The rivalry between the Pittsburgh and Cleveland turned beyond ugly and brutal in the fourth quarter Thursday when Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett swung and hit Mason Rudolph in the head with the quarterback’s helmet in the final seconds.
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield was forceful in his comments about the melee with Erin Andrews after the game.
This joins some of the ugliest moments in the history of sports.
Antonio Smith hits Richie Incognito
The incident in Steelers-Browns was reminiscent of Antonio Smith hitting Richie Incognito with a helmet in a preseason game in 2013.
Warriors minority owner hits Raptor
Golden State Warriors minority owner Mark Stevens was fined $500,000 and banned him from games and all other team events for the next season by the NBA after he pushed Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry during Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Brings to mind other incidents between athletes and spectators.
Bruins head into stands at MSG
Twas the night before Christmas Eve in 1979 when the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers faced off at Madison Square Garden. The scene became maddening as the teams milled around at game’s end and the fans got involved. Chaos ensued. Terry O’Reilly of the Bruins went into the stands and was followed by his teammates. Have to love the Boston announcer saying the Bruins are at a decided disadvantage because they are wearing skates.
Women’s rights activist dies during horse race
Emily Davison was a militant suffragette who died after throwing herself in front of the king’s horse at the Epsom Derby.
Bret Hart WWE Hall of Fame
Bret Hart was making an acceptance speech at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony when an unsettled fan ran into the ring and attacked the legendary wrestler. The fan was arrested.
Mike Curtis clobbers fan
Mike Curtis was as tough as they come. The Colts’ linebacker was not to be messed with if you were an opponent, and for sure a measly fan. The fan made the mistake or running onto the field and trying to run off with the ball. Curtis took matters into his own hands with a classic hit.
James Dolan gets into it with a fan
The owner of the Knicks and Rangers, James Dolan, was leaving the
Madison Garden floor when a fan yelled at him to “Sell the team.” Rather than ignoring the spectactor Dolan got into it with him and eventually tried to have him banned from MSG.
Fan runs on track during race on Preakness day
A man jumped onto the racetrack at Pimlico during a race on the Preakness undercard in in 1999. As Artax bore down on the intruder, the man planted his feet and threw an awkward overhand right at the horse. The man was pinned face-down on the dirt by security before being wrestled off the track in handcuffs.
Soccer star has bananas thrown at him
Barcelona’s Dani Alves was playing in a match when fans of the opposing team began calling him a monkey, and throwing bananas at him. Alves one-upped the fools by grabbing one of the bananas, peeling it and eating it.
Disco Demolition Night
We are approaching the 40th anniversary of the most ill-advised promotion in baseball history. Fans were allowed admission to a White Sox-Tigers doubleheader on July 12, 1979, if they brought along a box of disco records to be destroyed between games. Expecting only 12,000 fans, Comiskey Park officials were overwhelmed when throngs arrived. After the first game, the DJ brought a box of disco objects on the field and detonated it, blowing a massive hole in center field. This caused thousands of fans to charge the grass, and the second game eventually was forfeited.
Royals coach attacked
In one of the more bizarre moments in recent sports history, a father-son team jumped the fence at Comiskey Park, ran on the field and brutally attacked Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa on Sept. 19, 2002. Before players could come to his rescue, Gamboa already had sustained permanent hearing loss.
Monica Seles is stabbed
Monica Seles was playing Magdalena Maleeva in the Citizen Cup in 1993. During a changeover late in the match, Gunter Parche leaned over and stabbed at Seles with a nine-inch blade. Security and spectators restrained Parche before he could stab again.
Giants fans pelt Chargers
The late, great Dave Anderson in The New York Times: The elaborate plans for snow removal before or during Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium, if necessary, stem from a dangerous and embarrassing scene at Giants Stadium on Dec. 23, 1995, during the Giants’ 27-17 loss to the San Diego Chargers. Some 175 spectators were ejected and their tickets confiscated; 15 were arrested. Jeffrey Lange, 26, of Bridgewater, N.J., identified by a widely published photograph showing him throwing a snowball, was later arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. He was convicted of improper behavior and fined $650.
Reliever throws chair into stands
Frankie Francisco of the Texas Rangers threw a chair into the stands in 2004, reportedly aiming for Craig Bueno, an A’s season ticket-holder who frequently heckled opposing pitchers from his seat near the bullpen. He ducked, and the chair hit his wife. Craig Bueno admitted he had been taunting Rangers relief pitcher Doug Brocail, who yelled back. The situation deteriorated, and videotapes show several Texas pitchers, including Carlos Almanzar, apparently trying to climb over a short wall into the stands. Francisco was charged with aggravated battery. He reached an out of court settlement with Mrs. Bueno and was suspended by MLB and as sentenced to 30 days in jail in Texas after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor assault charge in the incident. The end of his criminal case came with the understanding that he’d be released after 19 days in a work-furlough program.
‘Fan man’ disrupts boxing match
Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield were in the midst of their heavyweight title fight in Las Vegas when an unwanted guest hit the ring in 1993. In the seventh round, after circling Caesars Palace, someone on a powered paraglider suddenly crashed into the ring. “Fan Man” was born. James Miller’s paraglider lines became entangled in the stadium’s overhead lights, leading to the awkward landing. The fight was delayed 21 minutes while Miller was first beaten unconscious by security and others at ringside, then rushed to the hospital.
Jeffrey Maier
In 1996, a young fan named Jeffrey Maier became the centerpiece of an American League postseason game between the Orioles and Yankees when he reached over the outfield wall and caught a ball that Baltimore outfielder Tony Tarasco was about to catch. Maier became instant “celebrity” of sorts after the play was ruled a home run.
Mad Max hits the stands
On Feb 6, 1995, after hearing a fan at Portland’s Memorial Coliseum allegedly heckle him over his wife’s recent miscarriage, Vernon Maxwell charged into the crowd, punched the fan in the face and broke his jaw. Maxwell received a 10-game suspension and a $20,000 fine.
Eagles fans throw snowballs at Santa
Philadelphia fans get the reputation as one tough crowd. And it is well earned, especially from decades ago when Eagles fans pelted Santa Claus with snowballs in frustration from another sorry season.
Barkley spits on girl
Charles Barkley was upset with a heckler at a game against the Nets in March of 1991. The Round Mound attempted to spit at him but missed and hit an eight-year-old in the stands. The incident nailed him a one-game suspension and a fine of $10,000.
Rick Monday saves the flag
A father and his son ran onto the field at Dodger Stadium with evil intentions and attempted to light an American flag on fire in protest on April 25, 1976. Cubs outfielder Rick Monday quickly snatched the flag up and ran to the infield before they had a chance to ignite it.
Jimmy Piersall attacked in 1961
Two fans at Yankee Stadium jumped from the stands and attacked the Indians’ Jimmy Piersall during a game in 1961. The outfielder hit one with a punch while the other fled.
Utah Jazz fan with Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook had an run-in with a Utah Jazz fan in Utah. It all happened while Westbrook was on the bench during the Thunder’s big win over the Jazz in March. The star guard could be heard yelling to a fan sitting near Oklahoma City’s bench. After an investigation by the Jazz, the team announced their decision to permanently ban the fan from all future events at Vivint Smart Home Arena because of “excessive and derogatory verbal abuse directed at a player”
Dave Sandford/Getty Images
In 2001, the Maple Leafs’ Tie Domi was serving a penalty when a Flyers fan threw beer and other items at him. Domi squirted water on the fan, who reached and shattered the glass and began a fist fight with Domi. The two landed a few good shots, but the fan required stitches.
Malice at the Palace
The all-time incident when it came to players and fans — in an awful way — took place at the Palace at Auburn Hills when the Detroit Pistons played host to the Indiana Pacers in 2004. The brawl began with less than a minute remaining and before anyone knew it players were in the stands fighting fans in an insanely chaotic melee.
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