2008 Woodie Awards
When pro athletes go bad ...
A commentary
Andy Gates
Issue date: 9/16/04 Section: Sports
On Monday night, the biggest news in sports involved a baseball player ... and a chair.
Frank Francisco, the Texas reliever, threw a chair into the Oakland crowd, during the ninth inning of the Rangers' 7-6, 10-inning loss to the Athletics.
I have seen water jugs, bats, helmets, gloves and bases (courtesy of Lou Pinella) being thrown during a game. They were all nice tirades, in which nobody got injured and the only contact the objects made was with the grass and dirt.
The same cannot be said for Francisco's chair toss.
Instead of keeping his emotions in check, Frank decided to take a chair and fling it into a group of people. The fans hit with the chair probably had little or nothing to do with the situation.
So instead of throwing an object on the field, which still would have conveyed his anger, he decided to try to crack some people in the face. He succeeded, hitting two spectators in their heads and breaking the nose of another. He was immediately arrested for aggravated battery.
What could have possibly caused this outburst?
Were the fans throwing objects into the bullpen, or were they merely screaming obscenities?
If the fans threw anything, security would have seen the objects in the bullpen, but there have been no reports thus far that prove this. Most likely, the only things thrown Francisco's way all night were some strong words from Oakland fans. He is a professional athlete. If the words from a few drunken spectators push him to commit an assault, Francisco should not be playing the game.
The fans have the right to say what they want during a game. Taunting is an inherent part of the sporting atmosphere.
From the early years of sports, an athlete learns crowds will be offensive. Trying to control this behavior would curb the passion of the fans. If I want to scream at a player during a game, then I am going to. They are professional athletes, and if they make a mistake or their team is losing, I may scream, "You suck," (the tamest of all insults) and not really worry if I hurt their feelings.
Frank Francisco, the Texas reliever, threw a chair into the Oakland crowd, during the ninth inning of the Rangers' 7-6, 10-inning loss to the Athletics.
I have seen water jugs, bats, helmets, gloves and bases (courtesy of Lou Pinella) being thrown during a game. They were all nice tirades, in which nobody got injured and the only contact the objects made was with the grass and dirt.
The same cannot be said for Francisco's chair toss.
Instead of keeping his emotions in check, Frank decided to take a chair and fling it into a group of people. The fans hit with the chair probably had little or nothing to do with the situation.
So instead of throwing an object on the field, which still would have conveyed his anger, he decided to try to crack some people in the face. He succeeded, hitting two spectators in their heads and breaking the nose of another. He was immediately arrested for aggravated battery.
What could have possibly caused this outburst?
Were the fans throwing objects into the bullpen, or were they merely screaming obscenities?
If the fans threw anything, security would have seen the objects in the bullpen, but there have been no reports thus far that prove this. Most likely, the only things thrown Francisco's way all night were some strong words from Oakland fans. He is a professional athlete. If the words from a few drunken spectators push him to commit an assault, Francisco should not be playing the game.
The fans have the right to say what they want during a game. Taunting is an inherent part of the sporting atmosphere.
From the early years of sports, an athlete learns crowds will be offensive. Trying to control this behavior would curb the passion of the fans. If I want to scream at a player during a game, then I am going to. They are professional athletes, and if they make a mistake or their team is losing, I may scream, "You suck," (the tamest of all insults) and not really worry if I hurt their feelings.