‘It happens at every game’: Why the stands at sporting events can sometimes feel like battlegrounds

EDITOR’S NOTE: “Bad Sports: When Fans Turn Violent” airs on Saturday, October 11 at 8pm ET on “The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper”.

If you’re a sports fan there’s nothing quite like the Fall season on the calendar.

Football is tightening its grip on our attention. The drama of playoff baseball is intensifying. The dawn of new basketball and hockey seasons are upon us as well. And if you prefer the kind of football played with your feet, you’ll find the passionate singing of international soccer fans filling stadiums around the world.

But with this sports-inspired passion comes an all-too-common drama also where millions of fans find so much joy. Every week provides viral moments captured on cellphones of sports fans behaving badly, often erupting into life-altering brawls and chaos.

In September, Anthony Thomas left the first NFL game of this season celebrating his team’s “big victory.” Just outside the stadium where his hometown Washington Commanders beat the rival New York Giants, he heard a “commotion” erupt behind him.