Fan dies at Gillette Stadium

[mauf]

https://x.com/Bward3/status/1703860481285382401?s=20

Early reports referred to this as a “medical incident,” but the report a few minutes ago on WCVB (Channel 5) made it sound like a homicide. Given the prevalence of security cameras at Gillette, I imagine we’ll know the facts soon.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/09/18/metro/fan-death-gillette-stadium-new-hampshire-man-prosecutors-investigating/

 

[Was (Not Wasdin)]

NBC Boston is reporting there was a fight.

https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/district-attorney-state-police-investigating-fans-death-at-gillette-stadium-during-sundays-patriots-game/3138822/

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

There was someone who claims there was verbal back and forth, then the other guy came down and knocked the dead guy out with one punch

 

[BaseballJones]

Holy crap. I've never been in a real fight, but I've seen one live. It's unbelievably scary because horrific things can happen. This is terrible.

 

[Bowser]

Terrible. My good friend's father died in Gillette from an aneurysm in 2011. He went to the restroom near the south endzone and never came back. My friend went to find him, and the police had everything cordonded off. They wouldn't give out the name of the victim, but they allowed Bill to go down to the lower level where the ambulance was. His dad was 67.

Anyway, the Pats organization was incredibly compassionate and generous. They gave us field passes to the 2012 playoff game vs Denver and Tebow. We were on the sidelines during kickoff. Stacey James brought Bob Kraft over to shake our hands and express his condolences. Then they took us below to meet the first responders and gave my friend and his brother the coin from the flip in a nice case. At the funeral they sent over a flower arrangement in the shape of the Pats logo. And, after the season, they let his mom sit in the stadium alone and say her goodbyes.

First class organization.

 

[Ale Xander]

Eggshell doctrine in play?

 

[lexrageorge]

Eggshell doctrine in play?

Obviously, we'll need to wait to get more facts at this point. Could be a one-punch scenario, and there are people that strangely think that one-punch crimes should not be prosecuted, but we shall see.

 

[Preacher]

Terrible. My good friend's father died in Gillette from an aneurysm in 2011. He went to the restroom near the south endzone and never came back. My friend went to find him, and the police had everything cordonded off. They wouldn't give out the name of the victim, but they allowed Bill to go down to the lower level where the ambulance was. His dad was 67.

Anyway, the Pats organization was incredibly compassionate and generous. They gave us field passes to the 2012 playoff game vs Denver and Tebow. We were on the sidelines during kickoff. Stacey James brought Bob Kraft over to shake our hands and express his condolences. Then they took us below to meet the first responders and gave my friend and his brother the coin from the flip in a nice case. At the funeral they sent over a flower arrangement in the shape of the Pats logo. And, after the season, they let his mom sit in the stadium alone and say her goodbyes.

First class organization.

That's amazing. Glad they did everything they could to help your friend's family.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

There was someone who claims there was verbal back and forth, then the other guy came down and knocked the dead guy out with one punch

I read a few news reports, and the wording is weird. Obviously we all are thinking the same thing - guy got punched, hit his head, died later. But I wonder if its less cut and dry, like he suffered a heart attack or a stroke a period of time after the incident.

 

[Pablo's TB Lover]

Terrible. My good friend's father died in Gillette from an aneurysm in 2011. He went to the restroom near the south endzone and never came back. My friend went to find him, and the police had everything cordonded off. They wouldn't give out the name of the victim, but they allowed Bill to go down to the lower level where the ambulance was. His dad was 67.

Anyway, the Pats organization was incredibly compassionate and generous. They gave us field passes to the 2012 playoff game vs Denver and Tebow. We were on the sidelines during kickoff. Stacey James brought Bob Kraft over to shake our hands and express his condolences. Then they took us below to meet the first responders and gave my friend and his brother the coin from the flip in a nice case. At the funeral they sent over a flower arrangement in the shape of the Pats logo. And, after the season, they let his mom sit in the stadium alone and say her goodbyes.

First class organization.

So glad to hear this. There are always exclusions/waivers on the game ticket plus the stadium signs that say "We are not responsible for..." X, Y, and Z. So the Pats and Kraft didn't have to do any of the follow up they did.

 

[DJnVa]

Video at the link in the tweet.

“It was really one punch that I saw and the victim got punched really hard on the side of the head and went down,” a witness told WBTS-CD. “He’s a bigger guy but he just crumbled.”

Another witness told WFXT: “It looked like people grabbing and pulling at each other at first at some point (and) the guy in the Dolphins jersey punched the victim twice in the face and that’s when the victim fell into his seat unconsciousness.”

Mooney’s wife, Lisa, told WFXT that her husband, a season ticket holder of 30 years, was being “taunted” by several Dolphins fans during the game before the alleged altercation took place. She didn’t attend the game and was relaying testimonies.

She also described Mooney as a “good dad” and said footage obtained at Gillette Stadium will prove her husband didn’t throw any punches.

 

[Ale Xander]

Glob needs to edit their article

Still says “medical event”

Hope the f’ing asshole gets charged with manslaughter at a minimum (depending on facts and witnesses for anything harsher)

 

[RS2004foreever]

I used to sit in the bleachers at Fenway in the 80's. The number of fights I saw, and the number of guys basically trying to pick a fight was disturbing.
Fenway is much better now.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

I used to sit in the bleachers at Fenway in the 80's. The number of fights I saw, and the number of guys basically trying to pick a fight was disturbing.
Fenway is much better now.

Gillette is nothing like the old Sullivan Stadium, where fights happened like every 5 minutes (in addition to public urination, mostly because the bathrooms didn't work, but I digress). Given that Gillette is now about 95% season ticket holders, the fear of losing your tickets is real, so generally Pats fans aren't getting into brawls.

I've said for years the absolute worst fucking fans that come into town are Dolphins fans. On Sunday night, I was in 129, and surrounded by Dolphins fans, in the row in front of me, and row in back of me. The ones behind us were fine, the ones in front of us sucked, doing their Fireball shots from nips at kickoff, throwing the Dolphins shark sign (picture someone making an L for Loser on their forehead), just taunting away at Pats fans. And they've been like this for over 20 years. They show up entitled, like they've been on a 20 year run of dominance, talk nonstop shit to anyone who will listen, and then generally slink away when their team is losing.

When the Pats fans started booing the offense in the 1st half, these assholes were like "you guys are the worst, we'd never boo our team in Miami, blah blah blah." My immediate response was "That's because nobody in Miami is there to watch the game." They were young, and drunk, so it didn't get ugly or anything, but if I was someone else, or the guys around me weren't long time season ticket holders, I can see 25 different moments where there could have been a fight with these guys (they were in their early 20's, best guess, 4 of them).

Jets fans just get pity, nobody cares about them. Bills fans are great. They show up year in and year out, usually with the strongest showing of any opposing fans, knowing their team would get their asses kicked, but they loved football, loved their team and were always amazingly courteous and making friends and talking football. It's one of the reasons I find myself rooting for the Bills nowadays when the Pats are out of the hunt. I'd rather see the Bills win over just about any other contender in the AFC.

 

[Rovin Romine]

Glob needs to edit their article

Still says “medical event”

Hope the f’ing asshole gets charged with manslaughter at a minimum (depending on facts and witnesses for anything harsher)

Sounds like the guy had to be given CPR on the scene, so it's likely that whatever the final "medical event" was that killed him, it's probably going to be pretty easy to link up to the punch. There might be a proximate cause argument to be made if the man survived for a period of time, then died due to a possibly unrelated factor (if, for example, he had advanced cancer or something.)

Unless something radically different comes out, "involuntary manslaughter" is the standard go-to for "death occurs during a fistfight/battery."

 

[PortlandSoxFan]

Gillette is nothing like the old Sullivan Stadium, where fights happened like every 5 minutes (in addition to public urination, mostly because the bathrooms didn't work, but I digress). Given that Gillette is now about 95% season ticket holders, the fear of losing your tickets is real, so generally Pats fans aren't getting into brawls.

I've said for years the absolute worst fucking fans that come into town are Dolphins fans. On Sunday night, I was in 129, and surrounded by Dolphins fans, in the row in front of me, and row in back of me. The ones behind us were fine, the ones in front of us sucked, doing their Fireball shots from nips at kickoff, throwing the Dolphins shark sign (picture someone making an L for Loser on their forehead), just taunting away at Pats fans. And they've been like this for over 20 years. They show up entitled, like they've been on a 20 year run of dominance, talk nonstop shit to anyone who will listen, and then generally slink away when their team is losing.

When the Pats fans started booing the offense in the 1st half, these assholes were like "you guys are the worst, we'd never boo our team in Miami, blah blah blah." My immediate response was "That's because nobody in Miami is there to watch the game." They were young, and drunk, so it didn't get ugly or anything, but if I was someone else, or the guys around me weren't long time season ticket holders, I can see 25 different moments where there could have been a fight with these guys (they were in their early 20's, best guess, 4 of them).

Jets fans just get pity, nobody cares about them. Bills fans are great. They show up year in and year out, usually with the strongest showing of any opposing fans, knowing their team would get their asses kicked, but they loved football, loved their team and were always amazingly courteous and making friends and talking football. It's one of the reasons I find myself rooting for the Bills nowadays when the Pats are out of the hunt. I'd rather see the Bills win over just about any other contender in the AFC.

In the section that I've been in for 18 years (326, last row) we get a lot of opposing team's fans. In my opinion consistently the worst are the Ravens fans. Philly fans last week were about 60% insufferable douchebags. I generally am affable to a fan of the opposing team (in fact; if I have a friend whose team is playing the Pats, I will generally bring them to the game), but sometimes they make it very difficult.

I was at a game when I was in college; I believe it was the last game of the season in 92, sitting in the end zone when there was a Dolphins fan dressed up as 'super Dolphin' with a hood and a cape. He was beaten and literally dangled over the edge of the stadium while the security guard looked the other way. Lost in OT if I recall correctly.

 

[lexrageorge]

Sounds like the guy had to be given CPR on the scene, so it's likely that whatever the final "medical event" was that killed him, it's probably going to be pretty easy to link up to the punch. There might be a proximate cause argument to be made if the man survived for a period of time, then died due to a possibly unrelated factor (if, for example, he had advanced cancer or something.)

Unless something radically different comes out, "involuntary manslaughter" is the standard go-to for "death occurs during a fistfight/battery."

If the perpetrator was intentionally pounding on the person, I would much prefer that he be charged with at least voluntary manslaughter as opposed to involuntary. In any event, significant jail time should be on the table. No need for leniency here based on what info has come out.

As an FYI, there was another medical event that happened during the same game in which someone did need CPR. Totally unrelated to the fight, but the person apparently recovered before being transported to the hospital.

 

[sodenj5]

Truly awful. No fan of any team, in any stadium should go to a game and not come home to their family.

 

[Fisks Of Fury]

Gillette is nothing like the old Sullivan Stadium, where fights happened like every 5 minutes (in addition to public urination, mostly because the bathrooms didn't work, but I digress). Given that Gillette is now about 95% season ticket holders, the fear of losing your tickets is real, so generally Pats fans aren't getting into brawls.

I've said for years the absolute worst fucking fans that come into town are Dolphins fans. On Sunday night, I was in 129, and surrounded by Dolphins fans, in the row in front of me, and row in back of me. The ones behind us were fine, the ones in front of us sucked, doing their Fireball shots from nips at kickoff, throwing the Dolphins shark sign (picture someone making an L for Loser on their forehead), just taunting away at Pats fans. And they've been like this for over 20 years. They show up entitled, like they've been on a 20 year run of dominance, talk nonstop shit to anyone who will listen, and then generally slink away when their team is losing.

When the Pats fans started booing the offense in the 1st half, these assholes were like "you guys are the worst, we'd never boo our team in Miami, blah blah blah." My immediate response was "That's because nobody in Miami is there to watch the game." They were young, and drunk, so it didn't get ugly or anything, but if I was someone else, or the guys around me weren't long time season ticket holders, I can see 25 different moments where there could have been a fight with these guys (they were in their early 20's, best guess, 4 of them).

Jets fans just get pity, nobody cares about them. Bills fans are great. They show up year in and year out, usually with the strongest showing of any opposing fans, knowing their team would get their asses kicked, but they loved football, loved their team and were always amazingly courteous and making friends and talking football. It's one of the reasons I find myself rooting for the Bills nowadays when the Pats are out of the hunt. I'd rather see the Bills win over just about any other contender in the AFC.

I was in 140 on Sunday and there were Dolphins fans everywhere. The VAST majority of them were fine, but there was one guy behind us who was literally taunting the Pats fans around him after every. single. play. The few times I looked back, he was clearly trying to get a reaction, but he was saying such incredibly stupid things, everyone was ignoring him, including the other Dolphins fans. I got the impression that he would have welcomed and enjoyed a more physical escalation, but had no takers.

Some people just enjoy starting fights with strangers. This tragedy seems to be the outcome of dealing with one or more of these people, and is just awful.

 

[Kenesaw Martin Landau]

Gillette is nothing like the old Sullivan Stadium, where fights happened like every 5 minutes (in addition to public urination, mostly because the bathrooms didn't work, but I digress). Given that Gillette is now about 95% season ticket holders, the fear of losing your tickets is real, so generally Pats fans aren't getting into brawls.

In the mid 80's, my father worked there one season as an usher.

He thought he could make a little extra money and see the games for free.

It turned out to be more like being a guard during a prison riot, and all the prisoners are blackout drunk and coked to the gills.

After every game, shoes and pants were soaked in vomit, beer, blood, etc., so he would have to throw them away, the whole experience ended up costing him money.

The good old days weren't always so good.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

In the section that I've been in for 18 years (326, last row) we get a lot of opposing team's fans. In my opinion consistently the worst are the Ravens fans. Philly fans last week were about 60% insufferable douchebags. I generally am affable to a fan of the opposing team (in fact; if I have a friend whose team is playing the Pats, I will generally bring them to the game), but sometimes they make it very difficult.

I was at a game when I was in college; I believe it was the last game of the season in 92, sitting in the end zone when there was a Dolphins fan dressed up as 'super Dolphin' with a hood and a cape. He was beaten and literally dangled over the edge of the stadium while the security guard looked the other way. Lost in OT if I recall correctly.

You’ve been in the last row of 326 and haven’t upgraded? I get the 300s love. We had seats in row 7 (the last row
Of the lower 300s) that were great because you had no one behind you and a great view but the last row? That seems rough.

 

[PortlandSoxFan]

You’ve been in the last row of 326 and haven’t upgraded? I get the 300s love. We had seats in row 7 (the last row
Of the lower 300s) that were great because you had no one behind you and a great view but the last row? That seems rough.

I love my seats. This year was the first time I've ever even checked out the upgrade portal, and there was nothing available that would make me move (2 sections closer to the middle? 10 rows closer?). I like being able to watch the whole field. And nobody is behind me, either!

 

[Marciano490]

Wonder if the deceased’s family would consider suing the team? Probably not much of a case - unless security was woefully inadequate - but maybe enough for a quick payoff.

 

[Rovin Romine]

If the perpetrator was intentionally pounding on the person, I would much prefer that he be charged with at least voluntary manslaughter as opposed to involuntary. In any event, significant jail time should be on the table. No need for leniency here based on what info has come out.

As an FYI, there was another medical event that happened during the same game in which someone did need CPR. Totally unrelated to the fight, but the person apparently recovered before being transported to the hospital.

We're still very thin on facts, and I honestly can't tell what's going on in the one video I saw.

There are some possible scenarios that could support Murder in the first degree. . .but are so far-fetched as to not be worth speculating on. There are other possible scenarios where the puncher might have a perfect defense in self-defense. Again, unlikey, but not as unlikely as M1.

 

[Was (Not Wasdin)]

We are in 330. When I heard about a fan dying at the game, I assumed it was a guy in our section. We know most of the folks around us, and it was a face we hadn't seen before. The staties came up to pull him out, which is unusual-it is typically just Gillette security. Guy looked like a zombie, he was so out of it. I didnt see what triggered them coming up, he may have passed out/fallen onto the people in front of him. But it makes sense that there was an elevated response if there had been an incident earlier in the game.

At the Thursday night Springsteen show last month at Gillette, I cut my leg on the way over. went to one of the first aid rooms, and was very impressed-it looked like a modern ER-very well equipped and staffed. Definitely not scrimping on that front. I think they were disappointed when i asked for a band-aid, the folks there were fired up to jump into action-they see a fat man waddling in and start firing up the defibrillator.

I've been part of this season ticket group since 1993. I have never seen as many visiting fans/empty seats in the 300s as the first two games this year, with one exception (the Bill Parcells return in 2003 with Dallas). Those sections are going to be half empty when the weather turns and they play teams like the Colts and Chargers, who are not know for traveling well.

And Steelers fans are the biggest visiting a-holes.

 

[Deathofthebambino]

We are in 330. When I heard about a fan dying at the game, I assumed it was a guy in our section. We know most of the folks around us, and it was a face we hadn't seen before. The staties came up to pull him out, which is unusual-it is typically just Gillette security. Guy looked like a zombie, he was so out of it. I didnt see what triggered them coming up, he may have passed out/fallen onto the people in front of him. But it makes sense that there was an elevated response if there had been an incident earlier in the game.

At the Thursday night Springsteen show last month at Gillette, I cut my leg on the way over. went to one of the first aid rooms, and was very impressed-it looked like a modern ER-very well equipped and staffed. Definitely not scrimping on that front. I think they were disappointed when i asked for a band-aid, the folks there were fired up to jump into action-they see a fat man waddling in and start firing up the defibrillator.

I've been part of this season ticket group since 1993. I have never seen as many visiting fans/empty seats in the 300s as the first two games this year, with one exception (the Bill Parcells return in 2003 with Dallas). Those sections are going to be half empty when the weather turns and they play teams like the Colts and Chargers, who are not know for traveling well.

And Steelers fans are the biggest visiting a-holes.

The amount of police at Gillette on Sunday night was crazy. In addition to staties, they have details from at least 7 neighboring towns that I counted on their uniforms. We got to the stadium at about 5:00 p.m. and walked up the stairs to go up to Six String in Patriot Place beforehand, and I saw no less than 50 cops from various jurisdictions from the stairs to the restaurant. I think stadium security is now uniformed police for the most part.

I didn't go to the Philly game, but did anyone notice how quick it was to get through "security" into the game? No more emptying pockets to go through a metal detector. You just walk through some scanner thing and then scan your ticket on your phone. You only get pulled if you have a bag to search. That was a nice surprise.

 

[8slim]

Gillette is nothing like the old Sullivan Stadium, where fights happened like every 5 minutes (in addition to public urination, mostly because the bathrooms didn't work, but I digress). Given that Gillette is now about 95% season ticket holders, the fear of losing your tickets is real, so generally Pats fans aren't getting into brawls.

I've said for years the absolute worst fucking fans that come into town are Dolphins fans. On Sunday night, I was in 129, and surrounded by Dolphins fans, in the row in front of me, and row in back of me. The ones behind us were fine, the ones in front of us sucked, doing their Fireball shots from nips at kickoff, throwing the Dolphins shark sign (picture someone making an L for Loser on their forehead), just taunting away at Pats fans. And they've been like this for over 20 years. They show up entitled, like they've been on a 20 year run of dominance, talk nonstop shit to anyone who will listen, and then generally slink away when their team is losing.

When the Pats fans started booing the offense in the 1st half, these assholes were like "you guys are the worst, we'd never boo our team in Miami, blah blah blah." My immediate response was "That's because nobody in Miami is there to watch the game." They were young, and drunk, so it didn't get ugly or anything, but if I was someone else, or the guys around me weren't long time season ticket holders, I can see 25 different moments where there could have been a fight with these guys (they were in their early 20's, best guess, 4 of them).

Jets fans just get pity, nobody cares about them. Bills fans are great. They show up year in and year out, usually with the strongest showing of any opposing fans, knowing their team would get their asses kicked, but they loved football, loved their team and were always amazingly courteous and making friends and talking football. It's one of the reasons I find myself rooting for the Bills nowadays when the Pats are out of the hunt. I'd rather see the Bills win over just about any other contender in the AFC.

I grew up in Foxboro, just a few miles from the old stadium. Things were so bad there that when I was a kid (early 80s) my father would only take me to daytime, early season games. Other Dads in my neighborhood had season tix and they never, ever took their kids precisely because it was such a bad scene there.

My understanding is that the Foxboro Board of Selectmen banned MNF games there for a number of years after the late 70s because the crowds were so violent.

It’s been 20+ years since Gillette’s been open and literally *every single time* I go to a game I think how wildly different everything about the experience is from when I was a kid.

 

[Sille Skrub]

One of the scariest memories of my childhood was going to a game at old Foxboro Stadium.

I was so mortified that I told my father I never wanted to go back there again.

 

[Scoops Bolling]

I used to sit in the bleachers at Fenway in the 80's. The number of fights I saw, and the number of guys basically trying to pick a fight was disturbing.
Fenway is much better now.

I was talking to my brother about this recently, but it's incredible looking back on my childhood and one of the things that always got my attention and excitement was the inevitable fist fight at Sox and Bruins games. Most of the time it'd just be a mass of standing people you couldn't see through, but every so often you'd get a perfect sightline of a couple of guys ineffectually wailing on each other before getting broken up and escorted out of the game. Yet now I cannot even think of the last time I saw a fight at a game for either team, even when I've been up in the cheapest of seats the crowd's never been more than mildly belligerent. It's easily been a decade, if not longer.

I do not care to go to football games live, so I have no idea how different Gillette is, but I can't imagine fighting is super common these days. Am I wrong about that?

 

[sezwho]

Wonder if the deceased’s family would consider suing the team? Probably not much of a case - unless security was woefully inadequate - but maybe enough for a quick payoff.

I hope they do(assuming some negligence) and I wish I had. Back in 90s went to a chargers raiders game in SD and it was a literal riot. The Raiders were really leaning in on the gang banger motif and once the Chargers got down big it was like Mad Max. Bolts fans left to catch waves, they knew what was coming. My friends and I left the game too late and I ended up getting a couple beer bottles in the face just trying to get out of parking lot. I’m fine, just dumb story now, but the stadium security was clearly not remotely effective in or out (left after knife pulled nearby in stadium) and I left $ on the table…they were about to host a SB if memories serve.

 

[Patriot_Reign]

Terrible. My good friend's father died in Gillette from an aneurysm in 2011. He went to the restroom near the south endzone and never came back. My friend went to find him, and the police had everything cordonded off. They wouldn't give out the name of the victim, but they allowed Bill to go down to the lower level where the ambulance was. His dad was 67.

Anyway, the Pats organization was incredibly compassionate and generous. They gave us field passes to the 2012 playoff game vs Denver and Tebow. We were on the sidelines during kickoff. Stacey James brought Bob Kraft over to shake our hands and express his condolences. Then they took us below to meet the first responders and gave my friend and his brother the coin from the flip in a nice case. At the funeral they sent over a flower arrangement in the shape of the Pats logo. And, after the season, they let his mom sit in the stadium alone and say her goodbyes.

First class organization.

That's an awesome story (not the dying part, but the Patriots reaction).

 

[Patriot_Reign]

I hope they do(assuming some negligence) and I wish I had. Back in 90s went to a chargers raiders game in SD and it was a literal riot. The Raiders were really leaning in on the gang banger motif and once the Chargers got down big it was like Mad Max. Bolts fans left to catch waves, they knew what was coming. My friends and I left the game too late and I ended up getting a couple beer bottles in the face just trying to get out of parking lot. I’m fine, just dumb story now, but the stadium security was clearly not remotely effective in or out (left after knife pulled nearby in stadium) and I left $ on the table…they were about to host a SB if memories serve.

Some of my wife's friends from college pick a Pats away game to go to every season. They're nice people, but I went to one of the away games with them and they're definitely obnoxious with wearing Pats gear head to toe and yelling their head off for the Pats during the game. I just felt like you have to respect where you are and tone it down.

Having said that for whatever reason they thought it'd be fun to go to a Raiders game the season after the Tuck rule. Needless to say they were in line at the bathroom and shit got REAL real fast. Security told them you better leave now because we can't protect you.

 

[sezwho]

Some of my wife's friends from college pick a Pats away game to go to every season. They're nice people, but I went to one of the away games with them and they're definitely obnoxious with wearing Pats gear head to toe and yelling their head off for the Pats during the game. I just felt like you have to respect where you are and tone it down.

Having said that for whatever reason they thought it'd be fun to go to a Raiders game the season after the Tuck rule. Needless to say they were in line at the bathroom and shit got REAL real fast. Security told them you better leave now because we can't protect you.

Glad your friends made the wise choice! Not about being obnoxious Pats fans, but about leaving . I think stadiums and events in general are markedly safer than in decades past, but to the bolded situational awareness is your friend. During the 'cleanup' phase it became clear there there were two Marines in the truck behind us (it was San Diego after all) who wisely reconned and remained in their vehicle until they could actually make a difference: it was a group of 5-10 that descended on the vehicle we were in.

In our case it was a Bears, Broncos and this Pats fan going to an NFL game where we didn't even have a rooting interest, so can also just be wrong place wrong time. I do remember thinking how long it took for the ambulance to get in, and being glad I was just cut up and not having a heart attack or something (to the points above).

 

[Jordu]

Posted by the Globe two hours ago:

A New Hampshire man who was fatally injured during Sunday’s New England Patriots game at Gillette Stadium collapsed after being punched twice in the head by a Miami Dolphins fan, a witness said Tuesday.

In the fourth quarter of the game, Joey Kilmartin said he saw the victim, Dale Mooney, 53, of Newmarket, N.H., move over one section to confront a man wearing a Dolphins jersey. The two men had been verbally sparring for most of the game, Kilmartin said.

“In a nutshell, it was a basic argument back and forth,” Kilmartin said in a telephone interview. “He [Mooney] went over to Section 311 and he basically engaged in mutual combat with another fan. A lot of people started trying to pull them apart. ... It looked like somebody was in the middle of them and then a man in the Dolphins jersey reached over and he connected with two punches to the victim’s head.”

“It wasn’t something crazy or out of the ordinary until, 30 seconds later, the guy wasn’t getting up,” he said.

Kilmartin, who lives in New Hampshire, said Mooney fell backward and did not move even when first responders arrived and provided first aid, including the use of a defibrillator.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/09/19/metro/new-england-patriots-and-fan-and-fight-and-killed/

 

[McBride11]

https://www.insideedition.com/media/videos/new-england-patriots-fan-dies-after-fight-with-dolphins-fan-during-football-game-83705?amp

If this is accurate. Looks like shit talking all around that escalated.
Which … why?? What is the point? Ignore the drunk other dude. Walk away.
This is tragic and horrible for that man, his family, the dolpins fan and their family. Multiple lives destroyed because of a football game.

 

[8slim]

It’s such a waste. And from my experience it’s almost always fueled by alcohol, and not having someone involved who helps deescalate the situation.

 

[Salem's Lot]

I feel bad for the guys family, what are you doing at 53 years old going a section over to look for a fight.

 

[Marciano490]

Seems like if the guy was loud enough to provoke a fight with a dude in another section, ushers or security should’ve been there first.

 

[Rovin Romine]

I feel bad for the guys family, what are you doing at 53 years old going a section over to look for a fight.

Nobody should die for that. Or even get a bruise.

 

[Salem's Lot]

Nobody should die for that. Or even get a bruise.

Absolutely. The guy that hit him should do 10 years at least. End of the day, he killed the guy. But it never happens if the victim doesn’t go over there.

 

[Salem's Lot]

Seems like if the guy was loud enough to provoke a fight with a dude in another section, ushers or security should’ve been there first.

If it’s anything like how the Garden was when I stopped going there, they’re non existent.

 

[SemperFidelisSox]

Why don’t teams just make tickets available for a certain section of the stadium for opposing fans? They do this for soccer in Europe.

 

[mauf]

My in-laws gave us two tickets for the Patriots-Jaguars game at Gillette a couple years ago so I could take my son to see his favorite team. We thanked them — and then we didn’t go.

Not surprised at all that something like this happened at Gillette.

 

[ragnarok725]

Why don’t teams just make tickets available for a certain section of the stadium for opposing fans? They do this for soccer in Europe.

This doesn't exactly solve the problem. Putting all the other side's fans together can embolden and make bigger clashes happen.

The people who get involved in this are mostly looking for an excuse.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

We were walking back to the Renaissance an hour or so after a Buffalo game, and a guy was walking a bit ahead of us in a Josh Allen jersey. Two guys basically jumped him. They started by trying to taunt him into a fight by talking shit about Allen, but he kept his head down and so about 10 seconds later, they just started hitting and kicking him. We were like 10 feet away. The guy got one of them off balance then just booked -- they didn't chase him. It was pretty fucked up -- lots of people around, Christmas lights everywhere. I've seen plenty of fights in stands where the heat of the game gets to people, but this was pretty much just a jumping.

Weird part was that it had been a great game. Patriots stopped the Bills from tying the game in the red zone. I remember thinking that the kid would probably have the last laugh -- Allen was only going to get better and Brady was reaching the end of his career (and turns out that was one of his last games in Foxboro). Maybe there's some karma -- Allen has pretty much owned us since then.

Bottom line is that there's just a segment of people who go to the games either looking for fights or at best being ready for them.

 

[Ale Xander]

My in-laws gave us two tickets for the Patriots-Jaguars game at Gillette a couple years ago so I could take my son to see his favorite team. We thanked them — and then we didn’t go.

Not surprised at all that something like this happened at Gillette.

Why not???

 

[NortheasternPJ]

Why don’t teams just make tickets available for a certain section of the stadium for opposing fans? They do this for soccer in Europe.

I’d bet 40% of the tickets on any game at this point are Ticketmaster resold tickets by season ticket holders. They don’t care who they go to because they aren’t responsible for the persons actions.

 

[Bowhemian]

My in-laws gave us two tickets for the Patriots-Jaguars game at Gillette a couple years ago so I could take my son to see his favorite team. We thanked them — and then we didn’t go.

Not surprised at all that something like this happened at Gillette.

Say what? I’ve been to Gillette dozens of times since it opened. I’ve sat in the 300’s, 200’s, and 100’s. I’ve spent hours just walking around during the games. And I can honestly say that I have never seen a fight there.

 

[Ale Xander]

Say what? I’ve been to Gillette dozens of times since it opened. I’ve sat in the 300’s, 200’s, and 100’s. I’ve spent hours just walking around during the games. And I can honestly say that I have never seen a fight there.

Same
And there are always a bunch of LE at the exits both on foot and horseback and in vans

 

[Deathofthebambino]

Why don’t teams just make tickets available for a certain section of the stadium for opposing fans? They do this for soccer in Europe.

I don't know about soccer in Europe, but at Gillette, almost every seat is owned by season ticket holders.

I would imagine that very close to all opposing fans are getting their tickets from season ticket holders that gave them to them, the Patriots exchange (secondary market that the Pats allow through their own site, for a fee) and the actual secondary market.

I want to say it's something like 98% of the stadium seats are season tickets, and the remaining tix are held for families of the team, organizations/corps/sponsors, etc., and any extras are released to the public the morning of the game.