

The James Mohr Fundraiser took place on Saturday, May 12, 2012 and we are pleased to announce that it was a huge success. Friends , family members and supporters filled Strawberry’s Bar & Grill and were greeted by a smiling, upbeat James. Thanks to our very generous donors, guests had a buffet of prizes for which they were able to buy raffle tickets while snacking and sipping on the delicious food and beverages provided by Strawberry’s.

We proudly exceeded our expectations, and certainly couldn’t have done it without the many people and organizations who contributed to the event. Thanks to the money raised, James’ family can begin to pay down the mounting medical bills that his injuries have accrued. It is a tremendous weight lifted off of their shoulders.

To top off the afternoon, there was an unexpected appearance by Daryl Strawberry himself, who was gracious enough to sign autographs and pose for pictures with attendees. It was an exciting way to end the party.

We would like to give a special thanks to the following organizations and people who made generous contributions to the James Mohr Foundation Raffle.

	2 Lexus Club tickets, pregame field passes and parking pass to the Jets v. 49ers game on September 30, 2012 at MetLife Stadium
Dominick Rocco	2 pairs of tickets to the Mets/Yankees subway series game on June 10, 2012 at Yankee Stadium
Terrence Ferguson	2 tickets to the Mets v. Brewers game on May 15,2012 at CitiField
	2012 Superbowl Championship Poster autographed by NY Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning
	8 x 10 autographed photograph of NY Yankees’ shortstop Derek Jeter 8 x 10 autographed photograph of NY Giants’wide receiver Victor Cruz 8 x 10 autographed photograph of Baltimore Ravens’ running back Ray Rice
	$50 gift certificate to Acquista Trattoria, 179-01 Union Turnpike, Flushing, New York
	Free hour of drinks for winner and 10 friends at Strawberry’s Bar & Grill $25 gift certificate to Strawberry’s Bar & Grill
	4 rounds of golf at Kissena Park Golf Course
Anthony Arnone	Cleveland Golf Putter

How Assumptions Lead to Fan Violence

Posted on May 7, 2012 by John Doublin

We see and hear about it at nearly every sporting event around the world: Two or more fans get into a shouting match about their favorite teams. “My team is better than yours. Your team sucks. You guys are going down!”

If it remained simply a war of words, that would be fine. In fact, that’s the whole point of fandom; supporting your team regardless of how bad they are, or what’s happening on the field.

Unfortunately, it almost never ends with verbal exchanges. Invariably, a fight breaks out and someone gets hurt.

What are the reasons behind this? Why does “trash talk” almost always end in hurt feelings and emergency room visits? The answer is multi-faceted.

Perhaps the biggest contributor to these incidences is passion. Passion for the game, passion for the team and a passion for being able to call your team a “winner.” Passion is great, but only if it’s restrained and directed in a positive manner.

The next time you hear a fan of the opposing team spouting off about this or that, just remember…that person is just as passionate as you are and they are simply looking to cheer their team on…just like you.

Don’t take offense, even if what they’re saying is offensive and rude. Keep in mind that if you react to their venom, you become no better than them. “The fight avoided is the fight best fought.”

Be the “bigger,” more mature person in these cases.

Another factor that often leads to fan vs fan violence is assumptions. Assumptions about a particular fan base, an assumption about a person’s intentions and assumptions that your words aren’t as inflammatory as you think.

Often times, appearances can lead people to make assumptions about the character of a given person. These assumptions can cloud judgement and cause a person to act in a way that is outside their normal personality.

On Halloween, when a six-year-old boy knocks on your door wearing a hockey mask and carrying a pretend ax, do you automatically assume that he is a serial killer that has been raised from the dead? Of course not.

For some reason however, when fans of opposing teams go to, let’s say, an Oakland Raiders game, they tend to assume that the people with the spiked shoulder pads and face paint are automatically thugs that don’t deserve the common courtesy of respect.

That is narrow minded and unfair. The fact is that some of these “Super-fans” are pillars of the community. Their game-day personas are simply that—personas. Wayne Mabry is not actually a “Violator.” He’s a regular person with a job and responsibilities just like you.

Mr. Mabry is not only a “normal” person, he’s a passionate philanthropist, having raised a ton of money for local and national children’s charities. I have been given the honor of interviewing Mr. Mabry and the transcripts from that interview will be available at Raider Nation Times soon.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

The most obvious reason for these confrontations between fans is the one thing professional sports leagues absolutely refuse to remedy: The sale of alcohol at games.

The fact is, there is just too much money to be made from alcohol for the teams or leagues to remove it. It’s sad, but it’s true. Everyone knows that professional sports is a business and the leagues and the team owners are in it to make money…and alcohol is extremely profitable.

It is a proven fact that alcohol lowers inhibitions and causes people to over-react to volatile situations. It has also been shown to amplify emotions. Think about that for a second. Your ability to control your actions and your emotions are skewed and your team is losing. Nothing good can come from that.

This alteration of the frontal lobe of the brain results in bad judgement and stupid decisions; decisions that send people to jail and the hospital. It’s not rocket science.

What can fans do to prevent this? That’s simple…DON’T DRINK AT GAMES! You can wait until you get home. We’ve all heard the expression, “I don’t need alcohol to have a good time.” So, why do we need it to enjoy a sporting event? We don’t.

Please, “drink responsibly”…or not at all. You’ll be doing us all a favor.

Take a look at this video and ask yourself these questions:

Is this how I’d want my children to act? Are the people chanting “let them fight” really the kind of people that represent my feelings about this game? Do I want my children subjected to this behavior? Is this scene enhancing or detracting from my game-day experience?

Ultimately, there is only one group of people that can prevent fan vs fan violence; the fans themselves. Report potential problems to security, (there are text codes to reach security posted at most every stadium). Don’t drink to excess. Don’t make assumptions about other fans. Be passionate, but be mature and think of the message you’re sending your children.

If fans don’t police themselves, the leagues will do it for them. We, as fans, have to step up and do the right things. If we don’t, the teams and the leagues will do it for us…and that will suck the fun out of everything for us. The rules for attending games will be overly restrictive and ruin our experience. “…the trees are all kept equal by hatchet, ax and saw.”

Please, don’t let one or two bad apples ruin the bunch for the rest of us.

Follow John Doublin on Twitter: @CoachJayDee and find more of his work at www.RaiderNationTimes.com

SportsZoneMedia.com-Article on James Mohr Fundraiser

Posted on May 6, 2012 by FAV

Below is the excerpt from SportsZoneMedia.com article regarding the upcoming Fundraiser for the James Mohr Foundation sponsored by Fans Against Violence. We’d like to thank SportsZoneMedia.com and KC Dermody for spreading the word about this great fundraiser!

To view the entire article, please visit SportsZoneMedia.com

Brutally Beaten New York Jets Fan Recovering Slowly: How You Can Help

~By K.C.Dermody-May, 06, 2012

Fortunately Mohr won the fight of his life but he’s been left with vision problems and residual effects of his brain injuries as well as a massive amount of bills.

Fans Against Violence, a group that is working to help to end violence at sporting events across the nation, reports that Mohr’s “multiple operations were not covered through his insurance company,” and between his endless doctors visits, co-payments, prescriptions and commute expenses to and from New Jersey, it’s a huge financial burden.

Not only has Mohr and his family been put through extreme emotional distress, but the bills are overwhelming. In order to help alleviate some of their stress, a fundraising event will take place in Bayside, New York next weekend at Strawberry’s Bar and Grill from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on May 12, 2012. read full article..

Vicious Attack on NY Jets Fan: Yet Another Senseless Act of Fan Violence in 2011

Posted on December 14, 2011 by kcdermody

A 23-year-old P.E. teacher became yet another victim of a vicious attack after a sporting event. After the game between the New York Jets and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, December 11, James Mohr, a die-hard Jets fan was jumped and brutally beaten by seven men, with at least one wearing a Chiefs’ jersey. Prior to the violent attack, the group of thugs was said to be drunk and upset after their team lost to New York. Mohr was walking through the parking lot at the stadium, when one of the attackers shouted, “F**k New York,” and “You all deserved what happened on 9/11!”

James Mohr - Before and after brutal attack

Mohr’s sister, Anna, said her brother took offense, especially to the 9/11 reference as their other brother is a fireman, and their father is a retired FDNY. She remarked, “He was shocked anyone would actually say something like that.”

The end result was the savage and senseless beating to Mohr. The lifelong Jets fan suffered a fractured jaw, cheekbone and eye socket in the beatdown, and also has bleeding on the brain. The victim has gone through hours of surgery to repair his shattered face and is said to be just barely hanging on.

Unfortunately, acts of violence seem to be occurring more frequently, and though football can be a dangerous game for the players on the field, the parking lot at stadiums is becoming a far more dangerous place for fans.

In March, a San Francisco Giants fan at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles was beaten so badly he suffered serious brain damage when his skull was fractured. He was in a coma for months and has only recently been able to move just slightly.

During the preseason game between the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders, there were several shootings that took place, and during the game, a 26-year old man was beaten in the Candlestick Park bathroom.

While I’m not certain what the best solution to the problem is, but the banning of alcohol may eventually have to become a reality at sporting events. Angry and disappointed fans and alcohol are just not a good mix, and though it would be sad to have to punish everyone for the few who become violent criminals, is it worth even just one fan’s life to continue to make it readily available?

Patron Conduct Cancels Airing of Cowboys vs Jets Game: San Jose, CA

Posted on September 12, 2011 by FAV

One of our ‘eyes in the streets’ just sent us this photo from San Jose, California. Phil Richardson, resident of Los Gatos, spotted this sign in the front window of a San Jose pizza spot letting patrons know tonight’s Sunday Night Football matchup on NBC, Cowboys vs Jets, will not be aired due to “problems in the past.”

Our friend says this is a low key place and he’s really surprised to see this sign. Considering the significance of tonight’s game at the new Meadowlands, this 10th Anniversary of the events of September 11th, it’s a shame that fan conduct has canceled an opportunity for fans to sit together and partake in something as uniquely American as pizza and a game.