Jed York Throws the Flag on 49ers Fans
by Dylan DeSimone on Aug 23, 2011 2:30 PM PDT
in 49ers Stadium
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Print[This is a video taken by a fan that will put you in the middle of one of the many fights taking place. The mysterious crackling noise is in fact a taser gun being used to subdue the suspects.]
Violence ensued at Candlestick Park during the second preseason game featuring the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders. The heated tension between the bay area rivals reached a level it should have never seen this past Saturday, except it was the fans who brought it there. A number of the attendees took what should have been a meaningless preseason game and turned it into a hostile riot.
Beside the violent 4-man melee that's been displayed all over Sportscenter, guns were drawn and people were hospitalized. One of the victims was a 24-year-old 49ers fan, who was shot four times in the stomach in the parking lot. His father was on ESPN pleading to the fan nation for harmony at ball games again.
Soon after, San Francisco 49ers President Jed York addressed anyone who has immediate plans to be a visitor of Candlestick Park. York placed a request to Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL to nullify the annual preseason bout between his 49ers and their bay rival. In addition to that, he declared the end of tailgating after kickoff and a no tolerance policy regarding ill behavior, stating "Public safety is our top priority."
As a lifetime 49ers fan, I am embarrassed and feel the penalty given by York was warranted. Numerous fights erupted all over the venue, and even two men were wounded by gunfire at what most would consider to be a family venue on any other day. At least when San Francisco was losing games, we could say we were a classy organization.
The fact of the matter is, we've been brought down a notch after the savagery that took place at Candlestick last weekend. Police reported a rough estimate of 70 ejections from the stadium on the day; more than tripling the league average of 20. The shameful events will no doubt bring forth a campaign for stadium security upgrades.
The gang violence that spilled into the ball park that day is not going unpunished and will not be soon forgotten. All of the aggression should be left to the players on the field, to unite the crowd. Hopefully the NFL and Jed York make the appropriate adjustments to prevent an incident like this from happening again. And as individuals, we can do our part by swallowing our pride and being more passive in tense situations.
When the level of threat is death at an NFL game, changes need to be made. There could be a tremendous ripple effect in the league's policies, as they are in the midst of restructuring the technical side of the game. And because such a line was crossed, it will likely mean more security and less rights for fans attending the games. It would seem that both the league and the fans have some thinking to do after last weekends chaotic events.
Letter Regarding Candlestick Park
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Complete disgrace
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The Hometown Fan
by Drew Kerr on Aug 23, 2011 2:37 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
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The reaction online to some of the decisions made in light of the violence is interesting. A lot are fine with it, but I’ve seen some people get fired up over the additional DUI checkpoints after games (should already be mandated in my opinion) and the removal of in-game and post-game tailgating. I don’t tailgate so I suppose I can’t really comment on that entirely.
there is no reason for real fans to be
tailgating after kickoff anyway. Unless you don’t have tickets, in which case you should have never been allowed into the parking lot to begin with. Pre-game tailgating is part of the whole experience, and it would be sad to see everyone punished because of the douche-baggery of a few.
by Sigelvictory on Aug 23, 2011 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I don't think they are taking our pre-game tailgaiting.
Someone correct me if I am wrong.
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No mention of it...
I was speaking to Fooch… he said he doesn’t tailgate, and I was providing insight from someone who does / has.
by Sigelvictory on Aug 23, 2011 3:01 PM PDT up reply actions
Tailgating after a game is common to wait out the traffic
I go to 1 or 2 games a year with some buddies and we always tailgate prior to games and most of the time after the games. I think one of the reasons tailgating is so popular at the Stick is due to the traffic. I know the ONLY reason we tailgate after the game is that we would rather be sitting in a lawn chair eating snacks instead of sitting in a car for 1 hour not moving.
The best way to eliminate people hanging around after the game is give them a way to get home in a decent amount of time, which is not going to happen at the stick.
haha
“there is no reason for real fans to be tailgating after kickoff anyway” cool Mr. Self Righteous. Look I make crap for a salary and can not afford to pay $100 for a ticket, $75 for food and drink, and anything else the $$ men want me to waste cash on. I have been going to the stick for years tailgating when I can and being a gentlemen through the years. I BBQ and hang out with friends. Now I am the one who gets hurt by what is to be blamed on the season ticket holders (who are the most part the cry babies that gave there tickets out to gang bangers). Am I mad? Hell ya but mainly because I am no longer able to do what I have done for years. “it would be sad to see everyone punished because of the douche-baggery of a few.” ironic I guess since I am a real fan and love to tailgate during the game.
Californa is world PVP at it's finest.
Well there is a right and wrong way to tailgate.
And I think the right way is being enforced.
People should be sobering up… or not drink to the point that they are drunk and then get in their cars thereafter. More lives have been lost by drunk driving than should be. One life lost to it is too many.
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Of course...
Tailgating, doesn’t have to mean getting absolutely dirt nap drunk… unless you have a driver, and you can actually handle alcohol without turning into one of the P.O.S’s in the video above.
by Sigelvictory on Aug 23, 2011 3:00 PM PDT up reply actions
The DUI checkpoints are fine by me...
… but I think that prohibiting tailgating during the games is a huge overreaction to an isolated incident and only punishes the fans that they want to attract to the stadium. I think that York and Co. can take all the precautions they want, but I wonder if any of the changes we are talking about would have prevented the events that happened on Saturday.
actually...
I’m guessing the whole idea behind banning the tailgating during the games is to try and detract people from showing up at the stadium who don’t have tickets. … But I still think it’s unnecessary.
If you want to pay money to park, you should be able to experience the game-day atmosphere without someone assuming that you will get piss drunk and violent.
agreed
if they had more of a cop presence this wouldn’t have happened
Californa is world PVP at it's finest.
Oh,
and who still thinks that is a great idea that the Niners and Raiders share a stadium? I warned of this sort of thing back when we had this conversation on Niners Nation… and people jumped all over me when I mentioned Bryan Stow… not looking so illogical now.
I don't get this.
If they share a stadium, they’re almost never going to be playing in it at the same time. It’s not very hard to get from San Francisco to Oakland right now, or vice versa. There would be no greater incidence of booze-addled scumbuckets attacking each other in a shared facility than there is now.
if you are okay
with someone “almost never” getting beaten half to death, then I don’t disagree…
by Sigelvictory on Aug 23, 2011 4:36 PM PDT up reply actions
It's worked ok for the Giants and the Jets
and this incident is the first time in how many matchups where there’s been serious violence?
Still for a shared stadium
This will only be a problem if the raiders and miners are playing eachother. On top of that the money saved on a shared stadium could go to improving security, so we the fans can enjoy the game as we always have and still feel safe. I firmly believe that more visible security could have prevented what happened last game.
by AHR on Aug 23, 2011 4:56 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
No to sharing a stadium. If this kind of violence started because of what someone’s shirt had on it I can see it now. People would argue over who the stadium belongs to. Even if the Raiders and Niners are not playing each other . I could see a case where the Niners are playing a game and they lose, A raider fan or fans are sitting next to a niner fan or fans and some one says doesn’t matter they suck. This is really the home of the Raiders any how or vice versa. Next thing you know a fight breaks out or worse. So again I say !!NO WAY!!!! Niners and Raiders should share a stadium.
by bmcrae83@yahoo.com on Aug 23, 2011 10:59 PM PDT up reply actions
and why would there be raider fans at niner games.
There are plenty of raider fans who live near candlestick right now and they are not attending every niner game. I really don’t get the logic of why a raider fan would pay money to see the niners play if the raiders are not involved. And if they did show up to a game why would it be because of a shared stadium its not liked all raider fans are locked up in oakland and only let out when the raiders play someone else.
Don't see why this would impact sharing a stadium
They don’t play at the same time… And unlike many of the fans, the organizations are professionals who act like human beings and can get along for their mutual benefit.
by athletics68 on Aug 24, 2011 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions
Excellent Point
Yeah, we were supposed to share a stadium? And I suppose the Red Sox and Yankees are going to be best friends too. I’d say that deals likely off the table.
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I disagree
As I’ve said before, they don’t play at the same time. They’ll generally play on opposite Sundays, with the occasional prime time game meaning same week. But seeing as Raiders fans don’t always sell out their own stadium, what’s going to make them suddenly spend a bunch of extra money to make trouble at a 49ers stadium?
Additionally, part of the problem was the fact that tickets were going for 1/3 face value. That has nothing to do with sharing a stadium.
by David Fucillo on Aug 23, 2011 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I get the feeling that Al Davis will want to go back to Los Angeles in that stadium.
The only reason he left is because he could not get a new stadium approved. Now that it is in the works, I think they would be the front runner to go back. Especially since they’d have no trouble getting people to buy tickets right off the bat.
If the Jaguars were to go there, the stadium would probably fill up for the first couple of games and then fizzle out. Raiders fans in L.A. would love for their team to return. And they’d almost indefinitely sell out their games there like they did before.
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Only way that happens
Is if he gives up a majority share of his precious Raiders.
by athletics68 on Aug 24, 2011 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions
So if you eliminate preseason match ups
cause the trash can afford the cheap tickets, then you only have to worry about someone getting killed every few years when they play in the regular season… If that is an acceptable casualty rate, then I guess I have no point to argue.
by Sigelvictory on Aug 23, 2011 3:16 PM PDT up reply actions
not to mention...
does anybody in their right mind really want to be involved in a contract with Al Davis? Good way to end up in court.
by Sigelvictory on Aug 23, 2011 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions
This I can agree with entirely.
It makes far more sense to avoid sharing a stadium so as not to be doing business with Al Davis, than any other reason I’ve heard. The man is a chiseling weasel. Worse yet, a chiseling weasel who probably has Alzheimers.
FYI
this video is from 3 years ago, and judging by the section numbers and signs it was in Oakland
I think...
the video serves it’s purpose none the less.
by Sigelvictory on Aug 23, 2011 3:15 PM PDT up reply actions
video update
I plugged in a new video that was from the game.
by David Fucillo on Aug 23, 2011 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions
So if you eliminate preseason match ups
cause the trash can afford the cheap tickets, then you only have to worry about someone getting killed every few years when they play in the regular season… If that is an acceptable casualty rate, then I guess I have no point to argue.
video
that video is from a couple years back. look at the russell jersey on of the guys has on. i know a alot of raiders fans (im a niner fan) and they wouldnt be caught dead in a russell jersey. has anyone really watched that fight in the parking lot with the girls. they was a security guard right there in the middle of it at the beginning. the parking lot security is the same at the oakland colusium but it a different comany inside the stadium. the big issue i have with that comming from a security back around he had no radio and was by himself trying to yell at people to stop. if he had proper tools for his job it wouldnt of lasted that long.
updated video
I changed the video at 3:20.
by David Fucillo on Aug 23, 2011 3:31 PM PDT up reply actions
The new video is telling
Even though you cant see the fight up close, the main point shown is that these fights were happening close to the field and the field-level suites. These are the kinds of seats you see 10-20 year season ticket holders occupy during regular season play, people who (from my experience) bring their families and are generally more interested in the game than getting s—-faced. I dont blame them for selling their seats to these people, as stubhub and ebay provide for buyer and seller anonimity. The fact of the matter is in a regular season game, you’ll have a couple of these pitbulls scattered about the stadium, but a deeply discounted game like this allows more of them the opportunity to attend and sit near each other.
close to the field
I saw two separate fights down in the east end zone lower level seats (east or north, not sure how they describe them). I remain convinced this was as much an issue of too many cheap tickets available.
by David Fucillo on Aug 23, 2011 3:33 PM PDT up reply actions
Whats the solution then?
You cant raise prices, this will only upset season ticket holders and they will still sell them for below face value.
You cant eliminate including them as part of a season ticket package, because theyll have to sell them individually and likely at a discount anyway.
The one thing you can do is set up metal detectors and tell fans to expect a 45 min wait to get into the stadium, but that doesnt help the guy who got beaten to a pulp in the bathroom.
I don't there is any one solution...
The world is simply not what it used to be… It is becoming an increasingly dangerous place. The state of things, both socially and economically has everyone so pissed off and angry all the time. Throw in the fact that everything at the stadium being overpriced, the stress of traffic and what not, and poor a 12 pack on top of it… To be honest, I’m surprised this sort of thing doesn’t happen a lot more often.
by Sigelvictory on Aug 23, 2011 3:54 PM PDT up reply actions
Price raising
It’s just as simple as making the battle of the bay only during regular season. With only 1 game every 4 years (right?) you will just let the market raise the prices to the point that people are more “invested” in the football game than fighting.
And yes that game will be heated, but hopefully Johnny Fisticuffs will think twice about throwing that punch after paying a few hundred bucks for his seat.
Honorary parent of Duane Kuiper, beloved solar powered broadcaster and power hitting coach for the Giants.
by Giant Voodoo on Aug 23, 2011 3:58 PM PDT up reply actions
exactly
as I mentioned yesterday, I sold upper level tix last year for $150 each and they were going for a lot more than that the week of the Battle of the Bay game in October. While it’ll make things especially heated, the chance to see these two teams square off every 4 years will make it a game season ticket holders will want to hang on to and for the remining few tickets there will be heavy demand and an ejection would basically be like a $250 fine since youll lose whatever you paid for the ticket.
Play the preseason games infront a empty stadium allowing only family memebers of the players maybe?
by bmcrae83@yahoo.com on Aug 23, 2011 11:07 PM PDT up reply actions
This is a little impolitic, but...
The most serious violence at the game – as in the violence that made this of interest to the national media – was perpetrated by Raiders fans. While our fan base clearly isn’t without blame, it gets on my nerves that the national media sees this as the 49ers’ problem just because it went down in our stadium.
There’s plenty of blame to go around, and we need to denounce the behavior of our fellow 49ers fans when appropriate, but let’s be frank. What happened on Saturday is in keeping with a long tradition of thuggery by Raiders fans, and it’s made us look bad in the national eye.
Anti-Raiders posts blaming them for the world's problems
Blaming them for all the violence because they are “thugs.”
Raiders are the welfare team. Raider fans are drunks.
Raider fans are lower class citizens.
I have no use for this type of babble.
It's about having the kind of faith that makes all the "what if's" irrelevant - Jim Harbaugh 2011
Frank Gore has earned his place among the great running backs of the NFL - Pat Willie on NN
Blaming Raiders fans for the worlds problems?
No, I’m just blaming one of them for shooting two people. This is why what happened on Saturday is a national conversation. I realize 49ers fans were heavily involved in fighting, but let’s recognize the differences in scale.
There is no tradition of thuggery among Raider fans
Don’t blame the whole Raider Nation for the actions of a few hooligans.
You are no better than any average Raider fan I know.
As a matter of fact, from you’re judgemental and stereotypical comments, I’m ashamed you’re a niner fan.
It's about having the kind of faith that makes all the "what if's" irrelevant - Jim Harbaugh 2011
Frank Gore has earned his place among the great running backs of the NFL - Pat Willie on NN
Yeesh...
…I hope I don’t run into you in the Candlestick parking lot!
Or you can just stop trying to play it down
and realize the reality of is that Raider fans are gypsies!
Californa is world PVP at it's finest.
I hope
the chain reaction to this doesnt result in less attendance and blackouts. Casual fans need to know that while Raider fans have a bad rep, Candlestick has never been known as a hostile environment for opposing fans to attend a game wearing their teams colors. Although I enjoy going to games, I love watching at home with a laptop with me more, and would hate to see this incident result in the great attendance numbers at the ’stick vanishing because casual, 1 game a year fans and fans of an opposing team are now too scared to go.
49ers fans
Were fairly prevalent. Maybe not involved in the shooting, but there were plenty of 49ers fans getting into it and getting arrested during the game.
by David Fucillo on Aug 23, 2011 4:13 PM PDT up reply actions
This is the first time I ever heard the game billed as a "Battle of the Bay"
before a preseason game, in advertisements and in the press.
Why would a pre-season game, which is practice, be any kind of battle, much less a gun battle.
People have to stop making such a big deal over the Raider-49er rivalry it’s stupid. We’re not even in the same conference. Neither team has been in the playoffs in years.
Fighting about who sucks less is just sad.
It's about having the kind of faith that makes all the "what if's" irrelevant - Jim Harbaugh 2011
Frank Gore has earned his place among the great running backs of the NFL - Pat Willie on NN
re: Jed bringing up the 18 game schedule to cut down on this kind of violence.
Seriously? What a jackass. If he really believes that, then he would have to believe that not requiring season ticket holders to buy pre-season tickets at the full price (or AT ALL) would also reduce the violence.
I'm feeling...I feel like I want to rage. Right now. - B. Wilson
As an A's fan
I had the thought a while back that the Colisseum in general had a bad rep because of Raider fans, and this was one reason (certainly not the only one) for poor attendance at A’s games. Does anyone else feel this way?
I don't. I am a Athletic fan
and the reason why I don’t go to more games is from the lack of respect the owners show to there fanbase. WTF do I want with fireworks….hire a slugger and spend over a $100 mill on the pricetag!
Californa is world PVP at it's finest.
Yep
I’ve felt that way ever since Mt. Davis was installed and that trash came back from LA. Part of the A’s “image” is now unfortunately tied to the Raiders image. I don’t know how many times over the years when I’ve mentioned I root for the A’s people automatically assume I like the Raiders too, until I go into a lengthy tirade about how the Raiders are the biggest piece of crap to inhabit a football stadium…
by athletics68 on Aug 24, 2011 12:04 PM PDT up reply actions
Blaming Raiders fans for the world's problems?
No, I’m just blaming one of them for shooting two people. This is why what happened on Saturday is a national conversation. I realize 49ers fans were heavily involved in fighting, but let’s recognize the differences in scale.
Yea it's the Raider Fans' fault someone got shot.
You have no defense. You are lumping all the good Raider fans in the East Bay and Northern California into a neat little package and condeming them for the actions of two punks.
It's about having the kind of faith that makes all the "what if's" irrelevant - Jim Harbaugh 2011
Frank Gore has earned his place among the great running backs of the NFL - Pat Willie on NN
so what if I am
IT IS THE TRUTH! STOP HIDING BEHIND YOUR FALSE SENSE OF REALITY.
Californa is world PVP at it's finest.
You act like this was the first shooting
Every season SOMEONE gets shot either home or away by a Raiders fan. This was not an isolated incident.
by athletics68 on Aug 24, 2011 12:05 PM PDT up reply actions
I think this is an over-reaction
I think that not allowing fans without tickets into the parking lot would be a much more effective, as would eliminating beer sales at the game, or at least after half-time.
disgrace
Man, I live in the east coast, and it would be a dream to finally get to an game in s.f. … show some respect for the other fans, the game, the organization, and also for those raiders fans who are just trying to do the same
From a Mexican living in Mexico
You need to put a stop to this. I constantly live in violence and soccer matches are a part of it. Rivalries between fans got so intense down here that they’ve reached a personal level, where even fans’ families are being threatened.
I think that not letting Niners-Raiders play in preseason is a good decision for a start.
by monterrey niner on Aug 23, 2011 8:26 PM PDT reply actions
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