Crowd behavior

[bball123h]

For the first time in my life, I was truly ashamed to be a Brewer fan and Milwaukee resident. It is ok to have fun with Cubs fans; games are intended to be for our enjoyment. It is not ok to absolutely hate anything and anyone with a red C on their hat. Specifically, 3 entire rows making fun of a teen Cub fan with Asbergers is not cool. Yes, he is cheering for lesser things than most fans. That does not give you carte blanche to rail on this kid for 7 innings.

 

I know this is not representative of those who read and post here. But it really seems like the Brewer fans are taking a far more antagonistic approach to Cub fans this season. Remember, this is a game. Games are meant to be fun, and tonight was anything but. I was genuinely glad the Cubs won today. At least it made the kid and his father happy.

[ecjimg]

Ok, Doctor. If your diagnosis is correct, his father is a moron for subjecting him to it. Keep your kid at home games.

[Mike Felder]

After attending many Brewers-Cubs games over the years I will say that I have seen many, many more obnoxious and antagonistic Cubs fans than Brewers fans.

[Ennder]

I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about but I can only imagine you are exaggerating things because most people do.

[Roscoe Chill]

Have you ever been to Wrigley in Brewers gear?

[pretendastronaut]

I don't think 3 entire rows are a very good representation of the Brewers fanbase. The situation you describe is shameful, but the whole crowd shouldn't be lambasted for that.

 

I've been to many Brewers/Cubs games, and I have to say that tonight was definetely one where the people around me were much more full of respect, on both sides of the line.

[bball123h]

Yes, I've been to Wrigley in Brewer gear. Turns out that some Cub fans aren't really bad people. I have not had one mentionable experience in 8 trips. I'm sure bad fans exist.

 

I'd like to think that if I have a kid with Asbergers someday that we would be able to go out in public together. It is pretty absurd that a father should have to lock his son in a cellar until he dies because of the ignorance of some folks in the world.

 

Also, I'm not exaggerating. It was absolutely disgusting. The father went off on the main instigators in the 8th inning, but that only encouraged them more.

 

Edit to pretendastronaut: 3 rows is certainly not a good measure of the fanbase as a whole. I was sitting in a section typically filled by season ticket holders, but it looked like most of the regulars cashed in and were not present. I have seen bad Cubs fans. It just seems like nobody ever stops to consider that a segment of our fanbase is equally as bad. Hopefully Wednesday goes better.

[PKBadger]

Pardon my ignorance, but is there any way to tell just from looking at someone that they have Asberger's? I had to look it up just to remember what exactly it was.

[bucks2281]

I don't think you should pin this on all Brewer fans in attendance tonight. This obviously was an isolated incident -- those kids are idiots.

 

Everytime I attend a Cubs game at Miller Park, I feel like I have to defend myself as a Brewer fan. I was pretty ticked off hearing about how MP is "Wrigley North", seeing those stupid "W" flags, and hearing "Lets go Cubbies" chants outside the park after the game. Get this...one Cubs fans was wearing a shirt that said: "Sausage races don't win pennants." That was an absolute joke! The Cubs fans are the LAST people who should be wearing that shirt. That said, I just feel an intense amount of disrespect from the CHC fans.

[homer]

Just curious bball if you went off on them too. I would have.

[crewcrazy]

Ok, Doctor. If your diagnosis is correct, his father is a moron for subjecting him to it. Keep your kid at home games.

Is that really necessary? I realize it's a big rivalry, but why can't a father take his son to the game? Who's not to say that he's a Cub fan that lives in Wisconsin, and going to a Miller Park game is easier? I imagine it's extremely difficult raising a child with a disability. I know that if I was in the father's shoes, I would want to take my son to see his favorite team, too -- anything to have him experience something that he'll always remember.

 

I'd understand if it was a few people were being jerks, because there's always bound to be some stupid fratboy who's had 12 too many mouthing off. But three rows of people constantly teasing a kid with Asberger's is disgusting behavior.

 

[1992casey]

is there any way to tell just from looking at someone that they have Asberger's?

 

If it isn't Asperger's, it's still something with obvious symptoms. The point is that something's wrong and that the kid shouldn't have to suffer abuse because of it.

 

Also, the post beginning with "Ok, doctor" crosses the condescension line. Posts need to address the message rather than attack the messenger.

[saget]

I think Brewer fans in general are better mannered than the average stadium goer. Pre 5th-6th inning, of course.

[SeriesFinale]

Isn't it "Asperger's"?

 

Regardless of whether the kid has Asperger's, Asberger's, Brown Bottle Flu, whatever, making fun of children is a major no-no and they should've gotten an earful about it.

[gypcasino]

but why can't a father take his son to the game?

I don't have kids myself but I've been to plenty of games at Miller Park where I was glad that I didn't have kids with me. Nothing as extreme as the situation described here but just generally surrounded by drunk knobs shouting gibberish and dropping f bombs left and right. Sadly, it's a crap shoot whether you're going to be sitting near drunk idiots or not. Of course your chances increase say if you buy right field bleacher tickets on a weekend for you and your five year old. But the behavior in the seats is really not surprising when for certain games the stands are half empty at first pitch because a large portion of the fan base just turned 21 yesterday and is slamming their 14th and 15th beer on their walk to the gates. Talk about how great Miller Park is to watch a game but I'm sure there are plenty of people who won't go to games there because of the drunken atmosphere and the behavior of a certain segment of the crowd.

[brewcrewman17]

I've been avoiding Brewers/Cubs games at MP for years now, and it's not like I'm some middle-aged guy with kids. I'm 20, and I just can't take the antagonistic, rowdiness of the crowd. I went to a boarding school on the north shore of Chicago, and so I know a lot of cubs fans, and they aren't pleasant people. They're my friends and I like them, but for the most part, when it comes to baseball, I'd rather not talk to them. I don't like getting text messages after the last pitch in a Brewers loss to the Cubs is thrown, it's not classy, it's not gracious, but frankly, antagonistic text messages are one thing, but it's a whole different level of horrible at the stadium.

 

A little off topic, but to me, going to the games hasn't been fun for a while now because I always feel on defense. Trying to defend a player who I like who isn't having the best night. Trying to not scoop my eyeballs out of my socket when the guy next to me says, "That Hunter Pence is a talented player." I don't know, maybe I just need a girlfriend. (almost certainly the answer).

[gbpacker40]

Im disgusted by the fact that our season ticket holders who claim to be die hard fans are selling their tickets to Cubs fans. Period.

[gypcasino]

There are plenty of season ticket holders who aren't die hard fans or even Brewers fans period and wouldn't even claim to be if you asked them.

[bucks2281]

Many area companies who are season ticket holders are giving the Cubs tickets to customers/vendors/others in the Chicago area. That's where a good number of Cubs fans are getting the tickets, IMO.

[bigredrobbo]

Im disgusted by the fact that our season ticket holders who claim to be die hard fans are selling their tickets to Cubs fans. Period.

 

Hey, this is America. It's a free market economy.

 

(Insert any other justification here)

 

To paraphrase Greg Lake, "the gifts we get, we deserve"...

[gbpacker40]

I dont buy the whole companies giving to IL, distributors and etc....That can be vice versa as well. Id be willing to bet about at least 70% of those tickets sold to Cubs fans are from individual ticket holders who are trying to recoup a few dollars. Which really eerks me. I understand trying to make some money, but come on. There has to be a way to sell these tickets to Brewers fans who would pay the same price. Show some respect towards your local team.

[brains and braun]

As the Brewers become more successful, you have more casual fans coming out, who will pay less attention to the game, drink WAY more, and ignore, or are ignorant of game etiquette. The situation described by bball is an absolute embarrassment, however, and even the casual/drunken/idiot fan should be above that behavior. This is a situation where MP security or the sheriffs should have stepped in. No one deserves to take that sort of abuse, but especially a KID, and one who has something wrong with them that may be causing their "unusual behavior" or whatever was offensive to our fans. I think the security presence is often lacking with big crowds, particularly in the upper deck. Don't put the onus on the fan to track down security.

 

A side note: I love the Crew, and I usually get to about thirty a year, but I avoid Cub games like the plague. If I had a package, I would get rid of the Cubs tix, because I've found that situations like the one described are not the exception for these series. Not wanting to subject myself to donkeys does not make me or anyone else a bad fan.

[ryne100]

I have a 20 pack and I sold some of my tickets to Cub fans. I don't care. These games are obnoxious and torture. If the Cubs win, I have to hear about it from the second the Cubs take the lead until I get to my car. I have basically decided I care too much to subject myself to this. I feel better about charging three times the face value to Cub fans than to Brewer fans. If you think this makes me less of a fan of the team, you're wrong.

[bigredrobbo]

I have a 20 pack and I sold some of my tickets to Cub fans. I don't care. These games are obnoxious and torture. If the Cubs win, I have to hear about it from the second the Cubs take the lead until I get to my car. I have basically decided I care too much to subject myself to this. I feel better about charging three times the face value to Cub fans than to Brewer fans. If you think this makes me less of a fan of the team, you're wrong.

 

And if you think that helping to tip the crowd balance from Brewers fans to Cubs fans doesn't affect how well the team does then you're wrong...

 

There's a reason they call it "home field advantage".

[Brian the Automator]

And if you think that helping to tip the crowd balance from Brewers fans to Cubs fans doesn't affect how well the team does then you're wrong...

 

There's a reason they call it "home field advantage".

Honestly I think the major components of home field advantage are having the last at-bat, not having to travel, and being able to custom-build a team to your park. Of course having the crowd root you on provides a psychological benefit that I'm sure is comforting to players, there's more in play than just that.

Personally, I stay the hell away from MP during Cubs games. While it seems that 75% of Cubs fans are simply rooting for their squad as we would at Wrigley, those 25% make it unbearable... and the loudmouth drunken Brewers fans who blurt obscenities back at them aren't helping the cause.

Back to the original topic, making fun of kids in general at games should be off-limits. The fact that the kid had a autistic disorder of some sort only makes the situation that much more embarrassing. As someone with a neuropsychiatric condition, I really feel for that family.