[kj] Celtic fan vs Dida attack

[B. Oliver Sheppard]

There is some especially pernicious and hypocritical about America's 
relation with competitive sprts, though. As Alex has mentioned, you have 
folks who can call in to radio shows and recite an amazing number of 
facts and statistics about this player, this team, that year, etc. -- 
like savants or walking encyclopedias. Yet like most Americans he will 
be ignorant about the rest of the world, how the economy operates, etc. 
But sports -- it's like suddenly full-on brainpower. And the competitve 
associations w/ masculinity and power, competition, one-upping, cheering 
on one's gladiators while primarily women assume their roles as 
cheerleaders at the side, sort of like a prepping for war. (Not always, 
though -- folks often forget George W Bush was a Yale male cheerleader 
and didn't buy his Texas vanity ranch untilt he year 1999 when he 
decided to run for President).

Violent, antisocial, and downright thuggish behaviors associated with 
sports are given big time leeway in the culture that similar violent 
acts would not get. Also, the fanaticism it inspires reminds of devout 
Middle Easter religious zealots. In the world of American sprots, fans 
can dress outlandishly, dye their hair colors to match a team's colors, 
put on embarrassing displ;ays of drunkenness and hollering, etc. -- yet 
I remember when punk rockers coloring their hair, getting drunk -- that 
was the epitome of evil, a sign civilization was falling apart! But 
sports always gets a free pass and when drugs, rape, murder and other 
ugly behaviors come along,y ou'll find no end to the excuse-making for 
it, since it's a cherished institution.

-Oliver



Brendan Quinn wrote:

>

> Stones’ ‘security guards’ killing the guy on stage…?

>

> The story behind the Nirvana song Polly:

>

> http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2715

>

> Sports can be used as a pretext for violence just like anything else, 

> it doesn’t mean there is anything inherently violent about them. 

> Correlation does not prove causality…would anyone agree with me on that?

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

> *From:* gathering-bounces at misera.net 

> [mailto:gathering-bounces at misera.net] *On Behalf Of *Alexander Smith

> *Sent:* Saturday, 6 October 2007 4:13 a.m.

> *To:* A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)

> *Subject:* Re: [kj] Celtic fan vs Dida attack

>

> Maybe I'm mistaken, but I don't recall anyone getting "nearly 

> castrated" for wearing an Exploited t-shirt at a Ozric Tentacles show 

> or anything like that.

>

> Alex in NYC

>

> On Oct 5, 2007, at 10:49 AM, Flight Bringer wrote:

>

>

>

> Oh Alex, you are in a foul mood today arent you? Go and have a game of 

> frisbee or something or go for a jog on the park , or is that 

> considered to be too sports like ?

> Its not only sports fans that are tribal and confront people from 

> other tribes , music fans also do this .

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> > From: vassifer at earthlink.net <mailto:vassifer at earthlink.net>

> > Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2007 10:31:39 -0400

> > To: gathering at misera.net <mailto:gathering at misera.net>

> > Subject: Re: [kj] Celtic fan vs Dida attack

> >

> > Need I say more? Sports fans = fucking idiots.

> >

> > Alex in NYC

> >

> >

> >

> > On Oct 5, 2007, at 9:37 AM, B. Oliver Sheppard wrote:

> >

> > > [Here's something related: Texas Longhorns fan "nearly castrated"

> > > by angry Oklahoma fan in Okla bar -- and the guy who "almost

> > > castrated" the Texas fan is a church deacon and Army vet, to boot,

> > > according to article. - Oliver]

> > >

> > >

> > > http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hYCD4Gu5sgpDRm3qzPcAyhDNNLDQ

> > >

> > >

> > > Football Rivalry at Center of Bar Fight

> > > By SEAN MURPHY – Sep 11, 2007

> > >

> > > OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — To some Oklahoma football fans, there are

> > > things that just aren't done in the heart of Sooner Nation, and one

> > > of them is to walk into a bar wearing a Texas Longhorns T-shirt.

> > >

> > > That's exactly what touched off a bloody skirmish that left a Texas-

> > > shirt-wearing fan nearly castrated and an Oklahoma fan facing

> > > aggravated assault charges that could put him in prison for up to

> > > five years.

> > >

> > > The shocking case has set off a raging debate in this football-

> > > crazed region about the extreme passions behind a bitter rivalry.

> > > Some legal observers have even questioned whether this case could

> > > ever truly have an impartial jury.

> > >

> > > "I've actually heard callers on talk radio say that this guy

> > > deserved what he got for wearing a Texas T-shirt into a bar in the

> > > middle of Sooner country," said Irven Box, an attorney in this city

> > > 20 miles from Oklahoma's campus in Norman.

> > >

> > > According to police, 32-year-old Texas fan Brian Christopher Thomas

> > > walked into Henry Hudson's Pub on June 17 wearing a Longhorns T-

> > > shirt and quickly became the focus of football "trash talk" from

> > > another regular, 53-year-old Oklahoma fan Allen Michael Beckett.

> > >

> > > Thomas told police that when he decided to leave and went to the

> > > bar to pay his tab, Beckett grabbed him in the crotch, pulled him

> > > to the ground and wouldn't let go, even as bar patrons tried to

> > > break it up. When the two men were separated, Thomas looked down

> > > and realized the extent of his injuries.

> > >

> > > "He could see both of his testicles hanging on the outside of his

> > > body," said Thomas' attorney, Carl Hughes. "He was wearing a pair

> > > of white shorts, which made it that much worse."

> > >

> > > It took more than 60 stitches to close the wound, and police

> > > interviewed Thomas at a nearby hospital emergency room.

> > >

> > > Beckett's attorney, Billy Bock, concedes that his client commented

> > > about Thomas' shirt, but said it was just good-natured ribbing and

> > > that he apologized to Thomas when it appeared to upset the Texas

> > > fan. Later, Bock said Thomas approached his client at the bar and

> > > threatened him.

> > >

> > > "My client is a little man, and this guy (Thomas) is 30 to 40

> > > pounds bigger than him," Bock said. "He's bigger, stronger, younger

> > > and probably faster, and he aggressively leaned in and touched my

> > > client and threatened to beat him up. ... My guy was defending

> > > himself and just took control of the situation."

> > >

> > > Thomas' attorney disputes Beckett's version.

> > >

> > > "That's total malarkey," Hughes said. "My client never said a word

> > > to him. He got up to pay and when he paid and left a tip, the guy

> > > grabbed him."

> > >

> > > Beckett, a 53-year-old church deacon, federal auditor and former

> > > Army combat veteran, has pleaded not guilty. His next court

> > > appearance comes Oct. 4, two days before the Sooners and Horns

> > > tangle in their annual football game at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

> > >

> > > Thomas, who once lived in Houston and became a Texas fan during the

> > > heyday of star running back Earl Campbell, is still recovering from

> > > his injuries but has returned to work as a meat cutter at a Sam's

> > > Club warehouse store.

> > >

> > > Like Beckett and Thomas, many fans of the two college squads never

> > > attended either university, but have come to identify so closely

> > > with these teams that they attach banners to their cars, wear team

> > > colors on game day and even have programmed their car horns to play

> > > school fight songs.

> > >

> > > Dallas police Sgt. Andy Harvey, a 12-year veteran of the force,

> > > said it's not uncommon for fights to break out between fans of the

> > > two schools.

> > >

> > > "People are passionate about their teams and their universities,

> > > and that's a good thing," he said, "but when you mix a real

> > > passionate sports fan and then get a little alcohol in there,

> > > sometimes it's not a good mix."

> > >

> > > On both Texas and Oklahoma fan Web sites, boosters trade familiar

> > > tales of having their car tires slashed or windshields smashed for

> > > sporting the opposing team's sticker in enemy territory.

> > >

> > > Assistant District Attorney Scott Rowland said the rivalry will

> > > have no bearing on the way the case is prosecuted.

> > >

> > > "It appears that it played a part in the fight," he said, "but that

> > > won't play any more of a role in our handling of the case than

> > > would a fight over a girl or a car or a song on the jukebox."

> > > Hosted by Google

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

>