Five Infamous Fan Moments in Sports History
The controversy surrounding Philadelphia Eagles fan Ryan Caldwell for berating a female Packers fan during a game is just the latest incident of scandalously unruly fan behavior in sports. Fox News Digital recounts the five most infamous fan moments in the history of sports.
5. Cubs fan sabotages his own team and extends the most infamous curse in MLB history
During Game 6 of the 2003 National League Division vs. the then-Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs fan Steve Bartman reached out and grabbed a ball that could have been caught. At the time, Chicago had a 3-0 lead and could have clinched a trip to the World Series with a win. Bartman’s actions were not rooted in malice, but the consequences, aftermath, and imagery of him at that game is what has made the incident so infamous.
4. Eagles fan fires flare gun at fellow spectators during game, igniting flurry of fistfights and arson charges
In 1997, during a Monday night game against the San Francisco 49ers, one mischievous Eagles fan shot a flare gun into the stands full of other fans, endangering multiple lives. After the flare was shot, multiple fistfights broke out around the stadium as most of the violence was directed at 49ers fans by Eagles fans.
3. Ron Artest fights Detroit Pistons fans in incident dubbed ‘Malice at the Palace’
A 2004 game between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers devolved into one of the ugliest moments in NBA history when a player started attacking fans. There were just seconds left of the game when the fight began, but the conditions got so hostile that the game was never finished.
2. Cleveland Indians sell beers for $0.10 each, giving way to a violent drunken mob
In 1974, the Cleveland Indians held an event known only now as “10-Cent Beer Night.” The team sold beers for $0.10 each for a game against the Texas Rangers, and many of those fans ended up on the field in a riot in the ninth inning.
1. Women’s tennis star Monica Seles stabbed by fan of rival after big win
Yugoslavian women’s tennis star Monica Seles was stabbed by a fan of one of her biggest rivals at the 1993 Citizen Cup in Hamburg, Germany. During a break after winning a game in the quarterfinal match against Magdalena Maleeva, a fan of German player Steffi Graf ran onto the court and stabbed Seles in the back while she sat courtside.