I came across this article today, I’ll summarize. A SF 49er fan was beaten to within inches of his life (as of writing) at last weekend’s SF vs LA Rams football game. He is in a coma, fighting for his life. Luna owns a restaurant in Oakland and traveled for the game to see his team play in brand new SoFi stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Rams. The following is from the LA Times article.
“Police are investigating the apparent beating of a San Francisco 49ers fan found severely injured in the parking lot of SoFi Stadium during Sunday’s NFC championship game against the Rams.
Daniel Luna, a restaurant owner from Oakland, remains hospitalized at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in what Inglewood police said was a medically induced coma.
Luna, 40, was discovered on the ground by Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics in the stadium’s Lot L about 4 p.m., half an hour into the Rams-49ers contest, said Inglewood Police Lt. Geoffrey Meeks. Luna was wearing a San Francisco jersey and black pants, Meeks said.”
Police have stated they do not believe the attackers used weapons, just their hands, legs and fists. Looking at the time when Luna was found, it suggests this savage attack happened just prior or slightly prior to the game’s kickoff, as Luna was not in the stadium he was in the parking lot. We here at reallyright.com wish him a speedy recovery.
I compare sports allegiance to religion or politics in the sense if you disagree you shut the other person up. I work with someone who says AOC should be muzzled, and not allowed to speak, completely ignoring the first amendment because it suits him. If someone takes an opposing view, you get angry, mad, or flat out dismiss or wish ill on them. In the case of Luna, it could well be death. This is a scary place to be in a so-called civilized society. Its far scarier to envision a likely situation of fans of both teams (the stadium was reported as a roughly 50/50 split) walking by the altercation and the aftermath on the way to the game and no one attempted to stop this/call for help. Again Mr. Luna was put into a coma for simply wearing the other team’s colors in the opponent’s stadium…hardly the crime of the century.
To be fair, I was not there, and to date no security footage was produced to show the events leading up to, and the altercation itself. Me assuming or writing my thoughts on who or whom were the aggressors is plain wrong. However, I have been to enough games in person, wearing both the home and visiting teams’ colors to be able to form a likely opinion of what went down.
Luna was at the game by himself, as the article insinuated. I have been there before whilst wearing the oppositions colors, I can tell you I would never have even a sip of alcohol in me, prior/during/after the game just because I’m completely outmanned and outnumbered. Luna wearing the opposition colors likely angered some middle aged (40 plus) folks on their way into the game. Trash talk likely ensued, especially from the Rams fans, as they were the home team, Luna likely responded in kind. Alcohol played a very large role, drugs may or may not have been included, again no need to speculate on my part, just relying on my experiences. Trash talk leads to someone likely saying something stupid, and the other side taking offense, again no way of knowing the aggressor/agitator, but I doubt it was the sole 49er fan/business owner. The other side jumped him, savagely beating him, and leaving him to be discovered later/perish. Scores of fans and onlookers saw this but didn’t say a word. I call this the “subway car effect” when many see, but no one wants to be the one who says anything. As a result, Mr. Luna is in a coma, luckily he was found prior to being killed.
Here is my personal experiences at ballgames in Oakland, and San Francisco. I can tell you firsthand these games are not safe even for fans of the home team. I have witnessed Oakland A’s fans beating on each other (shocking), Giants fans, and Angel fans. I have been to a raider game wearing both raider colors (barf) and my Buccaneer colors. This was a site to behold, as Raider fans were goading me into fights, throwing beverages at me, and screaming directly into my face. The game sucked and my team won. I have been to Giants games both as a A’s fan, and one wearing giants colors. This was a total clusterfuck as it got to the point in the centerfield bleachers police in riot gear lined the outfield fence. The situation resembled more of a protest of a dictator then that of a ball game. As a result, I have not returned to any arena or stadium to take in a game. It’s flat out not fun anymore, I’ve even been offered free tickets. I will not go. Actually, let me rephrase it is dangerous, whether you are a home or away fan.
It used to be if you went to a game, the folks causing a ruckus were mid twenty-year-olds coked out on some form of drug, or frat bros heavily lubricated on alcohol. The script has changed, and not for the better. Now its folks old enough to be my parents (notice both genders) who overindulge and are looking for trouble. This is not the exception it’s the rule. I’ve had grown women screaming in my face, blocking my movements literally begging for me to instigate something. I usually got secondhand alcohol off their screaming. At the raider game the police would stand idly by and laugh even as I was pelted by beverages or shoved. That is when I figured it out, and at 28 my days going to games were over.
It’s all good though I’m sure LA County DA George Gascon will charge them to the fullest extent of the law when these thugs are caught….
Oh wait, when a dodger fan outside Giant’s stadium was stabbed and killed by Giants fans he looked the other way when he was DA……
San Francisco prosecutors have declined to file charges in a stabbing case stemming from the Giants-Dodgers rivalry that resulted in the death of a 24-year-old Dodgers fan near AT&T Park last year.
District Attorney George Gascón said Friday that his office could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Michael Montgomery, 21, of Lodi did not act in self-defense when he stabbed Fort Bragg resident Jonathan Denver in a brawl on Sept. 25.
Authorities say subsequent interviews with witnesses and fight participants conducted over the past six months revealed that Denver and his brother had teamed up against Montgomery before he used a knife to protect himself.
Denver had left a Giants-Dodgers game that night with his father and brother in the eighth inning to go to a bar.
They encountered Montgomery and his friends in front of a liquor store near Third and Harrison streets in the South of Market neighborhood about 11:30 p.m. One of Montgomery’s friends was wearing a Giants cap.
Six months later, prosecutors said the circumstances have changed but charges will still not be filed. Gascón explained that in California, prosecutors not only have to prove their cases beyond a reasonable doubt, but they also have to prove the defendant did not act in “lawful self-defense.”
Evidence from a district attorney’s office investigation determined prosecutors would not be able to prove that.
Think twice prior to going to a game whether in your home or away team’s colors, its deadly. Too much boozing/drugging in the parking lot prior, during, and after. It’s not worth it. The game will be on somewhere…. likely a lot safer.
Johnnie Does
More info on this beatdown can be found here