Mike Piazza VS Thenightbull

[yogi]

For those of you that don't know Mike Piazza was struck in the head in last nights game with a water bottle. Piazza is going to sue the fan. Piazza has every right to do so and I hope that his lawyer takes this guy to the cleaners.

I truly cant believe that some people believe that since they have paid the cost of a ticket it gives them the right once they enter a venue to act like a total idiot. This made me revisit what Thenightbull did last week to Dennis and his band. Upon further review I now think that my response may have been wrong.

I heard Piazza talk today on Fox Sports Radio. I will paraphrase what he said. Piazza stated that verbal abuse is expected as long as that abuse does not attack race, family or invade personal space. And basically even if the verbal abuse does attack what I have mentioned as long as a professional does not feel threatened it should be ignored. It's part of being a professional in the sports entertainment industry. But fans throwing objects that can injure, or possibly take away their livelihood that is when fans go to far.

I remember Justin Morneau(last years American League MVP) once said a fan yelled at him that Morneau in french means Tripe A. Jeff Cirillo once said a fan yelled at him that he was so bad that he gave him gas. When Jason Tyner was called up to the Twins a few years ago, a fan was complaining about the rising cost of tickets. He stated 'you know who is having to pay for all this drug testing? it's us, the fans'. He then yelled at Tyner they better not be wasting my money testing you(0 career homeruns).

This leads me to Thenightbull. All of us here know that basically the only reason that he went to Dennis's show last weekend was to heckle Dennis. If all he did was yell insults at Dennis and his band and he did nothing obscene or threatening then as ditasteful as it might be to some of us he probably still should be given a pass.

If this is what happened(verbal insults, a Styx 2007 Tee & laughing at Roboto) then Dennis, Glen, Suzanne, and whoever should have acted professionally and just ignored it.

If thats all that happened, and after listening to Mike Piazza today, then I owe Thebull an apology.

Here it is. Sorry I was wrong.

[DerriD]

No you weren't.

[piecesofeight]

I don't know. At a game you expect to hear people yelling out stuff, it's part of game if you will. Plus, no one is trying to do something-talk or sing-that is interupted when someone starts yelling crap out.
Yelling at a game, is part of the game and doesn't interfere with the game, it does interfere with a concert, where someone is trying to sing/talk.
At a game, it doesn't take away from the game, it adds, at a concert, it takes away and interupts.

[Zan]

*peeks in carefully*

Yogi,

I think as a fan, particularly a fan who witnesses vulgarity or rude disruption at a concert or sporting event, a person has every right to say something to the person doing the disrupting. I also think that if the entertainer can call someone out in an entertaining way, more power to them (look at stand-up comedians, the toughest job in the industry). But I agree with Mike Piazza in that as a professional, it's part of your job to remain professional. This is not saying a rude fan doesn't deserve to be told off, called names, or given the finger, it just means the entertainer's number one priority should be to uphold a professional image, regardless of what some knucklehead in the crowd is doing (provided it doesn't harm them). Anything less WILL reflect poorly on them by some. I also realize that these guys are human, just like us, and will slip-up from time to time, so they should be cut some slack - ESPECIALLY by those who know and love them. The majority of the audience doesn't have the means, time, or desire to read all about an incident on a message board after the fact, so the impression he leaves the show with is the impression he keeps. WE are not the majority of fans. We know them and care about them, either as people or as entertainers - all stemming from our love for their music. Just like a family member, they do something boneheaded. Ya shake your head and think, Damn, what a numbskull. Then you laugh and move on.

I don't think anyone here was wrong for questioning the nightbull's motives for going to the show, parading his Styx shirt and booing at Dennis. Nor do I think people were wrong for calling him out for what he did. I just think the personal insults based on his appearance and working situation were out of line because they had nothing to do with what he did at the show, yet some people used his actions as an excuse to be mean. In that respect, I'm happy to see anyone who participated extend an apology, and I commend them for doing so. But for nightbull's actions, I think as fans we SHOULD call people like that out. If for no other reason than the guys on stage that we know and love CAN'T.

While we're on the subject, I'll entend an apology to Suzanne as well for being overly critical of her in the past. The remarks I made about her wardrobe weren't really fair, as they were based soley on one outfit I saw her in. After giving it some thought, I should have followed the "if you can't say something nice" rule and left that one alone. She really does look good for her age, and I should be so lucky when I get there.

[DerriD]

Zan,

Did Matt Groening draw that pic of Atlantis? If so how do you pull that one off...on second thought don't tell me.