Fights in the stands during NFL games are becoming as normal as wings at a tailgate party. This past Sunday's game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles had its share.
One fight in particular that is making the rounds on social media happened between a Chargers fan sporting a Justin Herbert jersey and a Raiders fan standing in front of him.
#Raiders #Chargers #Fight #SofiStadium pic.twitter.com/mzfR7duFcm
— Ricardo Vargas (@1ricardovargas) October 1, 2023
The two men were arguing when the Chargers supporter stood up and sent his opponent stumbling with a solid punch to the head. The Raiders fan staggered to his feet and somehow managed to get back into the fray.
Big mistake. He was hit three more times before being pushed down the stairs. Finally, another fan intervened and put an end to the fight.
At this time, the condition of the hapless Raiders fan is unknown, and there is no record of a police report.
This wasn't the only incident during the game. Another scuffle involved two women exchanging blows and pulling each other's hair after one asked the other to sit down. Once again, nearby spectators had to step in and restore order.
Where was security during all this? Apparently, they didn't see the point of risking life and limb to restore the peace. Other spectators had to do the dirty work for them.
Fights at NFL stadiums have escalated in just the first month of this season. After the Baltimore Ravens beat Cincinnati in Week 2, a fan head-butted another while being restrained by police.
Wait until the end for a textbook headbutt pic.twitter.com/VpLZPAZ1eH
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 17, 2023
One fan died following a dust-up at a Dolphins-Patriots game on Thursday Night Football at Gillette Stadium, although his death was believed to have been caused by a medical condition.
Like most venues, SoFi has a guest conduct policy. However, policies matter little when thousands of fans are loaded up with beer and ready to fight anyone who isn't on their side.
As incidents of this nature continue to increase at sporting events, stronger measures clearly need to be taken to discourage this kind of behavior.
By the way, the Chargers beat the Raiders 24-17. Give the Raiders fan in the viral clip credit for not backing down, even though he was thoroughly outclassed. Perhaps some boxing lessons are in order.
