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There have been plenty of instances where athletes have gone after fans who managed to get under their skin during a game. That includes a professional lacrosse player who attacked a couple of guys—including one who he walloped with his stick—who now has a court date after being charged with assault.
As a reformed heckler who didn’t think twice about chirping opposing players at sporting events in high school and college, I firmly understand the appeal of engaging in some verbal warfare in the hopes of throwing someone off of their game.
However, there are plenty of instances where unruly spectators have crossed the line while sparking some ugly situations involving players who decided to go out of their way to confront them.
There isn’t a single incident that sticks out quite like The Malice at the Palace, but we’ve been treated to some similarly wild scenes thanks to the Bruins players who leaped into the stands at Madison Square Garden and Vernon Maxwell’s (fairly understandable) decision to go after a Trail Blazers fan who mocked his stillborn daughter.
Earlier this month, we were treated to some more player-on-spectator violence thanks to what unfolded after a National Lacrosse League game between the Halifax Thunderbirds and the Colorado Mammoth.
The Mammoth hosted the Thunderbirds at the Bell Center on December 21st for a showdown where the home team walked away with the 19-14 victory, but things took an unexpected turn when Halifax defenseman Tyson Bell threw a punch at a fan while making his way to the locker room before drilling another with his stick.
🚨HALIFAX THUNDERBIRDS PLAYER OF THE NLL (NATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE) ATTACKS FAN IN CROWD WHO WAS SHOUTING SOME FIGHTING WORDS. DOES THE FAN DESERVE THIS? pic.twitter.com/XH58rulQ0I
— Chaos Alerts (@ChaosAlertsOnX) December 24, 2024
According to the CBC, the 30-year-old Ontario native was swiftly suspended by the Thunderbirds and the NLL announced its plans to launch an investigation into the incident. The Denver Police Department says one of the fans suffered a “minor injury” after being struck, and Bell has been ordered to appear in court on January 22nd after being cited for assault.