Vikings and Panthers fans' brawl goes viral, Internet jokes 'Is this Minnesota nice?'
Unruly fans at sports stadiums aren't a new phenomenon, but in the post-pandemic world, they are appearing with alarming frequency. Now viral footage posted on Twitter shows another major brawl taking place, this time at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. It appears Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers were involved in a very physical fight on October 17, after the visitors beat their hosts 34-28.
On September 29, we reported on a video of a 'Karen' spitting on a man at a Red Sox game, reportedly because she was told she was in the wrong seat. On August 9, Miami Marlins outfielder Lewis Brinson was targeted with racist abuse at the Coors Field in Denver. But it's not all been terrible news. In a more light-hearted twist, two fans were caught in the same bathroom stall at the Bank of America Stadium on October 11, at another Panthers game.
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It certainly seems like the ground is a magnet for outlandish incidents, with a major brawl breaking out there just days after cops were called. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) was once again called into the stadium, but it appears they had their work cut out for them this time around. Reportedly, no arrests were made because "the situation de-escalated before officers arrived."
Violent brawl caught on camera
Twitter user Eli Jones uploaded footage of the fight, showing multiple fans get very physical at the stadium. It's not clear what caused the brawl to break out, the audio isn't clear enough to make out exactly what is being said. The nearly two-and-a-half-minute-long clip shows two men in purple clash with several men in Panthers' jerseys. In the background, another man is tackled to the ground, while others attempt to break up the fight.
It's actually quite chaotic and hard to describe, so here's the video for you to watch. Jones followed that video up with another shorter one, showing a woman on the floor and the fight from a different angle.
Beyond the brief confirmation no one was arrested (yet), the CMPD hasn't said anything else about the brawl, so we know very little about what exactly happened. At the time of reporting, Jones' original video had over 7,000 likes and 1,000 retweets. Fans also had plenty to say about the brawl, with Twitter users quick to condemn the scenes.
'Is this a Trump rally?'
"It’s clear that just banning people from the game for violence isn’t enough. There needs to be devastating financial ramifications for public violence to end it. Fight at a sporting game? That’s a 20-50k fine that can’t be deferred or put off. That would stop it," one person commented. Another slammed, "Stadium security personnel are some of the 4.5 M people who quit their jobs. Can you blame them after seeing this? This “wilding” behavior has happens after many events. Go to enough and you’ll get stuck in it. But don’t yell for security, they ain’t coming."
It’s clear that just banning people from the game for violence isn’t enough. There needs to be devastating financial ramifications for public violence to end it.
— Justin (@Justin__NC) October 18, 2021
Fight at a sporting game? That’s a 20-50k fine that can’t be deferred or put off. That would stop it
Stadium security personnel are some of the 4.5 M people who quit their jobs. Can you blame them after seeing this? This “wilding” behavior has happens after many events. Go to enough and you’ll get stuck in it. But don’t yell for security, they ain’t coming.
— Don’tSpreadOnMe (@runningman902) October 17, 2021
One user mockingly asked, "Is this a Trump rally?" Another saw the funny side of the fight, commenting "Pure comedy" on the video. Another viral response was "Why are all those vaccine researchers fighting?", which garnered over 1,000 likes.
One person asked, "Is this Minnesota nice or is it the southern hospitality I hear so much about?" Another noted, "This pretty much sums up the Vikings season, confusing, boring, disorganized and a lot of yelling but not much real action." Another joked, "I’ve seen better fights at Bath & Body Works."
Is this Minnesota nice or is it the southern hospitality I hear so much about?
— stop voting for dicks (@pamnapo) October 17, 2021
This pretty much sums up the Vikings season, confusing, boring, disorganized and a lot of yelling but not much real action.
— TexasGopher (@phipho) October 17, 2021
Fun and jokes aside, it does look like the brawl did leave some people in a pretty serious condition. It's not clear if anyone was taken to the hospital, but the Charlotte Observer reported that "everyone was told to walk out of the stadium." The Panthers team also issued a statement, saying, "We are working to identify those involved, and they will be subject to the strongest discipline under stadium policies and local laws." The team said it is "committed to a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone", but this is just the third security incident in over a week at the stadium.