The World Series might be over, but one moment from Game 4 is still fueling discourse. Two New York Yankees fans were after they interfered with Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts by as he made a leaping catch against the wall, near where they were seated. The men were also banned from attending Game 5.
"I think we may have a new entry in the annals of fan behavior," , a psychology professor at Murray State University who has studied the psychology of sports fandoms, told USA TODAY. "But we didn't get here overnight." It's not just people prying open baseball mitts or .
There have been many instances of fan interference and questionable behavior at sporting events over the years. And there's a of unacceptable offenses that can get people ejected or even banned from venues. During World Series Game 4, before the bungle with Betts, a fan chose a Stand Up to Cancer moment of silence to .
In 2021, a Celtics fan was arrested for following an NBA playoff game. At another 2021 NBA playoff game, a fan was banned and had his season ticket membership revoked after on then-Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook. Culture shifts and costly tickets may be affecting how people behave in public.
"People seem to feel like they have more license to act in a rude and disrespectful fashion," said , professor emeritus of psychology at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Fans might be willing to pay , if not , of dollars to attend the games of their favorite teams, but the high t.
