Media Coverage of Other Sports Riots

[genpabloescobar]

For those who criticize the media for their unbalanced coverage of soccer riots, watch SportsCenter tonight to see what happened in the Royals-White Sox game. You'll see that, sometimes, the idiocy of drunk fans in other sports is covered.

[Rickster]

Originally posted by genpabloescobar
For those who criticize the media for their unbalanced coverage of soccer riots, watch SportsCenter tonight to see what happened in the Royals-White Sox game. You'll see that, sometimes, the idiocy of drunk fans in other sports is covered.

Yes, but is it attributed to, or permanently linked to, the sport?

[Pyro]

Not to mention it was a father and son team!

[Red Card]

It depends on your perspective. Do you think the media is biased against soccer?

When the US media shows a soccer riot that occurred thousands of miles from our shores in a league only a die-hard soccer fan ever heard of, and the media specifically links it to the sport itself, do you think the media is attempting to bring fear of attending a soccer match into the consciousness of the American sporting public?

When the media passes off incidents like the ones in FedEx and Comiskey as isolated cases of a few drunken fans, do you think the media is trying to tell the American sporting public that there is nothing to worry about, that they will be safe at future matches?

A person who thinks the media is biased will probably answer yes to the 2 previous questions.

[Thunderpac]

The media make no attempt at explaining why deaths and riots happen at soccer games: political unrest, inadequate crowd control, crowding too many fans into poorly maintained stadiums...in many cases the deaths and riots would occur regardless of the sport being played on the field.

The media make no attempt at putting riots and stadium collapses into perspective. If baseball were the most followed sport in the world rather than soccer, then baseball riots would be more frequent than soccer riots.

Soccer riots are always covered in the sports section of the newspaper even if they are more world news oriented. If the military in some country kills 29 people at a soccer match because they were carrying banners for an opposing political candidate, there is no reason to cover the article in the sports section.

[conquerant]

Please provide examples of large-scale riots at baseball games on far-off shores that went unreported by the media.

Alternatively, please provide examples of incidents at foreign soccer matches involving TWO spectators that were covered by the US media.

US media is huch harder on spectator action in the US, and the huge riots that have occured at foreign soccer matches are newsworthy, particularly when there's fatalities involved. And being that in most countries in the world soccer is the only sport that draws huge crowds, they usually happen at soccer matches. Naturally it will be mentioned that it was a soccer match.

Reporter: "Today in ForeignCountry a riot that caused 12 deaths and several hundred injuries occured at a competiton of some type of unnamed sport"

[Playable Back]

I would love to hear Rome criticize basballfan for what happened last night.

[JTorres]

Did ESPN show the pitch invasion incidents from the Birmingham-Villa derby on their Monday Sports Centers?

The Villa players showed great restraint, else it could have escalated into a more serious episode.

[BrianCappellieri]

I wish people would stop calling incidents at the Birmingham derby pitch invasions. :D

do you think the media is attempting to bring fear of attending a soccer match into the consciousness of the American sporting public?

Well that's definitely the affect it has on people. I've talked to many "non-soccer" fans where this subject came up. I mentioned going to Revs and CT Wolves matches and they couldn't believe it. They tried to convince me soccer games aren't safe places to be because of rioting. I've even heard someone say that is strictly the reason they don't attend. Obviously it's ignorance but the media plays a big part in it.

Scary I know but it's the truth...

[champmanager]

I first saw the baseball incident on CNN (or Headline News) at 6am the next day, and the sportscaster prefaced the footage by saying "This is something we're used to only seeing at European soccer games..."

[TEConnor]

Originally posted by conquerant
Please provide examples of large-scale riots at baseball games on far-off shores that went unreported by the media.


A: While not baseball: the US media widely ignores on an annual basis the riots that occur at basketball games throughout Europe (especially Greece).

[TEConnor]

Originally posted by champmanager
I first saw the baseball incident on CNN (or Headline News) at 6am the next day, and the sportscaster prefaced the footage by saying "This is something we're used to only seeing at European soccer games..."

I watched a FOX News Channel discussion which lead off in the same manner. The talking heads then proceeded to proclaim that it was a shame that two people (these loonies) were very unlike a typical american sports fans...much more like soccer fans (regardless of country).

[seahawkdad]

Originally posted by TEConnor


I watched a FOX News Channel discussion which lead off in the same manner. The talking heads then proceeded to proclaim that it was a shame that two people (these loonies) were very unlike a typical american sports fans...much more like soccer fans (regardless of country).

I wonder. What about the pepper spray incident at the Eagles/Redskins game as the cops quelled a fight in the stands. That one was reported in England, according to an English friend. What about the Vet and it's resident magistrate to mete out immediate justice to miscreant Eagles fans? Or what about the occasional overturned car burnings that accompany various basketball championships around the country? Or what about the great bottle toss at a football game last year? Or, particularly, what about the various parental and player attacks on referees and umpires in various US youth sports events?

Of course, you did say it was FOX, the purveyor of 'balanced' news. What more can anyone expect from FOX's junk news approach?

[NorthGoalGang]

Originally posted by seahawkdad


I wonder. What about the pepper spray incident at the Eagles/Redskins game as the cops quelled a fight in the stands. That one was reported in England, according to an English friend. What about the Vet and it's resident magistrate to mete out immediate justice to miscreant Eagles fans? Or what about the occasional overturned car burnings that accompany various basketball championships around the country? Or what about the great bottle toss at a football game last year? Or, particularly, what about the various parental and player attacks on referees and umpires in various US youth sports events?

Of course, you did say it was FOX, the purveyor of 'balanced' news. What more can anyone expect from FOX's junk news approach?

I suppose no one on the panel brought up the fact that there's a jail in the basement of The Vet. And that fans of other teams are advised not to wear the opposition's jerseys and/or other clothing, especially in the cheap seats.

I always think that things like this don't excuse problems that soccer has had with a portion of its fans, but it brings to light the problem sports in general have with out-of-control fans. That's where associating crowd violence with soccer does a disservice. It ignores the dirty laundry in the houses of the other sports.

[QPR Kevin H]

Originally posted by NorthGoalGang


I suppose no one on the panel brought up the fact that there's a jail in the basement of The Vet. And that fans of other teams are advised not to wear the opposition's jerseys and/or other clothing, especially in the cheap seats.

Its my understanding that the Vet judge/cell thing was only used for a year. Then was pulled.

As for the advising of other teams fans to not wear colors - thats a good idea and should be widely publicized. Many stadiums in England will relocate people wearing away colors in home areas to the visiting sections - of course we dont have that option over here - it would be great if we did.

The away team is always a problem in DC, since this is a city of transplants. There are always gonna be tons of Eagles and Giants fans at FedEx - with 86,000 seats. Or even worse - you'll go to a Redskins game against any team and you'll always find some ************wit wearing a Cowboys jersey. No way this person should ever be allowed in - since their only intentions are inflammatory.

[jeffd]

If there were not soccer riots , I'd get no soccer coverage in my newspaper.