Idiots Write About Sports

So following Milton Bradley’s bottle-inspired tantrum, surely we’re going to be subjected to the same tsk-tsking and finger-wagging about obnoxious fans from the holier-than-thou punditry that gasbagged their way through the Frank Francisco fiasco. Aren’t we? After all, Bradley’s actions — however mule-brained — were at least instigated when some knuckleheaded fan tried to throw a plastic bottle at him. The chair-tossing in Oakland, as we’ve mentioned time and time again, happened only because fans had the audacity to look at Doug Brocail cross-eyed. It only makes sense that if you want to complain about fans crossing a line, you do so when a fan has actually crossed it.

So let’s go to the wires and wade on through the righteous indignation….

Hmmmm. Doesn’t seem to be anything out there.

OK, Plaschke has a few single-line paragraphs to say about it, but he saves most of his venom for Bradley, not the bottle-tossing fan. CNNSI’s only mention is an L.A. Daily News blurb saying that Bradley’s Dodger career is likely over. But that’s it… nothing like the out-pouring of anti-fan sentiment aimed at the Oakland fans who had the temerity to will Frank Francisco into running more than 100 feet and then throwing a chair with enough force to break someone’s nose.

I can think of a few explanations for this seeming disparity. The Bradley story may be a better example of bad fan behavior instigating a player outburst (since unlike the Oakland incident, there actually was a fan misbehaving), but since it doesn’t fit into pundits preconceived notions — Oakland fans are obviously barbarians! Milton Bradley is an unhinged nutcase! — it’s not going to get the same play. Also, know-nothing hacks probably used up their out-of-the-trunk column on obnoxious fans two weeks ago, leaving them empty-handed now that there’s actual obnoxious behavior to decry. It could also be that most of these people are blowhards who don’t know what they’re talking about.

Especially you, Donovan.

Thankfully, Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus contributes a sensible analysis to a landscape otherwise occupied by chattering ninnies.

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