Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Don't want to get tasered? Don't run on the field


Can people please stop defending the idiot who ran on the field during a Philadelphia Phillies game and got tasered by a cop? If he didn't want to be subdued that way, he should have thought twice about doing something he knew was wrong.
Did the cop overreact? Maybe. But if I'm a cop or a professional athlete, I'm going to assume that anyone who isn't able to follow a basic rule and stay off the field is a threat and I'm going to act accordingly. There are too many instances where unruly spectators have become violent. In 2005, then-Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa was attacked by two fans who jumped out of the stands to pummel him. If it hadn't been for the quick reaction of his players, Gamboa could have been seriously injured.

The cop has been criticized because 17-year old Steve Consalvi was running around the outfield and did not appear to be aiming for any of the players. My feeling is that he is old enough to know the difference between right and wrong, with even his father warning him not to try such a stunt. He had no business being out on that field and has to deal with the repercussions. If he is upset about being tasered, he has no one to blame but himself.

Let me just say that I've been to hundreds of baseball games as well as other sporting events and never once have I been tempted to run on the field. If I ever did, I would expect nothing less than to be violently subdued. This incident should be fair warning to any idiot who even thinks about a similar stunt.

Thanks to Phillyfan0419 on en.wikipedia for the photo.

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