By Matt "Money" Smith
FOX Sports West and PRIME TICKET
MONEY ARCHIVE
December 6, 2010
I have lived in Los Angeles for just a few months shy of two decades, working jobs that have me traveling the country from coast to coast, attending countless sporting events. I have seen the worst of fans from every corner of the nation.
As I near my 20-year mark in L.A., I am more than comfortable saying to hell with Philadelphia, there's not a worse set of fans in the country than right here in Los Angeles.
The buildup has been gathering for years, from the Raiders' days at the Coliseum, through the near-riots that ensued after the Lakers' championships in this decade, to last weekend's parking-lot brawl at the Rose Bowl, where Arturo Cisneros (a 44-year-old man, by the way) was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder thanks to his alleged stabbing of a Cal State Fullerton kid eight times in the back.
At this point, no amount of booing Santa Claus is going to wrest that distinction away from the "City of Angels."
People will say it's a few "bad apples" and it's not fair to condemn everyone for their bad behavior. Unfortunately, the extreme element is in fact what we are defined by, because every city has a majority of people content to go to a game, sit in their seats and enjoy a sporting event without incident.
It's the choices made by those who have bad judgment, a proclivity to get completely hammered as though it's a requirement to enjoy a sporting event and ruin the experience for everyone else that determines what a city's "fan character" happens to be.
It's no different than the national perception that fans in Los Angeles show up to games late out of indifference and leave early to avoid traffic. You'd be blind to suggest there isn't an element of that, especially in the more expensive seats, but I wouldn't call it the majority. Much like I wouldn't say there are a whole lot of men like the one detailed above, but there are enough.
You can blame the booze all you want, but there's beer and tailgating at every stadium across the country. And last time I checked we don't have to read about people getting murdered in parking lots after the game. Something we've got covered as well, thanks to a 2003 shooting at Dodger Stadium.
Angelinos even got into the spirit in record time in 2009 after a fan was stabbed multiple times in the parking lot at the Dodgers' home opener.
Eagles fans made a name for themselves booing Santa and cheering opposing players lying injured on the turf, but they can't compare to L.A. when it comes to taking the "action" to the stands, to the parking lots and to the streets.
It's becoming less and less enjoyable to attend games, thanks to the aggressive behavior of more and more individuals. You might think it exists only in the rafters and pavilions, but that's simply profiling. It's in every section, of every arena, in and outside of every stadium in town. Fans take too many liberties because they happen to be in their "home" venue.
While violent incidents are the extremes, ask anyone who has gone to a game recently what the experience is like. Vulgarity is prevalent, taunting other fans is normal, and what used to be a great way to spend time with the family and bond over watching the best athletes in the world has turned into what I can best describe as a "stressful" experience.
With HDTVs becoming more norm than exception in homes across the Southland and stories on the local news about another brawl at another game, it's no surprise ticket sales are down while television revenues are up. It's much more enjoyable to watch the game with your son or daughter on the couch, secure in your own home, than having to worry about the guy who's $30 deep in beers breathing all over your neck completely oblivious to his surroundings.
And it's less hazardous to your health.
Matt "Money" Smith can be heard Monday-Friday on The Petros and Money Show on FOX Sports Radio's KLAC-AM 570 from 3 pm to 7 pm (PT).
