Some of you may recognize the title of this blog entry as a question that was often posed by the late Dick Young, sports columnist for the New York Daily News. Every so often, Mr. Young would stop and contemplate the state of affairs in the world of sports and those columns would always carry that title.
I decided to use (steal?) that title for this entry after reading about a San Francisco Giants fan named Brian Stow. Mr. Stow, along with some friends, decided to travel down to Los Angeles to attend Opening Day at Dodger Stadium, as the world champion Giants opened the 2011 season with their in-state National League rivals. Being the Giant fan he is, Mr. Stow was wearing a full set of Giants regalia. The Dodgers won the game 2-1, but that isn't the story.
Following the game, as Mr. Stow and his friends were leaving the stadium, he was attacked by a couple of Dodger fans (wearing Dodger Blue). Mr. Stow was kicked, beaten and knocked to the ground. His attackers melted into the crowd and have not yet been apprehended. Meanwhile Mr. Stow (a Santa Cruz paramedic, and father of two) remains in a medically induced coma, and has suffered brain damage as a result of the beating. Authorities are interviewing members of the crowd who may have witnessed the attack, and have released sketches of the alleged assailants. A reward, which has now grown to $150,000 has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the attackers.
While we may have become accustomed to the "hooliganism" that we sometimes see at soccer games in other countries around the world, this sort of attack is out of the ordinary for American sports fans. We can toss good-natured insults at fans of other teams (as I often do to Red Sox fans I know) but physical violence is something that has, up to now, been rare at baseball games (aside from the occasional alcohol-fed fights in the stands at various ballparks). Let's try to remember one thing, everyone--It's Just a Game!! Your life and my life are not any worse if either of our favorite sports teams loses.
So, the question remains, "What's Going on Here?"
