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05 August 2009

Don't tase me bro!

Why is it that stuff always happens during a Rangers series? A man with a long white beard (who apparently was a Rangers fan) was a bit too animated during last night's game and was tased for his attitude.

Just as told by Rob Riggle's officer in The Hangover, the big boys need two shots - whether they are Santa or Fat Jesus.

Root beer float day tomorrow!

Update: Original embedded video was replaced with a new one.

39 comments:

Jose Canseco said...

The video has been removed by the user.
I wonder why.

Jonclaude4baseball said...

That will really help attendance.

Anonymous said...

HAHA! That was awesome ML!

Toothball said...

so... what the hell was the guy doing that deserved to be tazed? He didn't even get out of his seat!

Sigh... another lawsuit against Oakland, against the A's, and another bad mark on the Coliseum being fan unfriendly. Damnit...

Dan said...

I'd be curious as well to hear what the guy did that justified electrocution not just once but twice. It is really starting to look like cops have just fallen back on tasering people because they're too lazy to do things the old way anymore.

Anonymous said...

Let's go Oakland?

Anonymous said...

From one of the reader comments on youtube...

"In all fairness to the OPD: there's a ramp-up that you don't see on the tape. This guy came over a little earlier, super drunk. He started being obnoxious, hollering and making a scene. Then he started harassing the family behind him and yelling profanities, so A's security came over.

When security told him to cool it, he got really belligerent and angry. Started using racial epithets at the guards, etc. They told him to leave. He refused. They called in the cops. You see the rest of it."

Jesse said...

the guy was harassing kids sitting behind him and yelling obscenities, that part isnt in the video. plus, far worse happens in other parks, brawls happen every year in so cal, whether its Dodgers or Angels. I can even recall people being murdered in parking lots in LA in recent years.

Anonymous said...

i think the a's are about to sweep texas, it was those early season losses to the angles, texas and seattle that put the a's 9 games behind nearly instantly.

Pifisrod said...

Any team that sweeps Texas is OK in my book.

Anonymous said...

Why did this site choose to post this negative incident but gave no mention of the great ceremony retiring Ricky Henderson's number?

Marine Layer said...

Because I had spent the weekend at the Coliseum for the Rickey festivities. Besides, a retirement ceremony is not going to affect the perception of the Coli one way or another.

Anonymous said...

"...this will be the fifth in a row with declining attendance. It also is Wolff's fifth season as managing partner. Ahem."

http://www.mercurynews.com/columns/ci_13002019

This article sounds just about right to me.

Marine Layer said...

Does this also sound right to you, 6:42?

"It's callous, conniving, and quite final. In 2005, Wolff put out the Coliseum North plan, set his own clock to complete the deal, and ran out the clock before moving on to Fremont. The next two years will be spent running out the clock again. He managed to get a nice piece of insurance in the year-to-year lease extension, in case of a rainy day (or several hundred). Wolff has no reason to leave his perch when he can turn the corner in 2 years while setting his sights on his ultimate goal."

Who wrote that? I'll give you one guess.

Unknown said...

a's baseball. 100% voltage...

Tony D. said...

I've seen worse at Raiders games.

Didn't the A's make it to the ALCS under Wolff's watch?

I actually thought Wolff/Beane put together a pretty decent team prior to Opening Day. It's not their fault the team fell a million games back of the Angels and no one shows up to the ballpark, if that's what you want to call the Coliseum (unless they retire someone's jersey).

Speaking of which: The packed house for Ricky's weekend. Where are all those "fans" when the A's aren't retiring jersey's?

Anonymous said...

Kudos to ML for posting this video BEFORE it went viral locally and in some cases, nationally.

gojohn10 said...

What the guy did to deserve getting tazed is resist arrest. He is also threatening the cops saying over and over "better get away." Looks to me that just when the situation is really escalating they get a cuff on him right before the taze. So they probably could have avoided the taze, but we can't hear what he is saying at that point. If he is treatening them further, do you wait for him to take a swing or just taze him? The "old way" of doing this is basically getting in a brawl with the guy and forcing him to the ground. I don't see how that is any better of a situation. Especially in a crowd of people where others could potentially join the melee.

Anonymous said...

So ML--sounds like your advocating the conspiracy theory again--which if true--MLB blue ribbon commission will surely figure out that Wolff and team did not give Oakland a fair shot and thus will keep the team in Oakland--maybe not under the Wolff/Fisher ownership---

Quite possible that this is why the current delays in releasing the report---but I would still question--who else (other than a civic guy like W. Haas) would keep the team in Oakland?

Marine Layer said...

9:53 - I'm merely projecting into the future. When was the last time MLB commissioned a completely independent, impartial panel to do anything business related? The panel is the exact same one that oversaw the Expos exodus. Why should this situation be any different?

Anonymous said...

ML--would you invest your private dollars in a new ballpark in Oakland--understanding that all risk is yours?

Marine Layer said...

Sure, if I knew I had revenue opportunities lined up and secured. Unfortunately that kind of situation can best happen outside of Oakland.

Anonymous said...

So I agree with you--it can best happen outside of Oakland--which I guess drives me crazy when I hear the conspiracy theory---why would you expect Wolff and company to come to different conclusion than most rational business people--

A heavily subsidized yard in Oakland might make sense (won't happen) but if your own dollars are involved than there is a much more attractive location right down the road--

Anonymous said...

Anon 953,
Did it ever occur to you that if a "conspiracy" did in fact exist that MLB would be part of it.
See Wolff's relationship with Selig and other MLB owners.

gojohn10 said...

I'm wondering if Oakland is still "working behind the scenes"

Anonymous said...

Yes they are and I do know this personally...just be patient and wait and see. With San Jose pushing their vote back till next year, that opens up time for Oakland to continue with their plans and strategy to keep the A's at home.

Anonymous said...

Dear Lew Wolff: Please sell the Oakland A's

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/lieberman/detail?entry_id=45111&o=1&rv=1249676191819#commentslistpos

Anonymous said...

Why does it need to be a "conspiracy theory" if reasonable minds come to the same economic conclusion--that San Jose is a better market than Oakland--and Oakland doesn't have a viable site that can be put together in a timely fashion---if ever---I call it a logical conclusion rather than conspiracy theory

Anonymous said...

Ooooh, Wolff and Selig are in cahoots! This is why territorial rights were so easily removed and the A's moved to San Jose!

Oh wait, they haven't. A lot of good this secret fraterinity does....

Tony D. said...

Anon 3:03,

Agreed! It's just plain good business, no conspiracy needed.

Anon 3:07

The reason San Jose hasn't happened (yet) is because of the following: 1) former 8-year SJ mayor Ron Gonzalez (who Lew Wolff and good friend/former SJ mayor Tom McEnery despised) and 2) because San Jose has yet to present Lew Wolff/MLB with a ballpark plan.

Anon 1:19,

....oh, never mind!

Anonymous said...

Tony D---LW indicated that it would be premature for SJ and him to negotiate a deal until the terrritorial rights issue is clearer--hence the vote canceled--definetely a chicken and egg scenario but I sense that MLB won't act until after the season--expecially with the Gints hunting for a wild card (damn I hate them)--

Anonymous said...

Anon 1:20--be careful of what you wish for---ever hear of Clay Bennett?

Bottom line--a team in Oakland will always be a heavily subsidized franchise---so if San Jose doesn't happen than don't expect "new" owners to keep them in Oakland---

Anonymous said...

Oakland Coliseum Arena it is an arena as a tri or dual use.

Navigator said...

San Jose a city which has proven a thing regarding sports franchises is suppose to be somehow a great site for the Oakland A's? How many sports franchises have folded in that city?

Sticking a team in an unaccessible corner of the South Bay which is full of Giants fans isn't my idea of a " better market" for Oakland A's fans.

Also, take into account the fact that Lew Wolff has alienated the vast majority of Oakland A's fans, who by the way, who only now fill the Coliseum when it's about honoring someone who is intrinsically linked to the tradition of the Oakland A's and who is loyal and committed to the City of Oakland. I'm speaking of the 35,000 who showed up to honor the greatest Oakland Athletic of all time. I'm speaking of Oakland native Rickey Henderson.

So please, this San Jose pipe dream is an insult to us Oakland A's fans. The vast majority of us will not step foot into your sterile little charmless town to watch the team that Lew Wolff high-jacked from our community. Keep your hands of our team!

Anonymous said...

Uhh ohh! Here comes Nav with the drama!

Anonymous said...

Will someone please TASE Navigator, the great robo-poster!
By the way, how many of the 35k who turned out to honor Ricky were actually from Oakland?
And why aren't they all their on a regular basis Nav?
Dead last in attendance anyone?

Anonymous said...

Inaccessible? How do all these people get to the wealth of jobs down here? Meanwhile, the A's fanbase is split between Oaklanders and those who realize that the beginnings of low payroll, Wolff ownership and poor on-field performance were three different points in time. The only common factor is poor attendance.

Anonymous said...

"How many sports franchises have folded in that city?"

How many? The Sabercats lead their league in attendance and went down only because half the other teams did. The Earthquakes were taken away by a faceless entertainment company and resurrected in two years because the fanbase is that strong and Lew Wolff is that legit. Meanwhile, the old franchise still doesn't have their stadium demands met. The Stealth were moved, but they play in a league that was seen relocations from lacrosse heartlands like Vancouver, Washington and Baltimore. So, what others straws will you grasp? How about the Rhinos of roller hockey?

Anonymous said...

That dude was righteously lit up, and he had it coming. First off, the cops were acting well within the scope of their authority. Security approached the guy and requested that he tone it down. By all accounts he was using language that was offensive and prone to incite violence. Secondly, he was drunk off his ass, and being obnoxious. Why should other paying fans have to put up with that? OPD approached the guy and attempted to reason with him. At this point the guy is probably breaking several laws, namely trespassing (assuming security asked him to leave), drunk in public, and after PD approached him, resisting arrest or obstructing a public officer. They were civil until the guy started threatening them and telling them they had better get away from him. It's ridiculous, because the very same people bitching about him being lit up would be the first to criticize OPD for not "doing something" about an obnoxious drunk in public harassing families with kids.

That dude was given more than a fair chance to comply with lawful instructions from a peace officer. It's irritating to me because those guys were doing what the name of their very office obligates them to do. Keep the peace. Had the idiot recognized his civil obligations, he would have been escorted from the stands and placed in an area where he could have sobered up to the point that he could reasonably look after himself and then been sent on his way with no harm done. Instead he chose to act like an ass and reaped the consequences. Now he will have court date for resisting arrest and generally being a fool.

Had OPD done the exact same thing to one of my kids for behaving that way, I would be apologizing profusely to the officers for my sorry ass parenting skills and thanking them for inflicting as minimal an amount of pain on them as possible.