Professional athletes have bad days. While they do superhuman things on the field – or the ice or in the ring or on the pitch – they’re human. They show emotion, including anger and sometimes, that anger boils into altercations with fans in the crowd. Let’s take a look at five memorable fan-athlete altercations part 1.
I was tasked with coming up with five memorable altercations between athletes and fans. Some are obvious while others might surprise you.
5. Eric Cantona Kung-Fu Kicks a Hooligan
Hooliganism and English football go together like peas and carrots. One incident is possibly the most notorious in English club football history. On January 25, 1995, Manchester United striker Eric Cantona was being hounded all game long in a match against Crystal Palace. Out of frustration, Cantona kicked defender Richard Shaw and was given a red card. On his way off the pitch to the locker room, a Crystal Palace fan ran down from the stands and began throwing insults at Cantona.
Cantona ran into the crowd, gave the fan a kung-fu kick, and then punched the fan. On-field officials escorted Cantona to the locker room while stadium security separated players and the crowd. After the game, pundits wanted Cantona banned from English football. Some went as far as to call for his deportation. Cantona was later formally charged with assault and was sentenced to 120 hours of community service.
Cantona gave a one-sentence statement following his court appearance: “When the seagulls follow the trawler, it’s because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea. Thank you very much.” He abruptly walked off. The FA fined Cantona ₤20,000 GBP (about $26,000 USD) and he was suspended for eight months. In a 2011 interview, Cantona said that while the incident may have been memorable in the fan’s minds, it was a big mistake.
4. Tie Domi Fights a Flyers Fan
Philadelphia sports fans are legendarily passionate. They’re also legendarily brutal on opposing teams as well as their own! From whipping batteries at Phillies games to booing Santa Claus at Eagles games, Philadelphia fans are an ardent group. Equally as passionate and tough is NHL pugilist Tie Domi, who played in the NHL for 17 seasons, most of them with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Domi was infamous for piling up the penalty minutes and fights in just about every season in his tenure.
On March 29, 2001, Domi had one of his most famous fights against an unexpected opponent. While Domi served an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, Flyers fans pelted garbage and beverages on Domi. He replied with a few spritzes of Powerade into the crowd. One fan, Christopher Falcone, took exception and went over the boards to try to get at Domi. The glass gave way and Falcone fell into the penalty box. Domi punched Falcone several times before on and off-ice officials separated them.
In the aftermath of the kerfuffle, Falcone was given a $150 citation and thrown out of the arena. Surprisingly, the league handed Domi a $1,000 fine. A week later, the same teams faced off in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Domi reflected on the incident during the January 6 installment of the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast. It turns out this story has a happy ending. Looking to put the incident behind him, Domi personally called Falcone. He offered Falcone and his family to a flight to Toronto and game tickets for the first game of the 2001 playoffs.
