The hurting the Denver Broncos put on the Oakland Raiders Monday night is nothing compared to the abuse Raiders fans heaped on each other. The level of violence was so bad in the stands that even the folks at the Oakland Tribune seemed startled by it.
Here are some excerpts from the Tribune's report, "Dozens of Brawls Reported at Raiders Game:"
One of the most dramatic incidents took place at Gate C before the game had started, police said. Three Oakland police officers were attempting to detain a man who was drunk when another man, who was later discovered to be on parole, walked up and "sucker punched" one of the officers in the face, police said. The man then punched a police sergeant, and others in the crowd began fighting. When it was all over, the sergeant and one of the officers had received significant cuts and bruises on their faces and the third officer suffered a broken finger. They were all treated on the scene.Three men were taken into custody in that incident...
Police said fans were particularly rowdy in sections 224 and 324, and officers used stun guns on several people to break up fights during the game. Oakland police reported at least 30 arrests for drunkenness, fighting and assault and about as many ejections for more minor offenses, such as sitting in the wrong seat. The Alameda County Sheriff's Department also made 15 arrests for such things as drunkenness, fighting and some drug charges, and ejected 55 people from the stands...
Other highlights of the article include a comment by an Oakland police spokesman, who said, "Our goal is to make this a family type event" -- presumably to peals of laughter from anyone within earshot. As for another policeman, he put the evening in better perspective:
One officer, who has worked at numerous Raiders games, said the incidents were not as bad as they could have been considering the game was a Monday Night Football contest against a major rival and the fans were likely upset at the team's performance.
For those of you who think this last cop is off-base, cast your gaze upon these videos of Oakland fans in action. Wonder how many of them spent Monday evening in custody... -- Michael Roberts