Will the NFL ever have to segregate fans? Another violent incident with fans brawling mars 49ers’ win vs New York Giants at the start of Week 3
Three weeks into the NFL season, the league has already received an alarming wake-up call. One that certainly cannot be ignored.
The 2023 season has made headlines for all the wrong reasons, with on-court backlash and player safety concerns following season-ending injuries to Aaron Rodgers and Nick Chubb.
But the most devastating have come in the form of the rise of fan-related incidents, which raise the inevitable question; Is it time for the NFL to consider fan segregation?
While there have always been clashes between supporters in the sport, Thursday night marked three weeks without brawls to start the season.
A violent brawl broke out prior to the Thursday Night Football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants.
The NFL (photo commissioner Roger Goodell) has been woken up by fan violence
A violent brawl broke out between an unruly group of men and women during the 49ers and Giants Thursday Night Football game in San Francisco
In the chaotic altercation, which has since gone viral, one woman was violently pulled to the ground by her hair, while another lost her wig during the melee.
The altercation occurred less than a week after a fan was killed following a fight during a New England Patriots game.
Patriots fan Dale Mooney, 53, died after being struck by a Miami Dolphins fan at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
Mooney, a lifelong Patriots fan and season ticket holder for 30 years, had attended Sunday night’s game with three of his friends, where first responders performed CPR.
One witness, Joey Kilmartin, told the Boston sphere that Mooney spent most of the match verbally sparring.
Mooney reportedly went up to the Dolphins fan during the fourth quarter of the game and was hit twice in the head.
The Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office said the autopsy revealed an undisclosed “medical problem” that may have contributed to his death and that the Dolphins fan’s two blows did not cause fatal injuries to Mooney.
However, alarm bells were ringing across the sport, especially after a series of incidents in weeks 1 to 3.
Dale Mooney, 53, died after being punched by a Miami Dolphins fan at Gillette Stadium
The incident occurred less than a week before the most recent brawl in San Francisco
Several fights between fans broke out in the stands in Dallas on Sunday when the Cowboys played the New York Jets.
AT&T Stadium had drops of blood on the ground after fans of the two teams were seen charging each other.
A Bengals fan brutally headbutted another supporter as he was led away in handcuffs prior to Sunday’s Cincinnati game.
Even the preseason wasn’t safe, as a violent brawl broke out between 49ers fans during a game against the Broncos last month, leaving one fan bloodied after being knocked to the ground.
A dozen fans brawled in the stands at Levi’s Stadium after the 49ers defeated the Broncos 21-20 in their second preseason game ahead of the 2023 season.
Numerous other incidents across the league have marred the start of the season. So, is it finally time for the NFL to consider separating fans?
The separation of home and away fans is unprecedented in American sports, with even football in European leagues being segregated, allowing fans to mingle in the stands regardless of their team.
In fact, most American sports fans would probably be averse to the idea of fan segregation.
Last month, a violent brawl broke out between 49ers fans during the preseason game against the Broncos, leaving one fan bloodied after being knocked to the ground.
On Sunday, a Bengals fan knocked out a man with a brutal headbutt prior to Cincinnati’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens
But if this isn’t the big red flag waving right under Commissioner Roger Goodell’s nose, what will it take for the NFL to wake up and take action?
Fan segregation is not a possibility. European football has proven that.
When traveling to away matches became more popular in English football in the 1960s, hooliganism grew to such an extent that it caused social panic.
In response to the increasing problem of violence in sport, in particular two major incidents in the 1970s, crowd segregation was introduced into English football.
Of course, this move hasn’t completely eradicated fan violence, but it has made an improvement – one that the NFL needs.
Even though separating fans is such a hugely drastic step in the American sports mentality that it cannot even be considered, the problem cannot go unanswered.
In European football, fans are divided into home and away supporters during matches
The League must address the problem. At the very least, she cannot maintain her silence.
A man has died, fans have left matches as bruised and beaten as their players and stadiums have been left stained with blood, and yet the League has not even condemned the violence, let alone taken action to protect its fans.
Concerns for the safety of fans and players alike are at an all-time high and the NFL must act now.
The NFL is hurtling toward the inevitable. If fan violence does not subside, segregation of supporters may be the only option left.