Phillies, city can't permit rebirth of the 700 level
The beating death of a 22-year-old man during a brawl Saturday night in a parking lot at Citizens Bank Park proves that it takes more than a wrecking ball to rid Philadelphia of 700-level hooliganism.
Phillies, city can't permit rebirth of the 700 level
The beating death of a 22-year-old man during a brawl Saturday night in a parking lot at Citizens Bank Park proves that it takes more than a wrecking ball to rid Philadelphia of 700-level hooliganism.
The Vet, with its upper-level cheap seats favored by drunken rowdies, was torn down a couple of years ago. But the spirit of the 700 level – and the dangers – show signs of a resurgence at the new ballpark.
The beating death of David Sale of Lansdale was a horrific aberration, but fans report seeing a frat-party atmosphere at other games.
Here's how one fan, who commented on this blog item, described his evening at the ballpark:
I will never go on a Friday night again ... Just walking to the ballpark from the parking lot was horrendous. There were hundreds of drunk people throwing things, blocking the parking lots, the atmosphere was charged and unpleasant. When we left my 10 year old was visibily upset to see screaming young men throwing empty glass beer bottles in the parking lot.
If that proves to be a trend, then the Phillies management and city officials alike have a serious problem on their hands. With a winning team at bat, the last thing officials want is for ticket buyers – particularly families - to stay away out of fear for their safety.
The new ballpark’s appeal and earning power for the team and city isn’t merely due to the fact that the World Champions Phils are playing there. It’s also the fact that 700-level antics have been quashed for the most part.
The stadium was rebuilt on a more human scale and the Phillies have instituted and enforced a strict code of conduct for fans. Every game begins with big-screen video warnings about rowdy behavior. The rules are even included with mail-order tickets to a game.
Of course, the counter-message is that fans don’t have to leave their seats to drink themselves into a stupor. The suds – expensive as they are – continue to flow into the late innings when it would be far more reasonable to curtail sales earlier. A good number of fans show up at the gates with a few brews already under their belt, courtesy of lax enforcement against parking-lot celebrations. At least if fans were sobering up as they left the stadium, the scene outside the ballpark and on the Broad Street Subway ride home would be less eventful.
Security guards did toss the fans that were later caught up in the parking-lot fight, as did the management at McFadden's, the bar the rowdy fans stumbled into after leaving the ballpark. Reports of additional security at the stadium are encouraging. The arrest of suspects in the beating also sends the message that rowdies won’t be tolerated. And Mayor Nutter sought to reassure fans today that a trip to the stadium was safe.
But the Phillies need to monitor this situation carefully, with an eye toward greater intervention to make sure that 700-level behavior doesn’t make a comeback.
I also wouldn't object to random DUI check points after the games. It's a shame that those drunk people who can't control themselves give Philly fans a bad name and make people not want to go to games at all. Maybe this will help open the eyes of the people in charge, its a shame some one had to die to do that. People shouldn't have to worry about their saftey at any sporting event. I'll admit, I like having a few at McFadden's and even in the parking lot, but no one wants to see people barfing on the stairs or throwing glass bottles in the parking lot. All goes back to alcohol. I'll be bummed if they start banning all tailgating in the parking lot, but I won't disagree with it either.— Shane02- fishtowners ruin everything— kenzo9126
- Jesus, everyone's flying off the handle. beer sales stop in the 7th inning, which is fine. That has nothing to do with the people acting like idiots in the parking lot, some of whom come into the game already loaded. Many of the complaints and this beating death both happened in the parking lot, not people drinking a yard's pale ale in the stand. Having a few beers at my seats at the Phillies game is one of my favorite past times. I've never been booted or gotten into a fight. why should I be penalized because of some morons who got into a fight? or because some anti-alcohol nut like wah wants to forward their agenda. I would like to see dollar dog night eliminated though.— dreinterests
- Has anyone even mentioned that these nitwits had a ticket to enter CBP, NO...they were patrons on McFadden's...so what does the "700 Level" have to do with the Phillies organization?— ibutakc
- Thats alright.. i was already rear ended leaving the game at the exit onto broad street. The guy who hit me wouldnt stop. I finally had to scream for police to stop the guy. They finally did. The guy was totally drunk. The police didnt care and seemed like they didnt even want to be there. The guy never got a dui and didnt even get a field sobriety even though he smelled like a brewery.— dweb
- Banning alcohol is not the solution. Why punish the vast majority of fans who know how to behave in public? I was at Saturday's game. It was hot. I had a beer. I didn't ruin anyone's afternoon. Perhaps we should heap the responsibility for this tragedy on the meatheads who decided to prove how tough they were. Seriously, a 45 year old and a 35 year old beating up on a 22 year old? This was not a case of youthful exurbuance. It was tough guys looking for trouble. Making comparisons to the 700 level is also quite the exaggeration. I was section 102 row 4. There were too Cardinals fans directly behind me. They got razzed a little and gave it right back. Everyone had a good time. We even cheered for Rick Ankiel when he robbed Werth's home run. The vast majority of Phillies fans are well behaved, but a few idiots act like morons and all of a sudden, we're all painted with a negative brush again. Come on, Inquirer editorial board, you're allegedly better than this.— PattyB23
- Over priced beer = $6.75+ per cup.. 220 something cups per keg. Each keg is worth $1,500 (roughly) Beer will not be stopped. It cannot.. we need to pay for Halladay. Those Fishtown f@gs were kicking a guy when down and outnumbered. they deserve the charges.— Skena
- wah6819....u are a goof. The money people make selling been at the games is crazy, they won't stop it. Someone is making big loot when its $7 a beer.— Dvs Mind
- BTW, I was at the Camden waterfront for the Xponential Festival and was directed by traffic police to park in the Susquehanna Bank parking lot (pre-Toby Keith concert). What I witnessed in Camden made the Phillies tailgaters look like choir boys. It was an absolute war zone over there.— Jeff Dowder
- I was there Saturday nite.....most of the fools drinking all that beer in the heat payed the price by getting so sick out in the heat... serves them right! But the 2 biggest problems are the total lack of control of the young kids drinking themselves sick in the parking lots.....no police presence out there at all. Disgusting. And the crowd at McFadden's - most don't even know there is a game going on.....they need to close down that bar, at least by the 5th inning...— tommyd997
- The 300 level up in right field is the new 700 level. The tickets are cheap, and it's a lot of rowdy and drunk kids that barely notice the game is going on. You sit there and hope you don't end up getting caught in the middle of something unfortunate. If they want to try and change the culture, banning alcohol in some of those sections would be a good start.— PhiladelphiaWings
- If you are kicked out of the park, you should be escorted all the way out - to your car and forced to leave the property, including the parking lot.— fafafooey
- @mediaking, you hit it directly on the head. These guys were brought to the game from a bar. Their interest was in drinking with their buddies. The game was just a side part of that. It's a shame that someone had to die because someone else doesn't think before they go out in public. Disgraceful— bpsmit28
- 700 Level? It's still here and worse than ever. After my last experience at the Linc with my family, I'll never go back for an Eagles game.— xxx
- I have been so several Phillies games at both the Vet and The Bank. I will admit that at one game a couple of drunk college age kids were sitting behind us and kept spilling beer on my wife and I. But with that said they were dressed in Mets jerseys and when they left they threw the half full beers at the crowd. The security grabbed them immediately and tossed them. However there is no comparison between the Vet 700 level and the Bank. The Bank is much better patrolled and the crowds have been mostly well behaved families. Also this incident had nothing to do with the Phillies. This was a bachelor party that got out of control. This happens in bars all over the country. The fact that a death occurred is tragic and they should prosecute the guys who did it, but again had nothing to do with the Phillies. The Medea is trying to make it so.— DadofThree
