Columnist Blames Beating Victim, Says Bryan Stow Shouldn't Have Been Wearing Giants Jersey

[RandySF]

EDIT: I should add some background information for those who may not be familiar with the whole story. A San Francisco Giants fan was beaten into a coma by "Dodgers fans" (I don't know who the perps really are. The neighborhood around the stadium is pretty rough). Doctors had to remove part of his skull to relieve swelling and they say he will likely never fully recover speech or motor functions.


Longtime Pennsylvania sports anchor and writer John Steigerwald pens an astonishingly offensive piece this week in the Observer-Reporter, essentially blaming Giants fan Bryan Stow for his own savage beating.

Steigerwald's gross logic is that Stow, 42, shouldn't have donned San Francisco Giants gear while at the rival Dodger stadium where he attended the opener game on March 31.

He writes that the two men who attacked Stow as he walked to his car after the game probably believed they were doing their job in protecting Dodger turf.

That's like saying a woman wearing a short skirt was asking for it.

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2011/04/john_steigerwald_observer-reporter.php#more

[walldude]

1. I love this comment he made:

"Are there really 40-something men who think that wearing the jersey makes them part of the team? It was cute when a 10-year-old kid got that feeling by showing up at Three Rivers Stadium in a Pirates jersey, but when did little boys stop growing out of that?"

This coming from a man who made a career out of reporting on men throwing and catching... a ball... :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[trumad]

25. No---wearing a jersey shows support for your team

This guy is a class A Douchebag.

[Drale]

2. Wow I don't think any sane baseball fan

will ever take this freak seriously again.

[Itchinjim]

3. I have a friend who had his butt kicked and dunked in a urinal at Wrigley by a bunch of Met fans.

But everyone, including the Cub fans, thought he had coming; He gets a little mouthy when he drinks.

[Drale]

5. If I may ask when this happened?

because I have seen a bunch of attacks stopped by Cubs fan who will not put up with bullshit like that.

[Itchinjim]

18. 1984. Remember how the Cubs and Mets were fighting it out that year? The Mets were losing and

He was in one of the restrooms where you pee into that trough on the floor, it was full of Met fans and he had to rub it in. He came out of there bruised and wet. He didn't get much sympathy from anyone.

[Bonobo]

23. I am a Mets fan and got tossed out of Wrigley that year for supporting the Mets.

I was behind the Cubs dugout and was a little too verbal I guess. The guards tossed us out.

[RandySF]

7. I was walking from a Giants/A's game wearing a Giants cap

And was getting pretty nervous until I finally got to the BART station. A lot of people were drunk and acting pretty aggressive on the way out. There was also a lot of "signs" being flashed by groups of kids. Might have just been a rough night.

[sharp_stick]

13. It would have to be

a bunch of Mets fans because alone they don't get a lot more gutless than a Mets fan. ;-)

[KeepItReal]

4. Steigerwald's apology coming in 3....2....1....

Has he ever actually *attended* a sporting event not in his home stadium?

Has he ever heard of "road trip", "tail gating" or "away game"?

[Warren DeMontague]

6. Uh, yeah.

Congrats, dude. You just made it into the running will Bill "Catholic League" Donohue for biggest, most idiotic asshole of the month.

Quite the accomplishment.

[Johonny]

8. in fairness

before this event happened I had been told by young Dodger fans that what they liked about the Dodgers was that their fans protected their stadium. One fan told me the team I liked doesn't have real fans because we don't beat up people that come to our house with the wrong jersey on. People can be a little naive when it comes to physical violence. So while the writer is saying something ugly, that idea is out there and some small part of the fan base believes it. So look out. It's not European soccer fan bad yet, but there is the thug fan element out there :(

[RandySF]

10. I'm not sure it was in the stadium

As I mentioned in my Edit, I heard it's surrounded by a bad neighborhood.

[KeepItReal]

12. Stow got jumped in the Dodgers stadium parking lot

eom

[FSogol]

9. One time a friend wore a O's shirt to Seattle's Kingdome. The Mariner Fans

around us booed him and threw popcorn at him until I asked them to stop. They then apologized and bought us both a beer. True Story.

[Scuba]

11. Wear Packers gear to Soldier Field in Chicago and you will get....

...some good natured ribbing.


Wear Packers gear to the HomerDome in Minneapolis and you'll get beer poured on your children.


Anyone who commits an act of violence to "defend the turf" of the hometeam is sick.

[Webster Green]

14. Disgusting.

email addresses for the sports editor and the editor:

[e-mail], [e-mail],



Greetings,

John Steigerwald's article blaming the Giants fan for his brutal assault is easily the most disgusting thing I have ever read.

Hope you have the nads to do the right thing and fire that fucking asshole.

[Kat45]

15. Just one of the reasons I hate sports.

People take it way too fucking seriously. Cities will use tax dollars to build stadiums. Fans cannot stand to miss a single game. Fans put so much importance on whether their team wins or loses, as if it has some important effect on their lives. And now a horrendous act like this, with someone who should know better defending it.

[tblue37]

29. Another reason to hate spectator sports is that the attitudes

surrounding such sports have contaminated our politics and our public discourse to the point that people believe that they have to "support their team" rather than seek reasonable solutions to real public issues.

[Bunny]

16. John Steigerwald is a right wing asshole.

He hates everything he deems 'politically correct' and that includes your usual list of the things that wingnuts always complain about. He's a complete douche. Go fuck yourself, Steiggy. Asshole.

[fishwax]

22. wow, I guess

I just skimmed through titles on his blog, which was linked at the bottom of the article ... :puke:

[catgirl]

17. what a dumb-ass

Any news on Bryan's condition? They removed part of his skull to ease swelling. I haven't heard anything since.

[RamboLiberal]

19. Steigerwald is a Limbaugh/Beck RW wannabee & washed up

He's a first class jerk! Had a RW evening show on KDKA radio for about a year 2008 called Steigerworld. For my own sanity I had to turn this fool off most nights for the very reason he cites.

they probably also thought they were doing their duty as Dodger fans.

There were nights listening to this wingnut I wanted to do my duty as a liberal, Democrat & Obama supporter.

Not surprised the ahole would pen this column.

Notice he's working for podunk paper.

[MadMaddie]

24. Why am I not surprised he is a RW hack?

[Angry Dragon]

20. Strange column from a guy that can't wait to get to the

locker room after the game so he can sneak into the showers to grab the used bars of soap so he sniff them and check for hairs

Just saying

[fishwax]

21. Even John Steigerwald's mustache is embarrassed for him.

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2011/04/john_steigerwald_observer-reporter.php#more

:rofl:

[trumad]

26. LOL---

A clearly over 50ish man with a Porn Stash.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

27. I've always heard Dodgers fans were fairly disinterested in the whole thing.

They show up late and leave early no matter what's happening on the field.
When I heard about this story I figured it had to have been something more than fans 'defending their turf.'

[Rhythm]

28. What the fuck is wrong with people. It's a GAME, for Cthulhu's sake - and you're NOT playing in it!

So nothing that happens around A GAME is worth hurting other people... NOTHING.

There's a kid who was a student here at WVU -- Ryan Diviney -- who is in a persistant vegetative state after an altercation in 2009 with other WVU students. A scuffle broke out after an argument related to the World Series, and Diviney was knocked to the ground and then kicked in the head by fans of the opposing team. The guys who hit and kicked Diviney are in prison, but that doesn't negate the stupidity of their crimes, or give the parents back the son they have forever 'lost' to this kind of senseless violence.

It's a GAME people, stop acting like a bunch of fucking neanderthals.
:mad:

[Blue_Tires]

30. If he's trying to troll, it's working

He'll be out of a job in 48 hours...There's always room for him at Fox


And BEFORE he gets fired, it would be poetic if the Pirates or any other Pittsburgh teams he covers yanks his credential (if he has one)

Edit: LOL the comments on the page have been halted at 271 (many have probably been edited out)