Comments on: Pitch Invaders

Pitch Invaders

josher71 — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 10:58:22 -0800

Pitch Invaders: Loathed by players but loved by fans.

Some employ costumes. Some are dogs. (dog gets a little rough treatment in the beginning but is unharmed and seemingly no worse for the wear) Wheelchair friendly! Sometimes an invader is a beach ball. Then there is Karl Power, and Jimmy Jump. Jimmy has had quite the career but Karl has a song written about him. And sometimes you get an autograph.

By: Ad hominem

Ad hominem — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:05:33 -0800

Sometimes they are owls

By: Danf

Danf — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:06:26 -0800

Upon reading the tin, the first thought which occurred to me was that baseball has a new issue with which I am not familiar. /americentric

By: Faint of Butt

Faint of Butt — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:09:43 -0800

There's a special place in Hell for anyone who deliberately kicks an owl. Seriously, why would you even?

By: josher71

josher71 — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:12:31 -0800

Yep, I agree. Fuck that guy.

By: tommasz

tommasz — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:12:50 -0800

Having lived through the streaking craze of the 70s I'm definitely on the side of the players on this. Maybe everyone else is laughing and cheering them on but I secretly like it when they get caught.

By: Ad hominem

Ad hominem — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:14:38 -0800

I hate that guy too. I hope that if there is a a hell, and if there is a special place in it for him, it is a place where he is repetedly kicked by giant owls.

By: Infinite Jest

Infinite Jest — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:19:47 -0800

Spoiler: the dog is OK and is removed in the end after the players tickle his tummy for a while.

By: stennieville

stennieville — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:20:38 -0800

I saw (on TV, not live) that WPS game where the German shepherd got on the pitch, it was hilarious. Sweet doggie, just wanted a tummy rub. I liked how the players made the official back off from the rough treatment and gave the pup some love before gently carrying him off the field.

By: spicynuts

spicynuts — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:22:09 -0800

Why the hell are Russian broadcasters covering a welsh soccer game?

By: spicynuts

spicynuts — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:23:47 -0800

Well the owl plays for Madrid so it's ok.

By: Rhaomi

Rhaomi — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:24:30 -0800

Some are quite dizzy!

By: Seeba

Seeba — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:27:34 -0800

The only one I've ever seen successfully escape (though I believe he was picked up later as he left the park.

By: Infinite Jest

Infinite Jest — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:29:09 -0800

Best pitch invasion I ever saw: New Zealand are (as usual) being hammered at cricket. The players are getting ready to come out on the field again. From the other end of the field, a group of fans emerge, dressed in the classic, iconic, but basically beige NZ uniform of the 1980s (when NZ actually won some matches), tossing a ball around. The crowd went mental. I'm sure they all got thrown out, but it was fantastic. (I'm presuming that those guys were the prototype of the Beige Brigade).

By: jtron

jtron — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:31:16 -0800

My question is: who ate all the pies? Great post, Josh :)

By: RogerB

RogerB — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:31:50 -0800

baseball has a new issue with which I am not familiar Of course, baseball has fans who run on the field too, they just don't get a special title (other than "assholes"). And some are definitely not loved by anyone.

By: TheWhiteSkull

TheWhiteSkull — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:33:01 -0800

Just don't try to surreptitiously put the boot in if you're security. It can end badly.

By: tomswift

tomswift — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:35:42 -0800

Pitch Invaders- it's amazing how many synonyms there are for "idiot"!

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:38:57 -0800

Some are spiders.

By: bonobothegreat

bonobothegreat — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:39:11 -0800

Some kind of notice would have been nice for the owl clip.

By: pracowity

pracowity — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:41:04 -0800

The owl died.

By: scalefree

scalefree — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:43:27 -0800

Just don't try to surreptitiously put the boot in if you're security. It can end badly. It's unfortunate that the cop got beat up by the mob in retaliation but I really respect the player who jumped in to stop the first guy from being billyclubbed.

By: jtron

jtron — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:43:33 -0800

A much... friendlier? pitch invader

By: LordSludge

LordSludge — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:45:42 -0800

That owl was my brother.

By: mattn

mattn — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:50:08 -0800

Obligatory Half Man Half Biscuit reference.

By: Ad hominem

Ad hominem — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:51:52 -0800

Some kind of notice would have been nice for the owl clip. I'm sorry about that, It really didn't occur to me until after the fact that the clip is kind of a sucker punch. Maybe a mod can put a warning.

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:54:11 -0800

Some are dogs Wow, that dog gets a women's soccer team to scratch his belly. Lucky fellow.

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:55:54 -0800

Ad hominem: and if there is a special place in it for him, it is a place where he is repeatedly kicked by giant owls. Oh. I thought I was the only one who had that nightmare.

By: TheWhiteSkull

TheWhiteSkull — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:56:25 -0800

I'm covered in beeeees!

By: HopperFan

HopperFan — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:10:52 -0800

This reminds me of a clip I've been looking for for years - a tiny black feral kitten trots onto the outfield in a baseball stadium, and one of the outfielders thinks he's going to take care of the interruption. As he approaches, the cat puffs up, ears go back, and it flattens itself on the ground - but the ball player, clearly not a cat owner, proceeds to casually pick it up with his bare hands. Predicably, the cat sunk fangs and claw into whatever hand/arm bits it could reach, resulting in some frantic arm waving. Then the satisfied but somewhat disgruntled kitten ran off.

By: justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow

justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:13:17 -0800

TheWhiteSkull's link is interesting. Sequence of events: - Security tackles a pitch invader -- fine so far. - Four security guards sit on him and hold him down. They pummel him with clubs while he is helpless. - The guards are swarmed by an angry mob of players and fans pouring out of the stands. - The guards try to run, but most of them are dragged down and beaten senseless. - Some of the more sober members of the mob help the guards to their feet and lead them off to get medical attention.

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:19:06 -0800

Oh man. Just clicked on that Owl link. I am sad. I am disturbed. Giant owls kicking that guy in hell for eternity is too good for him.

By: HopperFan

HopperFan — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:21:30 -0800

"I am sad. I am disturbed." Me too, that video is heartbreaking.

By: Doofus Magoo

Doofus Magoo — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:25:24 -0800

HopperFan: This one? The footage starting around 0:56 was a staple of '80's sports blooper shows.

By: HopperFan

HopperFan — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:29:48 -0800

Doofus Magoo - I think that may be it! I probably misremembered some of the deatils. You don't fuck with feral kittens.

By: muddgirl

muddgirl — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:02:39 -0800

For pete's sake it's not a baby, it's a feral cat! Pick it up by the scruff! Arm's length!

By: elizardbits

elizardbits — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:35:36 -0800

I will now spend the rest of the afternoon lolling at youtube videos of delighted dogs galloping all over football pitches as the players fruitlessly attempt catching them. (Predictably, I am most amused by this baseball diamond invading pooper.)

By: dibblda

dibblda — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:44:56 -0800

Well there is always the Randy Johnson bird incident.

By: scalefree

scalefree — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:31:23 -0800

(Predictably, I am most amused by this baseball diamond invading pooper.) And again, it's only when they deployed belly rubs that the situation was resolved.

By: ShutterBun

ShutterBun — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:44:19 -0800

The only one I've ever seen successfully escape Kinda reminded me of Chief escaping at the end of "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest," complete with a Christopher Lloyd-esque victory cheer at the end.

By: Put the kettle on

Put the kettle on — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 16:33:20 -0800

I loved the pitch invaders at the end of the Wolves game on the last day of the season. So happy.

By: joannemullen

joannemullen — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 03:43:09 -0800

When a streaker interrupted a Lords Test match during the early seventies by leaping over the stumps at the bowler's end England keeper Alan Knott memorably quipped that it was the first time he'd ever seen two balls coming down the pitch at him. There was a time when dozens of fans would invade the pitch every time someone scored a hundred and it was British Bulldogs charge at the end of the game. Pitch invaders caused real problems though, Australian swing bowler Terry Alderman badly hurt his shoulder when he tackled one on the field at Perth in 1982, and spent a year out of the game. These days you get fined thousands of pounds if you do it and it's pretty much died out in cricket at least.

By: scalefree

scalefree — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 03:52:10 -0800

By: maryr

maryr — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 17:17:37 -0800

Cat on the field seems to happen now and again. Makes sense if you think about how many rats stadiums must have. Cats got loose recently at Kaufman Stadium (Kansas City Royals), where they send the cat to the bullpen; Wrigley (Chicago Cubs), where they just throw the cat into the stands (follow up: cat gets named Ivy and TNR'd); and minor league games. This one ends pretty happily and has Yakkity Sax. This one has a great play-by-play. I love baseball announcers.

By: jpdoane

jpdoane — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 17:39:09 -0800

Well there is always the Randy Johnson bird incident. Now that was a pitch invasion!

By: Rarebit Fiend

Rarebit Fiend — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 21:19:35 -0800

Animals invading the field stories are not complete without the famous cats of Shea Stadium. One even made an appearance at the Mets new stadium during their Citi Field debut.