A brawl erupts during a basketball game between Virginia Commonwealth University and Saint Louis on Tuesday, January 28th, 2025. It was witnessed and noted during a game at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, where a fight broke out behind the bench of the Virginia Rams. The fight was between fans. At the time of the battle, St Louis was ahead 69-63. It is unclear what caused the physical aggression, but St. Louis was winning.
This example of violence got me thinking: Has violence at sporting events increased? In my research, aggression has increased since 2020. A survey in 2023 was sent to 3,200 fans, resulting in 39.2% of responses having witnessed violence (Bisson, 2023). Another troubling statistic was that 7.2 % of football fans had been affected by a crime in or near the event. The data collected resulted in approximately 1.3 million spectators experiencing an unlawful act while attending a game (Bisson, 2023). Reviewing this data collection, an additional question came to mind…. Are sporting events unsafe for spectators?
Sports bring fans together to celebrate their teams and the competition. However, recent reports in the news raise safety concerns with aggressive, unsafe behaviors. Significant sporting events have enormous amounts of pressure to keep the fans safe. While attending the Olympics in Paris, security was tight. There were times when roads that had been open were then closed. The police monitored fans and areas where they could enter and exit the stadium. While it could be frustrating to leave and find out that way was unavailable, fans were accommodating, understanding that this was for our safety.
We have the Super Bowl coming up in February. Currently, there is a boycott of the game, accusing the NFL of favoriting the Kansas City Chiefs. I am sure there are plans to ensure the safety of others in case of demonstrations. Additional protocols include implementing crowd control measures, such as clear signage, adequate security, and capacity limits.
What can be done to decrease the desire to argue or fight? Enlist severe consequences for fighting. There could be fines or loss of privilege to attend life games. A surprising strategy that I witnessed was no alcohol served at the Olympics. Alcohol is a big money maker for sporting events; however, the consumption of alcohol can alter a person’s judgment. These drastic measures are necessary for the safety of attendees and to lower the risk of lawsuits to arena owners.
References
Bisson, J. (2023, September 19). Ranking the most dangerous NFL stadiums. Sportsbook Review. https://www.sportsbookreview.com/news/most-dangerous-nfl-stadiums/
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