Blue Jays playoffs: Is rowdy fan behaviour inevitable?
Expert questions whether the city is prepared
"Fans are requested to stop throwing objects onto the field during the game."
That was the announcement made at Rogers Centre during the Toronto Blue Jays' deciding Game 5 of the American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers following a controversial call in the seventh inning that gave the Rangers a temporary lead and prompted anger among fans.
Cans of beer rained down from the stands, which halted game action and brought out Toronto police. In one instance, a baby was hit by spray from a can, which led to an arrest.
You could hear the aggression in the crowd. The rowdiness at last week's Blue Jays series final against the Texas Rangers has got a lot of people thinking about the potential for something worse.
"It's kind of like this time out from the rules of everyday society," Michael Atkinson told Metro Morning host Matt Galloway today.
Atkinson, a University of Toronto kinesiology and physical education professor and an expert on sports violence, is asserting the city needs to prepare for Jays-related sports violence in the days ahead because it's extremely predictable under the current circumstances.
Winning doesn't stop unruly behaviour
"If the Jays had lost, things would have been way, way worse," said Atkinson. "This is a deeply patterned behaviour in North American, and, in fact, global sporting culture."
Atkinson points to many examples even in Canada. There have been two riots in Vancouver after the Canucks fell in the Stanley Cup final, once in 1994 and again in 2011.
It's not always after losses, either.
There is an edge in the city that didn't exist before.- Michael Atkinson, University of Toronto professor
Atkinson said every time the Montreal Canadians reach the playoffs, officials there know there will be damage to the city.
Toronto has not seen much sport related violence, but that could change.
Toronto fans 'desperate for a win'
"Sports fans in the city are desperate for a win; there is a building up of tensions over many years," said Atkinson. "The Jays also have a certain style of play — a swagger — that contributes to the tension."
The war of words in the media, specifically Fox Sports commentator Harold Reynolds saying Toronto doesn't know how to catch foul balls, has charged people up emotionally.
"There is an edge in the city that didn't exist before. It is palpable in Rogers Centre," he said. "The culture of antagonism is amping people up."
So why does violence too often accompany sports? Atkinson said this question has been studied all around the world, and there are at least 20 existing theories on why it occurs.
He said a contributing factor is that big, public events are often filled with a wide range of people, many of whom have consumed a lot of alcohol.
'Unintended consequences'
"We should question the intelligence of major outdoor public gatherings to watch games," he said.
He also said he questions whether there should be more police at the games.
"If it looks like an armed camp, it will have unintended consequences," he said. "That increases the intensity and aggression when that is the last thing you need."
The one positive Atkinson saw in Toronto's home playoff games is seeing how the Blue Jays players were able to calm the fans down.
"You can post as many signs as you want about not littering on the field, but nothing brings the tension down more than the players intervening," he said.