(montage of the largest college football and NFL stadiums)
There's a lot that goes into stadium security. And with good reason. After all, anytime you have tightly packed crowds in the 50,000 - 100,000 range, there's a potential for danger. But what if there was a lingering concern that couldn't be acknowledged because the subject was taboo? What happens when people refuse to discuss the undiscussable? It's a particularly brutal catch 22.
So why do people come together? What makes them want to join others? It's a simple answer really. The human race is basically still a bunch of hunters and gatherers. Times haven't changed that much. It's been that way since the days of the Colosseum. People generally fare better in groups, than they do on their own. So what exactly is it? What makes these places so compelling?
(John Lennon - Come Together, 1972, Madison Square Garden).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5oID2_1FPI
AUDIO ONLY
Maybe they just want to cheer for the home team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHywRb9megA
:54 - 1:07 (Borussia Dortmund fans synchronized claps)
Super Final Galatassaray - Fenerbache UClu !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAbZnCa0p4o
:02 - :11 (Galatassaray fans synchronized chant)
Maybe they need to vent. You know, blow off a little steam at our generation's Woodstock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPaIXfVZjdY (mosh pit scenes)
:37 - :49
5 years later, things got a little more hectic in upstate New York...and just for the record, this isn't the Beach Boys...
Limp Bizkit - Break Stuff (Woodstock 99)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPaIXfVZjdY
3:08 - 3:17 ("break your fucking face tonight. gimme somethin' to break")
3:59 - 4:03 (plywood surfing)
4:29 - 4:32 (plywood surfing close up)
5:34 - 5:37 - "That's some tight shit right there, that surfin' on the plywood."
The Beach Boys - Surfin' USA (From "Good Timin: Live at Knebworth" DVD)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU9-uY_32uA
:49 - :55 (Surfin' USA high note refrain)
AUDIO ONLY
(scenes of destruction)
Speaking of waves, here's a big one in landlocked Tennessee. They're going for a Guinness Book of World Records.
World Record for Biggest Wave Ever !! Bristol...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0K2dvB-7WY
:06 - :10 (largest human wave certified by the Guinness book of world records)
Sometimes the waves can get a little rough...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRHVmZhWW7U
2:32 - 2:40 (fan rush following a goal)
And every once in a while, people spill over...
Fans injured in celebration
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPEQADD2RxE
1:24 - 1:32 (fans are forced over the railing)
It happens here in the U.S. too. Fans jump over the railings. It just takes a different form.
Immaculate Reception Original Broadcast 12-23-72
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wK-YR_8cG4
:17 - :30 (Steelers fans celebrating the immaculate reception)
You gotta love it...
Steeler Nation National Anthem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMb-rvZzYoE
:15 - :18 (Steelers fans waving terrible towels in unison)
So why is it that people go these massive stadiums? They've been doing it for a long time. Maybe they just want to get outta the house. But my best guess is the experience... I think they just want to feel like they're a part of something bigger. And hey, let's be honest. This looks like a pretty good time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcKQWpmSMU8
:02 - :06 (chant whooa ah-ah-oh-oh)
WVU fans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaZIcWsp0Tc
:03 - :06 (close up of chant)
We lost that one. But don't sweat it, life goes on.
Maybe people go to these games because it makes them feel alive. We're human beings. In many ways, it's simply a reaffirmation of life.
Fortunately, things never get out of hand. I suppose from time to time there's an exception...
pao- olympiakos 2010 start of game
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoN1JXHd-ag
TBD - throughout
Believe it or not, the game hadn't even begun.
Word to the wise... things don't always go according to plan.
When an opposing player is injured... If they get carted off the field, it's customary to politely applaud. Not this time though...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy7sAuUy7f0
4:50 - 5:01 (Michael Irvin injures neck at Veterans stadium)
Hell... even Santa Claus isn't immune from the wrath of Philly fans...
Philly fans Booing Santa Feature
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWvza6en5Rg
2:04 - 2:25 (Santa gets booed by Philly fans)
It's not just Eagles fans. Their division rivals up I-95 throw snowballs too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JYVZ_1qPM0
1:17 - 1:32 (Junior Seau reaction, ref being covered and protected by clipboard)
1:08 - 1:27 (assistant coach goes down)
"Things are getting really ugly at Giants Stadium"
I'd call this one a light-hearted, synchronized attack.
Zyleta. .. Throwing Snowballs At The Players of Sporting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n0BN0Y3Gn4
:10 - :14 (crowd simultaneously pelts opposing players with snowballs)
If you think this type of behavior only happens in Eastern Europe, you'd be mistaken...
And what happens when they're aren't any snowballs? Does anyone remember this game in Cleveland? They called it Bottlegate.
Cleveland Browns Bottlegate (Original)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQjaPVwmnAM
:31 - :34 (and it's getting ugly here in Cleveland)
3:32 - 4:02 (nobody has any idea what's going on. You need to get on the PA and tell us)
5:04 - 5:13 (ref calls the game with 48 seconds to go, ensuing boos)
5:47 - 6:13 (refs getting pummeled, man got hit - gash in his forehead, coach doesn't know what to do)
It makes you think about the unusual dynamic of large crowds. Would you personally throw a snowball or a bottle? Doubtful. Unless of course, you see everyone doing it. The mob mentality has a penchant for taking things into unchartered territory.
Yep. I guess the good news is that things never get out of hand. After all, only individuals have feelings. Large crowds can't experience emotions. Anger... frustration... tension... panic... or can they???
Let's shift gears for a minute and talk about power.
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