I've been unable to post comments today. Following are some thoughts and responses:
1. The person arrested on the widely circulated video is not the person who I saw get arrested. According to the person who took that video, during the missing portion, the arrested Jets fan was punched and had a beer bottle thrown at him. Cops were called and arrested him.
2. In my section, there was a skirmish at halftime when two Chargers fans insulted a woman wearing a Jets jersey. The man she was with asked the Chargers fans to step outside and fight. There was pushing and shoving, but before things got out of hand, a big guy in a Mangold jersey pulled the angry Jets fan away and made peace.
3. Before the game, I briefly met "Mangold." He seemed like a good guy.
4. During the 3rd quarter, Mangold was arrested. As far as I could tell, his crime was that he was in middle of whatever back and forth trash talking took place. He was cursed as he was led away; the cops ignored those verbally abusing him. He looked really shocked and sad about what was happening.
5. Overall, the cops did little if anything to calm things. Instead they just arrested people.
6. I would be more worried about being arrested for rooting loudly for an opposing team than being attacked by a fan of the home team.
7. When the Jets went up 10-7 early in the 4th and I was jumping up and down, a guy in front of me angrily said: "Shut the f*** up. Your team sucks. What have they ever done."
"Exactly man, you think I don't know that," I responded. "The Jets have sucked forever. You guys will probably beat us today. I'm just cheering for my team, not trying to show you guys up, okay?"
"You know what, I love you, man. I hate your guts right now but I really respect a Jets fan coming here today. I once went to a game in Arizona but never to a Chargers road game," he responded.
8. San Diego this week is, I'd imagine, like Brooklyn was after the end of another heartbreaking Dodgers season.
9. I don't get the sense that the Chargers overlooked the Jets. Rather, the Jets adjusted well at halftime, and the Chargers choked under pressure late in the game.
10. I won't provide legal services, but will write a legal letter to the appropriate parties about the SDPD abuses.
Sent on the Now Network? from my Sprint® BlackBerry
posted on 1/20/2010
