For a country that has seen its share of fan-player incidents, even the Serm was mildly shocked upon witnessing the events of the second leg of AC Milan and Inter Milan’s Champion’s League soccer quarterfinal match on Tuesday. For those who may need a little recap, Inter Milan, already down 3-0 on aggregate goals, had a game-tying goal called back because of a foul. This prompted the Inter fans at Milan’s San Siro Stadium to throw all manner of objects onto the field, including several flares. One of the flares struck AC Milan goalkeeper Dida in the head.
The incident begs several questions, but first and foremost, who brings flares into a stadium? I mean, you’re sitting there, putting on your team’s colors, finding your lucky scarf, maybe fixing up a sandwich or putting some peanuts in a bag, and you look over at your wife and ask “Honey, have you seen my flares? No, not the boat flares, you know, my stadium flares. Oh forget it, I’ll get the box myself.”
It is obvious that anyone who would bring flares to a game is a moron, but there is another set of cranially inept people that makes up the stadium’s personnel. In watching highlights of the incident, the flares are not a solitary piece of debris thrown on the field, but rather the majority of the projectiles. Is it so ridiculous to think that someone entering a stadium with a quantity of flares could not possibly do so inconspicuously? Shouldn’t someone have stopped this guy? Perhaps he was outside handing out flares so as to disperse them among his inebriated friends, which should have warranted some interest from the Polizei.
American fans are a different breed than Europeans, and this was clearly on display Tuesday. American fans buy a ticket to a game and this entitles them to engage in all kinds of unruly behavior within certain generally accepted guidelines. Heckle a guy, insult his play, call him fat and lazy, confuse him by calling him obese and lethargic; just avoid saying things about his wife, ex-wives, and illegitimate children.
By comparison, Europeans find nothing taboo. Sportscenter yesterday recounted the events of European soccer within the past month. They included fascist and racist chants at a Lazio game and threats of retribution from Juventus fans for a 1985 match against Liverpool that ended in the death of 39 Juventus fans. Juventus and Liverpool are paired together this week for the first time since that incident 20 years ago. Was it not just days ago that the whole country was in mourning, only to turn rabid once soccer resumed?
American sports have been in something of a rut these past few months with steroids and the NHL lockout symbolizing everything wrong with sports. For once, it was comforting to see that America was not the epitome of sports gone awry, but the very model of sportsmanship. While the Italians were busy destroying their reputation as lovers, the Yankees stood and watched the Red Sox receive their World Series rings. Finally, America has a reason to point its finger across the pond.
