San Francisco 49ers fans are starting to receive a bad reputation for being a violent group. While that’s limited to a small minority of the fan base, it’s something that this franchise simply doesn’t need right now.
There have been previous incidents against Oakland Raiders fans, which caused a cancellation of their preseason rivalry.
Now comes this tape from San Francisco’s Week 3 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
Warning it’s pretty graphic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvc_UhaMt3M
For a fan base that had been seen as pretty docile in the past, this is pretty darn disturbing. Is it that success has gotten to fans in San Francisco? I can’t really answer that question, but I can speak from previous experiences at old Candlestick Park.
Watching the 49ers take on Brett Favre, who was then a member of the Minnesota Vikings, I noticed multiple fans violently attack those who were supporting the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Among other things, an eight-year old boy with a broken nose and an adult woman slapped in the face by a drunk 49ers fan.
It’s most definitely not a good look for the franchise and its fans.
A local CBS affiliate in San Francisco had this to say about the most recent incident in Arizona.
The melee appears to have broken out at the start of half time near the 50 yard line seats in the upper deck. Cardinal and 49er fans can be seen jawing at each other across an aisle. The initial shoving sent fans down the stairs and onto a walkway below. At that point, fans in Cardinals gear who had not been previously involved began taking swings at the pile, which included both men and women. At times it’s hard to distinguish 49ers fans from Cardinals supporters because both team sport red and white uniforms.
Not to jump too much on the 49ers fans, supporters of the home team appear to be as much to blame for this incident as fans who traveled from Northern California.
This simply isn’t what the NFL should be about. Women and children shouldn’t have to avoid football games due to the threat of violence. And unfortunately, that’s been a common theme around the league, especially on the west coast, for a couple years now.