I am saddened…

[wickedsolo]

No. My father attended the 2010 Championship, Chelsea vs. ManU. He mentioned nothing of this... but he did mention the behavior at a Ravens game I took him to. I've been to Rugby matches in NewZealand and Baseball games in Japan and have seen nothing like this. NOTHING.

Then he clearly wasn't looking because international soccer matches are WAY more violent and way more ridiculous. Haven't you ever seen the movie "Green Street Houligans"???

[MinnesotaRaven]

Then he clearly wasn't looking because international soccer matches are WAY more violent and way more ridiculous. Haven't you ever seen the movie "Green Street Houligans"???

Who knows... he was there on business and may have been in a box or something. Which removes you from everything... I'm sure even at a Ravens game the seats make a difference. I'm sure people who are in expensive lower level seats spend much less time getting really drunk outside and coming in halfway through the game and spend more time in watching the game.

[Irish Raven]

Sad about the autographs but as said above and I think Ross Tucker on ESPN said it too, some players personalize every autograph now
If you want it then your name is going on it.

Won't stop the flogging on ebay but it would make a difference and may help the genuine requests
A quick look and there are professional sellers up there selling hundred of items, Ray Lewis autographed jerseys for over 200 dollars.



As for what you saw, you'll see that in sports in every country in the world

Sure India and Pakistan cricket matches have broken out into riots, you'd imagine cricket would be a laid back sport

asshole + alcohol + pumped up atmosphere = even bigger asshole then they were before

Don't be disheartened or let them get you and your son down. Your son is a future fan and will be taking you to games one day

[Section 502 Raven]

i was talking to my neighbor who is a steelers season ticket holder. he said he thinks M&T is a bad place to see a game as an opponent. i never saw that in my 8-9 years at M&T. When my son was 8 we had tickets on the very last seat at the top of the stadium and never had issues. the physical attacking issues that redskinfury are serous and the ravens better get control of thier gameday experience if this acitvtiyt is commonplace.

[festivus]

Well, that was sad and disappointing to read.

I will say that I haven't been to as many games as you, but as I think back on the Ravens games I've attended, the premier examples of bad behavior have all been at preseason games.

There's no excuse for a lack of common courtesy. None. But hopefully if you return once the season starts people will be better behaved.

I'm bringing my son on Thursday; I hope we have a better experience than you did.

[wickedsolo]

i was talking to my neighbor who is a steelers season ticket holder. he said he thinks M&T is a bad place to see a game as an opponent. i never saw that in my 8-9 years at M&T. When my son was 8 we had tickets on the very last seat at the top of the stadium and never had issues. the physical attacking issues that redskinfury are serous and the ravens better get control of thier gameday experience if this acitvtiyt is commonplace.

It is also partly on the fans in that section to relay this information to the security guards posted all around the stadium. They can't be everywhere and they can't see everything.

[Mista T]

I've attended almost every Ravens game played at Camden Yards and Memorial, and at almost every opponent stadium. I have witnessed every type of behavior described above at many stadiums, but never all in one game. I've accompanied kids to the autographs sessions at several locations, and I did see some mid-teens getting aggressive once, at Westminster - however, that was unique. Most of the age 6-14 sessions were well-policed by the team interns and the players themselves.

If you stop attending Ravens games due to fan behavior, that's obviously your business. But just to point out another perspective on unruly people in public: I won't go back to Arundel Mills or Owings Mills Malls due to having to deal with threatening scumbags hanging at at those places -- Ravens games, drunks and obnoxious taunters etc, are not as bad.

[camdenyard]

i was talking to my neighbor who is a steelers season ticket holder. he said he thinks M&T is a bad place to see a game as an opponent. i never saw that in my 8-9 years at M&T. When my son was 8 we had tickets on the very last seat at the top of the stadium and never had issues. the physical attacking issues that redskinfury are serous and the ravens better get control of thier gameday experience if this acitvtiyt is commonplace.

I've been to well over 100 games and I rarely see this. It was more common at Memorial Stadium.

But I will say that preseason games tend to bring out some of the worst. A different crowd. Less committed maybe.

[saintmatthew]

Being a pre-season game half the people there were probably handed free tickets or got them at a serious discount. So now you have more people who just want to go and get hammered at a sporting event than normal instead of serious fans interested in the game. Hell, I usually don't drink at the rare opportunity to see a Ravens game but once they pulled the starters well before the Lions did, I decided to have a few. Granted I didn't start a fight or puke but I get the impression that the preseason crowd is the "what is there to lose" crowd.

[RavenScallywag]

i had a similar experience with autographs at m&t stadium practice. I'm not going to stop taking him to games/practices (btw, our lone preseason game last year was actually really nice, he was wearing redskins and ravens gear and no one harrassed us at all), i just hop the organize things better. It sounded like Stevenson would've been better organized, did players stick around for long to sign? I know they did at m&t...the real problem is that people get in the front and CAMP there for as many as they can get. I'd like to see it organized so you go to whoever's free and "get back in line" if you want more, etc...

really, for us parents, the way to go is something like the Baltimore Football Festival, or other player appearances. Much better access and less craziness. I had to miss that unfortunately.

[GOTA]

When I was in 2nd grade I took a trip with the Cub Scouts to Yankee Stadium to watch my first baseball game. This was in the 70s and lets just say the adult supervision wasn't nearly as tight as it would be today.

My biggest memory was going into the bathroom with my fellow Cub Scout Lester and meeting the strangest guy. He told us he hated the Cub Scouts and would give us $10 bucks each to swear at us. Being dopey kids we said sure never thinking what some sicko might to to a couple of kids.

He hit us with every swear we knew and many we didn't. Lester couldn't stop laughing. At the end he went to his wallet gave us each the $10 bucks he promised, thanked us and walked out.

Whenever I read about how things are today I think back to that and realize that it's probably always been that way. That doesn't mean it's right but unfortunately it's not going to change

[SC_Raven_Fan]

Take your sad ass home, buy your freeze-dried ham and yams with a 100yr shelf life, and hunker down with your guns for the coming apocalypse.

The rest of us (with some sense of decency) will continue to engage the people we encounter and let them know there is a standard of public behavior (either by modeling it or by calling them out on their bad behavior).

In this fight or flight situation, I choose fight. I love my country and I'm not gonna let it be overrun by assholes. I'm a big enough asshole as it is. I simply try to be an asshole for good.