Fans yelling at players, making obscene gestures and just being overall ridiculous in the stands...it's all a part of the culture of professional sports. It's the jelly to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and it's just something that professionals and spectators have to accept.
MLS is no different. Fans are passionate about their teams, and that passion reaches another level during rivalry games. Over two weeks ago, the Colorado Rapids traveled to Sporting Kansas City and lost 3-1. Since that loss, the Rapids have dropped subsequent matches to Real Salt Lake and Minnesota United, dropping them to the bottom of the Western Conference.
However, the result of the SKC match was overshadowed by a video of an altercation that happened between a SKC fan and Tim Howard. In the video, the only thing that the fan shouts is "Go back to Colorado!", and Howard then turns around and yells some unruly things back at the fan.
According to multiple reports, the second altercation occurred at the end of the game as the players were leaving the field. Howard reportedly grabbed the arm of a fan as the fan was yelling obscenities at Howard — how the fan managed to get that close to Howard is an issue MLS needs to address.
Howard not only got involved with a couple of SKC supporters, but he also got into a minor altercation with SKC forward Dom Dwyer.
Shortly after the altercations, the Colorado Rapids released this press release:
"Tim Howard made an unfortunate and regrettable mistake for which he is being disciplined by MLS. While this is out of character for Tim, we do not condone these actions. We accept the league’s decision and look forward to moving past this. The incidents that took place during our match at Sporting Kansas City last weekend do not represent the Colorado Rapids Soccer Club or Tim’s character and beliefs, on and off the pitch."
MLS handed Howard a three-match suspension, perhaps to make an example of him due to a new league focus. MLS and its 22 clubs have taken a pledge with this year's “Don’t Cross the Line” campaign, “dedicated to supporting the communities where we live and play our games, and to providing an environment in which our staff, clubs, players, partners and supporters are treated with dignity and respect.”
The campaign is in place to emphasize the league's commitment to ending discrimination of any kind and to promote an atmosphere of diversity, equality and inclusion throughout the soccer community as a whole.
Following the release of the statement from the Rapids, the MLS Players' Union came out with their own press release highlighting points which MLS detailed in its "Fan Code of Conduct" — a rule set in place for fans who attend the games. These fans are expected to be respectful to each other, as well as to the players. This code of conduct is also supposed to prohibit fans from engaging in disorderly behavior, which would include obscene and/or abusive language.
The press release from the Players' Union even went as far as to say that the SKC security was inadequate in protecting the players, as well as fans. "As Tim was attempting to leave the field," said the release,"a fan with alcohol in hand was able to come within two feet of him on field level and aggressively scream obscenities in his face."
The second fan who was reportedly grabbed by Howard was in a special section that allows fans to be on the field with the players, and there's only a rope that separates them from the players as they leave the field.
This should bring into question the standard for behavior in these exclusive areas, as well as the rules for what types of beverages are allowed in those areas. This specifically puts the staff and security as Children's Mercy Park under the radar. Fans on the pitch with alcoholic beverages is probably going to lead to altercations.
This brings forward a tremendous issue that MLS has to have accountability for, and the now must fix it.
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