What is your take on the bad behavior of basketball fans

[MightyGiants]

https://www.npr.org/2021/06/02/1002658357/nba-arenas-have-been-opening-with-a-rash-of-fan-incidents-toward-players


One fan spit on a fan

Another threw a water bottle

and other bad behavior

why is this happening?

[ozzie]

I think it's despicable and disrespectful.
I also think basketball allows their fans to be way too close to it's players. I mean, in courtside seats, you're practically on the floor. Accidents waiting to happen to both players and fans.
I don't think any other sport allows fans that close.  Front row in Baseball & Football - at least there is a wall and railing between fans and players. NHL - glass.
Fans being on the same level within arms length is just a bad idea.

[MightyGiants]

I think it's despicable and disrespectful.
I also think basketball allows their fans to be way too close to it's players. I mean, in courtside seats, you're practically on the floor. Accidents waiting to happen to both players and fans.
I don't think any other sport allows fans that close.  Front row in Baseball & Football - at least there is a wall and railing between fans and players. NHL - glass.
Fans being on the same level within arms length is just a bad idea.

You would think the price of those tickets will keep the riff raff away

[DaveBrown74]

The most logical theory is that people have been pent up for a while and are a bit unbalanced at the moment. Add alcohol to that equation and you're going to get more instances of bad behavior than you would in normal times.

I think you're going to see a lot of misdemeanor type stuff this summer. People are going to go nuts. I'll bet drunk driving will be way up too.

[MightyGiants]

The most logical theory is that people have been pent up for a while and are a bit unbalanced at the moment. Add alcohol to that equation and you're going to get more instances of bad behavior than you would in normal times.

I think you're going to see a lot of misdemeanor type stuff this summer. People are going to go nuts. I'll bet drunk driving will be way up too.

I think it's more than minor crimes.   I think the spike in shootings is likely caused by the same factors

[bldevil]

I don't think any other sport allows fans that close. 

In golf you can get extremely close, within a couple of feet. In tennis, when you're watching lower-ranked players, you can get within 10' courtside.  Not as close as courtside basketball.  In any case, the closeness is what makes going to golf and tennis tournaments fun.  Otherwise, you get a better view on your TV.