Police seek witnesses to Candlestick violence (San Francisco Chronicle, Aug. 21, 2011)
Two fans shot outside 49er’s game (St. Petersburg Times, Aug. 22, 2011)
Juke left, then right, and tear off twenty yards;
Hit the curve ball, jump, standing, three feet up,
And straight you’re praised by all our pious bards,
Enriched by nature’s choice—selected crop.
Your genes and harsh devotion earn your place—
A pantheon of gods we all adore.
We pay whatever’s asked to share your space,
Devoted to the team, we scream, we roar.
But here’s the part I’ve never understood
Why do we hate the fans of other teams?
What rift in nature’s scheme skews our manhood
And turns us into vandals, thugs—extreme
At loss, who, sometimes, grow so mindless ill,
That even when you win, we rage and kill.
(8/21/11)