When Stands Weren’t Grand

When Stands Weren’t Grand

A sampling of fan-player incidents in the stands or crowd in four sports:

BASEBALL

* Sept. 24, 1981: In the sixth inning of the Dodgers’ 7-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants, Dodger right fielder Reggie Smith entered the stands from the playing field at Candlestick Park to punch a fan who had thrown a plastic batting helmet at him. Smith, who also had an altercation with a fan at Wrigley Field in 1978, was ejected, then later was fined $5,000 and suspended for five days by the National League. The fan, Michael B. Dooley of Redwood City, suffered a sprained wrist, three broken ribs and a couple of broken knuckles in the altercation, he later alleged in a lawsuit.

HOCKEY

* Dec. 23, 1979: Mike Milbury, Terry O’Reilly, and Peter McNab of the Boston Bruins vaulted into the Madison Square Garden crowd to brawl with fans at the close of a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers. The near-riot occurred when a fan punched Bruin Stan Jonathan in the face and grabbed his hockey stick. O’Reilly wrestled one fan to the ground in a headlock while Milbury pulled off another fan’s penny loafer and beat him over the head with it. Four fans were arrested at the scene and charged with disorderly conduct. The Bruins were fined $30,000 and player suspensions totaled 20 games.

FOOTBALL

* Nov. 22, 1999: Lincoln Kennedy of the Oakland Raiders, a 335-pound offensive tackle, punched a fan, and teammate Charles Woodson hurled a snowball that hit a female fan in the face after the Raiders were pelted with snowballs, some spiked with batteries, moments after a 27-21 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos at Denver. Woodson was charged with misdemeanor assault and throwing objects, and Kennedy had charges filed against the fan whom he confronted. Police said Kennedy was not cited because he had the right to fight back after getting hit by a snowball. Two fans who threw snowballs later had their season tickets revoked for the Broncos’ final three home games.

BASKETBALL

* Feb. 6, 1995: Vernon Maxwell of Houston Rockets charged a dozen rows into the stands and punched the face of a heckler, Steve George, during the third quarter of a 120-82 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at Portland, Ore. Maxwell, teammate Robert Horry and assistant coach Larry Smith were ejected and Maxwell was later suspended for 10 games and fined $20,000 by the NBA.