Baseball Fan “Code of Ethics”
By Scott Allen
I've been to plenty of Arizona Diamondbacks games in the day to understand how to be a baseball fan. I went to plenty of minor league and spring training games prior to that growing up to understand how to be a baseball fan. Although there are some written rules, there are also some unwritten fan rules we should all abide by.Here are a few, plain and simple:
1. Show up on time. If the game is at 5:10, be in your seat by 5:10, not 7:00. If it is at 6:40, be in your seat by 6:40, not 8:00. It is an inconvenience to others when we have to shift for your ass while we are trying to watch a game. Oh, and if I'm sitting in an empty section and I'm your seat, I'll move, but how about find a better seat for yourself since the section is empty? I'm also ok with you leaving early. Some of these games drag out and some of us have kids. Leaving early is a completely different beast. Although, if it is a tight game and its the ninth inning, why would you leave then? I've seen it. Trust me, you aren't going to beat that much more traffic.
2. I said this last season, but I'll repeat it for those who weren't listening. This isn't a fashion show ladies. This is a ball game. If you want to wear your high heels, save it for the clubs.
3. Don't pay attention to the wave. It is, by far, the MOST single annoying event at ANY sporting event, let alone baseball. I don't need a ridiculous wave to get into the game. Trust me, the play on the field will take care of that.
4. If you are a Cubs fan, a Yankees fan, Red Sox fan, Phillies fan....please stay home. You're obnoxious. Probably the nicest opposing fans are the San Francisco Giants fans. I grew up a Cubs fan, but many of Cubs fans here in Arizona, but not all of course, act like the world owes them for years of misery. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.
5. If you get a home run ball from an opposing team, contrary to popular opinion, you DON'T HAVE TO throw it back. Really, you don't. This is another annoying tradition concocted by Cubs fans. It was pretty cool when Cubs fans did it in Wrigley back in the day (at least I thought when I was a kid), but the cost of buying a baseball these days is pricy. Besides, if you have kids, you know what I'm talking about. How cool would it be to give that home run ball to your kid, even if it is from the opposition? Only exception to this is the Yankees. My child will never touch a ball hit by a Yankee.
Do you have any others you'd like to throw in Dbacks fans? I'd love to hear your ideas!