Attack on the Pitch Invaders

Today, the masterminds at Digg released a compilation of baseball fans getting tackled, set to death metal. While I understand the carnal rage behind the imagery, I’d like to make a plea on behalf of the fun in it all. Sit back. It’s story time.

According to family legend, I once field-tackled some fool who was trying to get at Ronaldinho. Why “legend”? Because I’m doubtful that it happened.

It was 2006, and FC Barcelona were practicing on the Home Depot (now StubHub) Center track field for an exhibition game against Chivas Guadalajara. I was invited to stand on the sidelines and help out with crowd control, so I accepted just to get closer to the team.

I remember that, after seeing Iniesta and Decco trot by me just a few feet away, one of the fans sprung from a hiding spot under the bleachers and made a mad dash for Ronaldinho. I don’t remember what happened next. Maybe I blacked out. Maybe I washed the memory away with celebration drinks afterwards.

What is more likely is that my brothers, also watching from the sides, just mistook the hero who saved Ronaldinho for me. I do remember being part of the squad that eventually took the dude to the ground—or at least that I showed up to watch the pros pin him down.

The thing about these crushing fan tackles is while security looks all menacing and stern, that shit is a lot of fun. It helped that the dude who we (I?) tackled was laughing his ass off, which made the whole thing feel like some kind of playground game.

For those rogue field invaders who aren’t so lucky to escape, there are penalties and fines to face. Sometimes people are banned for life from a stadium. Whatever. I see it as a net gain for society. The fans love it. The tacklee loves it, the tacklers love it. Maybe the players don’t, but they always get what they want. Let the boys play.

[Digg]