Do fans take it too far?

Dani Alves eating a banana thrown by a fan | LaRed.com

Modern sports fans are getting involved with players beyond the usual boos and jeers, some going to the point of physical abuse. Fans feel as if it is their right to do what they want at major sporting event by virtue of purchasing a ticket, and athletes feel insecure about their safety as well as their families’ well-being.

Some of the most popular cases of player harassment have been reported worldwide. In 1994, Nancy Kerrigan, skating star and Olympic medalist, had just finished a practice routine when she was struck on the knee by an assailant, bruising it. A member of the audience threw a banana at FC Barcelona soccer player Dani Alves in 2014. It seems as if there is no way to protect athletes from such scenarios, as fans are still able to harm them.

“Athletes perform in huge ballparks and arenas,” Mark Hyman said in a 1994 BaltimoreSun.com article. “They travel through airports and are as recognizable as any Hollywood movie star. Is there any way to protect them from obsessed fans determined to reach and maybe hurt them?”

One might ask, why do fans boo athletes? Although not many answers have been given to this question, some possible theories are to teach their team a lesson for playing poorly, or to show the other team how much they are hated. One fan believes that booing and harassing players is their right, since they paid to see them, and will only support athletes when they perform well.

“Why do we do it?” Hunter Davies said in a 2013 NewStatesman.com article. “It’s our right, innit? We have paid our money, we can do what we like. We want them to do good things, then we’ll cheer. We love the club dearly, always hoping for better things, so feel personally let down when they play rubbish.”

Some fans have even gone so far as to invade athletes’ social media. From personal insults to death threats, fans see no boundaries to the hateful comments and tweets.

“SANCHEZ BETTER HAVE ARMED SECURITY WEDNESDAY AT PRACTICE!!” Twitter user @BraveGrancru said to New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez in 2012. “YOU THINK IMMA SIT HERE & WATCH THIS [expletive]?? TUHHH!”

With all the threats received from fans, players cannot help but worry about their families’ security. If an athlete’s primary concern during a game is the safety of his relatives in the stands, he/she will not be able to focus on the match.

“The last thing a player wants to be concerned with while playing in a game is the safety of his family inside the stadium,” Akbar Gbajabiamila said in a 2012 NFL.com article. “As players, we are all too aware of the security threat that fans of the opposing team pose to our families.”

Policymakers are stumped as to how they can reduce the threat posed by fans, and as to what means they can use to prevent situations of fan abuse in the future. Despite increased security implementations, fans have continued to find ways to get up close and personal to players.

Written by Muhammad Abid Hasan & Ismail Elomri

The Jets burn while taking to the air

Rex Ryan, the head coach of the New York Jets, has made some major changes to their offense since last season. With LaDainian Tomlinson nearing the end of his career, the pressure has been moved to the Jets’ passing game, with quarterback Mark Sanchez having to throw the ball more than ever.

The Jets’ rushing game has taken a pounding since the beginning of the season. Tomlinson was the star of the beloved “Ground and Pound” routine. Now the spotlight shines bright on running back Shonn Greene, who has failed to live up to expectations. From strictly a statistical point of view, Tomlinson had 435 yards in the first five games of being a starter in the 2010 regular season; whereas, Greene barely made half of that in the first five games of the 2011 season. Although stats don’t usually prove a player’s worth to a team, in this case they can’t be ignored.

Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez warming up before a game.
Credit to Marianne O'Leary on Flickr.

While the rushing game was left in the dust, the pressure of scoring fell onto the shoulders of the Jets’ supposed-to-be-star quarterback. Sanchez has been the only one to throw the ball for the Jets in the regular season thus far, and he hasn’t taken them far. Although he has two full seasons of experience under his belt, he still doesn’t seem to be adapted to playing in the National Football League. He makes mistakes that are typical for rookie quarterback such as overthrowing the ball and taking sacks instead of throwing it away.

The lack of scoring from both the passing and rushing game could also be the mistake of the Jets’ offensive line, which has been having trouble blocking the opposing team’s defense. The line is still anchored by their star center, Nick Mangold, who is arguably one of the best centers in the NFL, but somehow Sanchez keeps on getting sacked and Greene keeps on getting tackled behind the line. The lack of chemistry could be a factor for the weak line. From last year, there have been many changes in personel. The players on the line are not used to working with each other, which has provided the quarterback with little protection.

The offense of the Jets has taken a turn for the worse this season. From passing to rushing to blocking, not much has gone right for them this season. For the Jets to have any chance at making the playoffs, Greene needs to be able to find and exploit holes in the defense, Sanchez needs to connect with his receivers, and the linemen need
to work together and protect the guys behind the line.

What Does Losing Feel Like?

         When you play a football game on someone else’s field the odds are against you: a new climate, unfamiliar territory and a hostile crowd. If you are motivated by the love of your city, however, anything is possible. September 23rd was going to be a rough day. Just two weeks earlier two American jet liners had slammed into one of the most iconic buildings in New York City, the World Trade Center. Both the Giants and the Jets had lost their previous games and were really in a slump, but they needed to win this one for New York City.

         The Giants had always been a good team, but the Chiefs would be one tough team to beat, and the emotions running through the player’s heads wouldn’t make it any easier. Many people thought that they wouldn’t even be able to emotionally pull it together. Hank Gola for the New York Post predicted that the Giants would lose to the Chiefs 17-14. The odds were seriously stacked against them and there was no doubt that it would be an intense game.

         However, when the Giants took the field, they saw something different; the terrorist attacks had sent shock-waves throughout the country, and it showed. Kansas City residents were holding up signs saying “KC loves NY,” and they are not known to be the friendliest of crowds in the country. This was something that the Giants did not expect, and maybe it helped them, because when they took the field, they crushed the Chiefs 13-3.  The crowd erupted in applause; Chiefs fullback Tony Richardson said, “They deserved the applause [because] it was their backyard, they actually saw it, they’ve been down to the site. Some of these people were their friends, their neighbors.” The Chiefs knew very well that this victory would mean a lot to the Giants, and all of New York City. “They were playing for their city and their state,” said Chiefs defensive end Eric Hicks.

         All of the players were ecstatic, and proud that they had won one for New York. Kerry Collins of the Giants said, “It was nice to know that, on some level, we had a positive influence for the events going on.” Shaun Williams for the Giants added, “It was important for our city to have something to smile about. It was important for them to have something to feel good about again." The Giants knew that this had meant something for New York City, and so did the Kansas City Chiefs, but the Jets winning the same day made the taste of winning even better.

         Coming out of a slump is no easy job, especially when bad emotions are raging, and on top of that, they had been crushed by the Colts just two weeks earlier. It would be tough for the Jets to come out ahead of the Patriots, but somehow they won. The Jets coach Herman Edwards definitely had something to do with it. Prior to the game he told his team, “People who can deal with inconvenience, those are the guys who are successful.” Taking the field equipped with their coach’s advice, and with their pride and passion for their city, the Jets were able to extract a 10-3 victory out of the Patriots.

         Winning the game was no easy task. However, the Jets did it using key defensive elements. The Patriots had turned the ball over four times during the game; two of these times were when they were in the red zone. On the Patriots last drive, perhaps the most important play of the game, Jets’ linebacker Mo Lewis crushed quarterback Drew Bledsoe as he tried to scramble for extra yards. This forced him out of the game and gave the job to the Patriots’ backup quarterback, Tom Brady. Brady failed to score and the Jets ended up conquering the game.

         The Patriots knew that this was a sensitive game. During the game, the Patriots honored the firefighters and police officers that had died during the terrorist attack. They even had Joe Andruzzi’s father and three brothers, New York City firefighters that had participated in the rescue operations at the World Trade Center, on as honorary captains. During the game over 60,000 American Flags were given out to all of the fans, and many people donated to the Red Cross. The Patriots played this game light-heartedly, "You've got to have fun playing this game, or it doesn't mean anything. No matter how much you get paid, you've got to have fun," said Patriots cornerback Ty Law. Football was one of the many ways that Americans would learn to cope with the unspeakable tragedy of September 11th.


Contributed to by: Greg Sakas, Timothy Jacobs and Amora Meas

NY Athletes Remebrance of 9/11

The attacks on 9/11 affected everyone in New York. Area professional athletes were unsure how to react and how to get back to work. New York Jets coach Herm Edwards said in an interview to the New York Post, "I got the team together and said, ‘Boys, let me tell you something. If you're not focused today, I get it, because I ain't focused.’ I said, ‘You guys go home. What we need to do right now is pray. We need to pray as Americans.’”

Michael Strahan, who was the Giants defensive end was deeply affected, changed his feelings about going on the road. He said in an ESPN interview, “The feeling of going on the road, playing an NFL game, it definitely changed ... because there was patriotism.”

After 9/11 baseball had a huge impact on the emotions of New Yorkers. The two major baseball teams that had a major effect were the Yankees and the Mets. Before 9/11, the Yankees players were resting at home. The Mets were traveling back from Pittsburgh. As they entered New York they noticed a large puff of black smoke. Feelings of sorrow, grief and fear passed through their minds. Despite their feelings they had to move on.

Ten days after the attack, the Mets had their first game. Although the Mets were very depressed, they had to play. The crowd wasn’t too happy before that game, but Mike Piazza’s home run turned their frowns upside down.

Now ten years after 9/11 the Mets look back and remember the event as if it were a picture. Bobby Parnell, the closer for the Mets, still remembers the exact number of firefighter and paramedic casualties. This year the Mets third baseman David Wright said, "The whole week was special leading up to tonight." Obviously, we remember and honor those heroes, but at the same time, I think it should be done a little more often than once a year."

Mike Piazza was present at the 10th anniversary game. During that day,Piazza had a chance to reflect, “It definitely is painful looking back, thinking about that week and reflecting on it,I thought the ceremony was very moving and just very well done. I'm very proud to be a part of it, very humbled to be a part of it.”

During the aftermath of 9/11, Yankee players came to lower Manhattan to see how the situation was. The level of pain that victims’ families were facing emotionally made visiting it awkward for the players, but they eventually learned that families appreciated them coming. In a previous interview, Derek Jeter said, “I think after that we had a better appreciation of what we represented.”

MLB eventually restarted and the Yankees were back to the World Series. Mariano Rivera and Jeter both sensed a boost in the importance of winning. “That’s when it seemed like most of the city was rallying around us,” said Jeter. The New York Yankees won all three of their next games, two of which where late-inning rallies.

Ten years later, the effects of 9/11 are still in the minds of athletes. Each day goes by in remorse. Now the athletes are more aware of their role on the general public.


By: Shafat Choudhury, Nasif Chowdhury and Velid Mulic

Lucky Pick for Jets

The New York Jets are known for their prized defense but the Jets' defensive line is getting old and are in need of an upgrade. With only one experienced player under the age of 30, fresh talented defensive players are very much needed. To their astonishment, Muhammed Wilkerson from Temple University fell right into their hands. Being potential top 20 talents in this draft, and prime fit for their 3-4 defensive line, the Jets made sure to not let this valuable player pass. At 6'4 and 315 pounds, Wilkerson will be able to work with his position in the NFL.

Wilkerson was not always a football player, but also played high school basketball. Back when there were weight restrictions in football, he played center on back-to-back state basketball title teams at Linden High where he his developed speed and agility. By the time he had left Linden, Wilkerson started playing football and dominated with 17 1/2 sacks in three seasons at Temple. Wilkerson probably won't start, but he will be in the defensive-line rotation and intime, will be able to be properly included into the line.