Crowd behavior

[danzig6767]

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.

I'm not excusing that behavior at all by the original poster, but go in nearly any stadium where rivals are playing and good sized numbers of the rival are mixing with the home team, bad behavior is a near given. That's simply to many drunk males in one place with conflicting agendas to not expect boorish behavior is going to happen.

 

[valpocrewsader]

A thread for this? Really? Cubs fans are the lowest form of life ever, if a small super mega tiny sub-section of Brewer nation/ county/ village takes it too far, is it really a big deal? I love ya Kenny, but come'on. Holy jebus.

[SheetsCyYoung04]

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.

Since alot of the seats in which Cubs fans were in were pretty good, Im guessing that some of the people were season ticket holders through the David Manning era. I cant really question thier dedication.

[Leinie Lodge]

In which inning was your Usher notified of this situation? Normally the Miller Park staff, once notified, can be quite persuasive in encouraging better fan behavior.

[yount19.u]

Making fun of a kid's disorder crosses the line (unless the disorder is just being a Cubs fan). The ushers should have put a stop to that immediately and I'm sorry to hear they didn't. With that being said, I still feel it's my job as a Brewer fan to make the Cubs fan's time at Miller Park as uncomfortable as possible. It's not ok to use profanity, throw things or make personal insults. But, it is ok to heckle the crap out of these swine. If they have the gall to show up at a rivals ball park and cheer like it's game seven of the WS every time they get a walk, I'm going to educate them on theirs and their teams shortcomings. There's nothing wrong with putting a condescending Cubs fan in his place.

[davego]

I understand this makes me a coward, but I just avoid the Cubs games.

[sgtcluels]

That's embarrassing. The people doing it should be kicked from the game, and maybe in the testicles too.

 

I do not blame anyone for not going to the Cubs game, the Cubs fans are so antagonistic it's hard to have a good time. Here's my recap in left field bleachers.

 

Inning 1) Two full glasses of beers spills from the deck above (Metavante or Terrace not sure), drenching Brewers fans.

 

Inning 2) Repeat Inning 1.

 

Some time around then, Braun throws a ball into the stands. A Cub fan waits for the second pitch of the inning, and throws the ball at Braun, and it lands at his feet. They are stunned when they get tossed.

 

Another full glass of beer falls from the deck above, and then we see foam spits. Like someones shaking bottle. Awesome.

 

Cubs fan dumps beer ona Brewers fan. She gets tossed, and decides to moon the stands. Classy.

 

Some more beer dumped on this Brett Favre looking guy, 3 Cubs fan kicked out, on Brewers fan who retaliated.

 

It wasn't very fun.

[Mr QL]

Ugh, your situation you described there was weird and vague but I wouldn't consider that a fair representation of Brewer fans. At games I've gone to opposing fans are generally left alone for the most part unless they're being really obnoxious. Cubs/Brewers games aren't really family friendly games either though so gotta exercise good judgment on bringing people who might be sensitive to a rowdy crowd. I brought my 81 year old grandmother to Cubs/Brewers game, on Easter Sunday no less, a year or two ago and she disliked the crowd so much she never wants to go to another Cubs/Brewers game ever again. Had ticket to game last night actually and gave it away.

[brewerguy71]

This is a problem at every baseball park in Major League Baseball. Although no where near the extent of rampant nationalism during the 1930's in Europe, there are parallels.

 

I was at the Cub Brewer game at Wrigley last year when Aramis Ramirez hit the walk off home run, and there were many Brewer fans in attendance that seemed to be just looking for a fight, and acting like drunken buffoons.

 

Cub fans are just as guilty.

 

Its just sad that you cant take your kids to a game anymore and not run into this obnoxious type of behavior.

 

I think that the teams almost encourage it. Does anyone remember the video they used to show at the start of games where Bernie the Brewer would hit an HR and blow up the rest of the stadiums in the NL Central? Is it any surprise now that fans will go the extent they do to "support" their team?

[bball123h]

This series seems to bring out the ugly in both fanbases. Maybe I'll just stick to my non-Cub games, as not even the Twins series or St. Louis seem to get near as bad. Heck, even IN St. Louis, people were friendly and engaging my fiance and I in baseball conversation. It was a cool experience.

[vacin8r]

Too bad you didnt have the usher from our section. He was running people for pretty much no reason at all. For the most part the cubs and brewer fans in my area werent too bad, a couple people with a little too much liquid courage, but nothing too serious. Then at one point a group of guys above us all were standing chanting "lets go brewers" and the usher yells up for them to sit down. They are like, "its a brewer game, why do we need to sit down?" the ushers reply: "sit down now, or else, if everyone were standing thats one thing, but they arent". So then the guy next to me stands up and yells "Im standing". The usher tells him to come with him. Hes like "are you serious?" So the usher goes and gets like 4 cops to escort him away. his buddy tries to argue with the usher. He gets tossed. A guy above us makes a comment about it. He gets tossed. That guys giurlfriend complains, he threatens to throw her out too, but she leaves on her own. the jerk of an usher on his power trip the rest of the game just keep staring at other people who said stuff waiting for a reason to throw them out. He also makes a kid in a 102.1 fm radio station t-shirt turn it inside out because the "rock fist" on it is offensive. every time anyone near us stands up he makes the motion to sit down, even though multiple times he lets people in the area in front of us stand. I understand that brewer-cub games can get out of control, but this guy took away from the fan experience just for the sake of his own ego. I plan on writing the brewers about this guy in the hopes nothing like this happens again. If I ever saw anything like this again, I would have to seriously reconsider if Miller Park is a place for me to spend my entertainment dollar.

-Don

[jeffy]

making fun of a teen Cub fan with Asbergers is not cool. Yes, he is cheering for lesser things...

 

When I read this post, I thought it was about a brand of beer and cheering for the Cubs http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/laugh.gif

 

 

[Chio151]

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.

Asperger's a type of very high-functioning Autism. It's often very difficult to notice it, especially in public.

 

Regardless, I think fans should focus their cheering and booing on the field and not the grandstand. If you follow that rule, everyone will be happy.

 

It's too bad a few idiots always have to ruin in for a section of hundreds.

 

[bball123h]

You could tell he had something, as he got pretty excited for little things and got shaky whenever he got excited. I found out after the fact that it was Aspergers while talking with his father. This kind of thing is definitely on my pet peeves list, so it really struck a chord with me. My fiance teaches special education and I once was going down the path to teach, so I guess this behavior bothers me more than most, especially reading many of the responses. You can poke fun at someone for choices they make to a certain extent, but not medical conditions over which they have no control.

[Legacy25GT]

Here's my recap in left field bleachers...

I witnessed some off this from section 128. Saw the guy throw the ball back on the field and consequently kicked out of the game. Otherwise heard quite a bit of commotion going on in the LF bleachers. Where I was sitting, surrounded by a good number of cubs fans, who were for the most part fairly civil. Of course there was the usual razzing going both ways, but I saw brewers and cubs fans shaking hands after the game nearby. The guy who sat next to me (who bought his tickets back in march from the brewers) was more than polite as we chatted it up before the game, and even offered a good-bye handshake as he left in the top of the ninth saying "We have a long drive tonight so we're leaving early, but I'll tell you now, the Cub's BP has this one in the bag".

 

But with that said, way too many cubs fans are very arrogant, from the stupid song they obnoxtiously sing when they win, to the "W" flags. As I was leaving the stadium, at the top of the aisle, there's a half dozen cubs fans sarcastically thanking everyone who walks up the stairs for coming to "Wrigley North". Then as I'm walking through the parking lot (wearing a Prince Fielder jersey) someone yells "Hey Fielder, not looking so hot lately" to which I responded "You might want to wait til after this series to say that"

 

 

(pared back long quote --1992)

[BrewCrew25]

I just feel that I needed to add that I am going to all of the Brewers/Cubs games this year because it disgusts me how many Cubs fans come to the game, even when the Brewers aren't playing the Cubs. I went to CC's first start a few weeks ago and at the top of our section there were 10 people dressed up in cubs gear. Are you serious?!?

 

I went with my brother to opening day at Wrigley this year. It was my first time at Wrigley and honestly, I enjoyed that game more than most. We got caught in a rain delay and ended up talking to a few Cubs fans here and there. Although we were all hardcore fans for our team, we respected the fact that we were baseball fans above all. We cheered for our teams, but kept it at that... no personal attacks or stupid behavior.

 

Last night I was completely disgusted by one Cubs fan sitting directly in front of me. He was this trashy, smelly, ghetto, drunk guy that couldn't think of anything better to say than "CC, go get another cheeseburger" He was so obnoxious to the point that the people he was with (one Brewers fan and 2 Cubs fans) apologized and took him out of the game because they were so embarrassed.

 

It's fans like this (for both teams) that can ruin these games for fans. But it's also those fans who motivate me to make sure that I'm at every one of those games to cheer as hard as I can for the Brewers. The Cubs have failed time and time again for the last 100 years, it just time for the Brewers to come through and finish what the Cubs can't. :o)

[pretendastronaut]

Some time around then, Braun throws a ball into the stands. A Cub fan waits for the second pitch of the inning, and throws the ball at Braun, and it lands at his feet. They are stunned when they get tossed.

 

I saw that happen from where I sit, that was pretty stupid. Braun looked pretty annoyed too. That would make 2 straight Cubs games he's had something thrown at him by Cubs fans.

I was somewhat worried about my section going into the game, because its normally pretty heavy on visiting fans for any game, let alone a Cubs game, but I have to say, there was only 1 obnixious Cub guy that I saw and he wasn't even that obnoxious. At one point a Brewer fan walked up the aisle with his middle finger in the air shouting obscenities to Cub fans in general. The Cubs fans next to me just said something quietly to each other about October and that was that. Other than that, it was all just cheering for your team around me, no beer throwing, no rude shouting, no super drunks. I'll take it.

Of course, outside after the game is a lot of showboating and shouting, but at that point the drunks are mingling everywhere.

[JohnBriggs12]

My 17 year old son has Asperger's syndrome so I speak with much personal experience here. He has experienced a lifetime of indignities from ignorant and just plain mean people.

 

Believe me when I tell anyone reading this that the "fun" they are having at his expense hurts them just as much as anyone if not more. My son is no dummy. He's like any other teen. He wants friends and to be treated like any other kid. He's a B honor roll student who excells in math and science and as a member of his high school chess team has competed at state chess meets in Illinois.

 

The telltale sign of an Aspergers (or other Autism spectrum disorder) is that when excited, they flap their hands. If over stimulated, they can experience quite emotional episodes. Raising a child with it is hard on everyone in the family. Most people don't have a clue.

 

My son's been to Miller Park many times, and we've never had a problem with other fans. But he really doesn't get into the games all that much and is usually well behaved. He's even been to Lambeau with no problems either. So I can understand the dad thinking it would be okay. Had I been that dad though, I would have got up early on and either called security or defended my son right from the get go.

 

In recent years, my son taken to posting on video game forums which is what he's passionate about. As we all know, differences of opinion can get quite personal on these can have a real effect on him so we try to monitor it as much as we can.

 

Asperger kids have a lot to offer society. Most are very smart. If you see someone acting a little odd, remember they have parents and family and feelings too. Leave em alone or better yet, just say hi to them. If you know a kid at your school with Aspergers, include him in your group. It might seem like a small thing, but you can't believe what good that does for them.

[naivin]

I will refer to a post I made in the IGT before the game yesterday...

 

These series have typically drawn in the worst 'fans' f both teams - many there primarily to simply make their presence felt more than the others. I stopped going to Brewer-Cubs games a couple seasons ago. Hopefully, as the quality on the field improves, the quality of people enetering the park will improve as well.

 

There is no doubt that these games draw in a lot of people desperate to out do the other side, and it is beyond pathetic - on both sides. I have been to several over the years, took my kids to exactly one - that was enough. The volume of knuckleheads really does a lot to take the fun out of it. The Brewers can obviously do what they want, but as more and more people like me and others in this thread decide to sit these games out, it is simply going to get worse. Its a real shame too, because these are the games that people like me and the others in this thread should be at. Let the collection of unsavory riff raff that these games draw go get hammered and swear when the Nationals are in town. Personally, I would recommend an (perhaps significant) increase in ticket prices for all Cubs series. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying I would pay more to go to these games if I was a little more certain I wouldn't want to get up and leave in the second inning because there are a bunch of drunk ____ fans needing to make sure everyone knows they're there.

[Team Canada]

A thread for this? Really? Cubs fans are the lowest form of life ever, if a small super mega tiny sub-section of Brewer nation/ county/ village takes it too far, is it really a big deal? I love ya Kenny, but come'on. Holy jebus.

 

 

Prejudice: It's okay when it's about sports!

 

If you substituted Cubs and Brewers with racial/ethnic terms, some of the posts here would be disgraceful (especially yours valpo). I'm all for an intense rivalry, but the whole "every Cub fan is a pathetic loser and a horrible person" is starting to get old. I'm making a wild conjecture here, but I bet there are nice Cub fans out there (gasp!).

 

It's also sad that one, people don't have any sense of public decency and decorum anymore and two, onlookers just shrug and say "well, you have to expect that, it's a rivalry."

[naivin]

Just to further demonstrate the presence of idiots atthese games. Its just one guy, but still...

 

"I love it," said Ryan Curry, 27, of Rockford, Ill., dressed in a Cubs jersey. "The fans are fun. We argue back and forth. This is one of the greatest seasons we've had in a long time. We were the first National League team with 60 wins. We were in first, then tied, then in first. If we lose this series, we lose the season."

 

Good grief.

[TheBucketheadBrigader]

Just to further demonstrate the presence of idiots atthese games. Its just one guy, but still...

 

"I love it," said Ryan Curry, 27, of Rockford, Ill., dressed in a Cubs jersey. "The fans are fun. We argue back and forth. This is one of the greatest seasons we've had in a long time. We were the first National League team with 60 wins. We were in first, then tied, then in first. If we lose this series, we lose the season."

 

Good grief.

 

And the idiots weren't JUST in the stands...

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE • Brewers shortstop J.J. Hardy made a fabulous play to retire Alfonso Soriano in the fifth inning after CC Sabathia deflected his liner up the middle. Hardy made a bare-hand scoop of the ball and fired a one-hop throw to Prince Fielder for the out. • Third-base umpire Doug Eddings made two calls on key, close plays that went against the Brewers. In the sixth inning, Eddings called Corey Hart out trying to take third on a throw home that first baseman Lee cut off. In the seventh, he called Cedeño safe at third on a double steal as Soriano struck out. Replays indicated that Hart was safe and Cedeño was out.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=777316

[naivin]

Too bad you didnt have the usher from our section. He was running people for pretty much no reason at all.

 

Good. I think the quick hook should be standard operating proceedure at these games. If it was, the riff raff who make it so unenjoyable for so many, might just stay home and make it more enjoyable for all. My 7 year old son is so into this Brewers-Cubs thing, its crazy. Unfortunately, he won't be going anywhere near Miller Park this week. If the environment was not so toxic, we'd be there for sure.

[Chio151]

Thanks for the personal narrative JohnBriggs. I'm sure through your experiences that the vast majority of people are mature and accepting if your son gets a little excited sometimes. Believe me, I also know from personal experience about how children on the autism spectrum can experience the highs and lows more than you and I. It's tough sometimes, but the more you educate people the more you realize that most are decent.

[owbc]

I always hate hearing stories like this. It's fine if drunken Brewers and Cubs fans want to go at it, but leave those who are enjoying the game out of it. I know the majority of Brewers and Cubs fans are good people, but for some reason there is that small group of fans that will single out anybody wearing the opposite jersey and fire personal insults at them. I don't understand it. I have plenty of friends who are Cubs fans. I don't blame them for it. If I was born in Chicago, I'd be a Cubs fan too, and considering how horrible the Brewers have been for the past 15 years, I really don't blame people living in Southern Wisconsin for becoming Cubs fans either. It's not like they should change allegiance to the Brewers now.

 

Secondly, there always seems to be this inclination to try and blame it all on the other fan base. The Cubs fans are supposedly at fault for "invading" Miller Park when the Brewers play here and season ticket holders are "to blame" for selling their seats. Do you blame Cubs fans for coming here? There are some who live in Milwaukee anyway, so it's easier for them to come here, and secondly, the prices are so high at Wrigley that it makes financial sense for them to come up to the cheaper Miller Park. Of course there's going to be some people with Wrigley North signs, but honestly, it really was Wrigley North for the last 10 years, we even grow ivy in CF. I have seen plenty of MLB stadiums, and I think Brewers and Cubs fans are some of the most passionate and most obnoxious fans in MLB. Cubs fans throw garbage on the field, Brewers fans are notorious for booing. Prince Fielder and Wes Helms are the ones who have complained, but I'm sure they aren't the only ones who think that.

 

Anyway, the bottom line is that many Brewers fans are being scared away from Miller Park during the series because of the passionate hatred between Brewers and Cubs fans. If I had kids, I wouldn't want them to be exposed to that atmosphere, I'd rather take them to a Cardinals game to show them how baseball fans should behave.