First Warm Night of The Season - Tempers Flaring?

[Brian26]

Anyone have any good or bad stories from last night? It seems like every season since 2002, the first warm night game has brought out a bunch of goons or a bunch of people with beer muscles.

On my way home from work last night minding my own business, I personally had to get up out of my seat and throw four guys off the train who had gotten on the train with the intention of going to the Sox game. These punks had been drinking since noon (as they made sure everyone around them knew it), were completely wasted, and were being belligerent towards each other and people on the train. At one point, one of the guys went down to sit next to a middle age woman who was sleeping by herself. Nothing good was going to come out of the incident, so I got up and went down there and made sure he was kicked off the train at the next stop. He knew he was being an idiot and didn't really put up much of a fight. His buddies wanted to fight me though, as they got off the train at that stop too. I told the conductor what was going on, and I think the Metra guys are way too lax because they dont want to deal with these goons.

At the game, there was a lot of good natured ribbing that got ugly towards the end. A group of college guys were behind me, drinking a little bit, but by no means drunk. They usually provide a running commentary during the game, and I have to admit it's pretty funny. Whenever guys walk down the aisle in other team's jerseys, the guys behind me call out to them. So a guy walks down with a Prior jersey, and he starts to get heckled unmercifully. Then two punks walk down- one guy's wearing a Carmines hat, the other guy is wearing a Twins t-shirt. "Big Papi! Big Papi!," the guys are yelling behind me. So words are exchanged. These two guys say they'll take the entire row (12 guys) by themselves right now. The guys behind me want to meet in Armour Park after the game. Security sees it and breaks it up before it gets too bad. But, in the 8th inning, the RedSox and Twins guys come back looking for trouble. But before that happens, there's another incident. A young guys with a "Cubs Suck" t-shirt has been running up and down the aisle all game. He went nuts when Southpaw came up and had to make an ass of himself. One of the 12 guys behind me told him to sit down. So, Cubs Suck came up the aisle to confront him. "What did you say? What did you say?". I wasn't watching, but Cubs Sucked popped the guy that told him to sit down. So I turned around, and I saw his friends ask him, "Are you going to take that? You want to get him?" So five of these guys run down and catch this guy underneath the stands. Then about 10 more guys, friends of Cubs-Suck, follow down. After the inning, we left...but we ran into Sox Security and "Cubs Suck" in front of the gift shop. Seems like Cubs-Suck got some revenge taken out on him, as his nose was bloodied up and he had a black eye. A guy walked up and told security that Cubs-Suck initiated the entire thing (which is true from a physical standpoint), and then told Cubs-Suck personally, "I'm glad you got what was coming to you because you started the whole thing, and I'll go to court and say that."

Ah, fun at the old ballpark.

[NonetheLoaiza]

You know, it's really amazing at what happens when there are 36,000 people in a stadium and alcohol served...But, I can totally see as how this being the first really nice night for a ballgame around here that people were probably being a little more free with how much beer they drank. Why can't we all just get along? :smile:

[itsnotrequired]

Compared to earlier seasons, last night was pretty tame. There were some young 20-somethings sitting in front of IronFisk and myself. They were really pounding them down. Honestly, they would finish a beer and have another one in their hand within seconds. They also had snuck some cans in and were drinking those. Each guy had to have dropped at least $60 on beer. They got a little rowdy (some swears, etc.) but nothing too wild. I was more annoyed that they were getting up every inning to get beer and blocking my view.

[miker]

Stories like this make me glad I have TV...

[viagracat]

I'm almost 50. Haven't be involved in anything even resembling an incident at the ballpark in over 25 years. If you don't drink too much, behave yourself and just have fun, you'll be fine, and you'll feel better the next morning too.

With age comes wisdom.:cool:

[Madvora]

What a joke. You have to expect that though, it happens every year. Newer people reach the drinking age and they think they've just discovered something that no one else has ever noticed before. Meanwhile, the older people keep looking at these morons like the idiots they are.
I'm going today. I just want to watch the game in peace.

[miker]

What a joke. You have to expect that though, it happens every year. Newer people reach the drinking age and they think they've just discovered something that no one else has ever noticed before. Meanwhile, the older people keep looking at these morons like the idiots they are.
I'm going today. I just want to watch the game in peace.
I agree with you, but is it just because I'm getting older or the young ones seem to get stupider every year?

[peeonwrigley]

Lots of people were really, really drunk at the game last night.

Sadly, I'm thinking we're all going to have to get used to it on these Friday nights. I really like the 7:30 start time for lots of reasons, but for much of the riff-raff that's just 30 more minutes of tailgating/bars before they even get to the game.

[tick53]

I'm almost 50. Haven't be involved in anything even resembling an incident at the ballpark in over 25 years. If you don't drink too much, behave yourself and just have fun, you'll be fine, and you'll feel better the next morning too.

With age comes wisdom.:cool:

I'm about your age and you are correct. Wisdom does come with age. I started going to Sox games when I was a little kid and will continue to until
I'm gone. When I was in my twenties, sure I got a little excited, but that was
because of the team. We conducted ourselves in a manner of respect for the
fans around us and the team. These young kids have to cool out. They know
in their own minds that they are being airholes, but that doesn't matter to them. I'm wiser but less tolerant. I can only make 6 or 7 games a year, due
to my location so I don't like disruption. Kudos to Brian!

[Madvora]

I agree with you, but is it just because I'm getting older or the young ones seem to get stupider every year? A little of both. The longer you've been "of age" the more years you've seen that age group act as they do. After a few viewings, you just get plain sick of it.
It's the fact that 21 year olds are new to the whole thing and their ignorance makes it worse for all of us.
Then again, when you see the 30+ year olds doing the same thing, it's really really sad.

[santo=dorf]

So you're that kind of engineer. I was confused at first when you were talking about throwing guys off a train.

[Brian26]

So you're that kind of engineer. I was confused at first when you were talking about throwing guys off a train.

Haha...no, I'm not a train engineer. I was just coming home from work, but the train guys don't do their jobs, so I'm trying to be a nice guy and watch out for people, and quite frankly I'd had enough of these clowns. They were one step from Ligue-level, complete with tattoos.

[JohnBasedowYoda]

You should pass an IQ test in order to get a "I Can Drink Beer Without Being An ASS" certificate.

[RoobarbPie]

Haha...no, I'm not a train engineer. I was just coming home from work, but the train guys don't do their jobs, so I'm trying to be a nice guy and watch out for people, and quite frankly I'd had enough of these clowns. They were one step from Ligue-level, complete with tattoos.


Brian - I saw Cubssuck acting like a total deuchebag last night too (if it was the same guy wearing that shirt and acting stupid in the bleachers). You're right, him and his "posse" were a bunch of clowns that deserved to get pounded. The arrest that would follow would not be worth it though.....

but if he swings first, that's another story......

[buehrle4cy05]

Last night, there was a group of people sitting behind me that seemed like pretty knowledgeable baseball fans, but they had a few drinks, and then, near the end of the game, one of them called up a friend who was at a strip club and began talking pretty loudly about it. "You ****ed up, man? Man, you ****ed up? How ****ed up are you?" and it just went on and on. There were a ton of little kids sitting around me, and if I was a parent, I would have told these guys to shut up, but I guess they didn't.

[comet2k]

As I get older, I may be getting a little wiser, but the real change is that I seem to be getting a lot poorer. What does beer cost at the ballpark -- $4, $5? I see people with a stack of five or six cups and wonder how the heck they can afford that. I know I can't.

I'm all for people having a good time, but when it degenerates into public drunkeness, swearing in front of kids and fighting, that's way out of line. When you're part of a group that's drinking and having fun, it's easy to go too far. When you're sober and not part of it, it's sad to see.

[Viva Medias B's]

I've been to three games so far, sitting in Section 106. There's been a lot of drinking, of course, but I seem more tuned out to it this season because I've been wearing my Walkman to listen to the game. So far, the fans have behaved okay despite all the drinking.

One thing I did notice Friday night was the very lack of enforcement of the new smoking policy. Smoking is restricted to the ramps. People were smoking in the stands and all over the concourse areas. Something I noticed about that is that there is little, if any, signage on the concourse telling people that smoking is no longer allowed there.

Granted, it could be hard to enforce such a smoking restriction with 31,000+ in the house. However, I noticed that both Sox Security and the Guest Service Representatives looked the other way. Can't these people do their jobs? If a smoker gets PO'd because he cannot light up on the concourse anymore, TOO BAD!!!!!!!!!!

[ewokpelts]

As I get older, I may be getting a little wiser, but the real change is that I seem to be getting a lot poorer. What does beer cost at the ballpark -- $4, $5? I see people with a stack of five or six cups and wonder how the heck they can afford that. I know I can't.

I'm all for people having a good time, but when it degenerates into public drunkeness, swearing in front of kids and fighting, that's way out of line. When you're part of a group that's drinking and having fun, it's easy to go too far. When you're sober and not part of it, it's sad to see.
Beers are $6, up from $5.75
Margaritas are $6.75, up from $6(although it should be noted you get a ws champs cup)

Gene

[comet2k]

I noticed that at yesterday's game. $6 for a Miller Lite, though I believe that was for 16 oz. When I was younger I ran around with a group whose motto was, "No price is too high for a good time," but that's a lot of jack for watered-down beer.

[itsnotrequired]

Beers are $6, up from $5.75
Margaritas are $6.75, up from $6(although it should be noted you get a ws champs cup)

Gene

Beer is $6 from the vendors but only $5.75 from the stands.

[Meixner007]

Beer is $6 from the vendors but only $5.75 from the stands.

But I believe you get 4 extra ounces for that quarter.

[comet2k]

Beer is $6 from the vendors but only $5.75 from the stands.

If I'm doing the math right, it looks like every 24th beer is free if you walk to a concession stand instead of buying it from a vendor. Plus, you get exercise that burns off some of the calories and can make a pit stop on the way.

It not only saves money, it's healthier! :redneck