fan who ganked ball from favre gets probation
Ever since the assault on former Royals first-base coach Tom Gamboa three seasons ago in Chicago, I’ve been looking out for these kinds of incidents — streakers and field-rushers and the like. The man who on October 30 jumped the fence at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati and took the ball out of the hands of Green Bay Packer QB Brett Favre was sentenced to 14 months’ probation, 230 hours’ community service, fined $200, and a permanent ban from both the football stadium and Riverfront Stadium, the home of baseball’s Cincinnati Reds.
You what else I advocate for these dopes who rush the field during a game? I can explain it in four words: “Mad Dog” Mike Curtis.
Video highlights of his pivotal pass interception in Super Bowl V have received plenty of television time over the years. So has the 1971 video of him whacking a fan who ran out on the field to steal a football.
While the Colts were waiting for the Miami Dolphins to come out of the huddle, a fan ran out on the field at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore and grabbed the ball. While his teammates stood there stunned, Curtis instinctively reacted with a crunching forearm block.
The fan spent a couple hours in jail and a couple hours in the hospital being treated for dizziness.
The Packers and the Bengals players just stood there and watched like a bunch of sacks of you-know-what. I’m cool with the celebrations at college games where the fans go on to the field after the game. They’re fun, and I was lucky enough to be a part of one (Kansas State’s 1998 football victory over Nebraska, the first in 30 years).
As for fans who go on to the field during a game, well — the players are typically much bigger and stronger than the average fan, and wearing suits of hard plastic armor to boot. If I’m a coach, I’m telling my strong safety or middle linebacker (or perhaps an offensive guard) to deck any of these clowns who run out on to the field to make some stupid scene.
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