Snyder’s Soapbox: A set of rules for stadium behavior, or how to be a good fan at sporting events

Welcome to Snyder’s Soapbox! Here, I pontificate about matters related to Major League Baseball on a weekly basis. Some of the topics will be pressing matters, some might seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, and most will be somewhere in between. The good thing about this website is that it’s free, and you are allowed to click away. If you stay, you’ll get smarter, though. That’s a money-back guarantee. Let’s get to it.

It’s only April 15, which means there’s a long while left in the marathon that is the 2025 Major League Baseball season. Still, there are two-plus weeks in the books and we’ve seen a lot of pretty full crowds to this point. Attending a game in person usually beats watching it on a screen — weather is the only thing that can move the needle in the direction of a screen for me — but perching in the bleachers always means we’re taking a bit of a risk: running into the Bad Fan. 

The good fans absolutely dwarf the bad ones, to be clear, but there are a ton of bad fans. Some are so bad that they can ruin the entire experience for people who come across them and that’s a real shame. I already laid out the biggest rule of thumb in attempting to catch a foul ball or home run and that was “don’t be a jerk.” That applies everywhere when it comes to being a fan. 

As long as everyone is following Rule No. 1 (you can call it the Jerk Rule, if you wish), I’d like to dive into more specific fan behaviors, specifically if there are fans of both teams sitting in the same vicinity of each other. 

Let’s run through some of the good and the bad.

Good: Playful booing

I’m totally on board with good-natured fan ribbing, so long as it is done between two parties interested in such an encounter.

This doesn’t even have to take place at a game. As an example, a friend of mine is a Tigers fan living in Los Angeles and the Dodgers opened the season hosting the Tigers in Dodger Stadium. This friend was walking his dog and wearing a Riley Greene jersey and said he passed a Dodgers fan who playfully booed him. He, in turn, playfully shot the bird right back and both of them got a nice chuckle. This is good and healthy and fun. It’s the good-natured “hey, screw you!” to a friend during a game of poker. 

Unfortunately, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to pull these off in person with strangers because so many people have their confrontation meter dialed up to 11 at all times instead of trying to remain laid back and smiling. 

Still, this is the goal when you have fans rooting for two different teams in the same game sharing a stadium with one another. The playful rib should always win the day. 

Bad: The turn-around taunt

There could be some exceptions to this rule, but we’ve all seen these people. They show up in an opposing venue wearing gear of their favorite team — not even close to a violation! — and every time their favorite team does something positive, they stand up, turn around and taunt all the opposing fans around them. There’s usually pointing involved and especially grabbing of the team name on the jersey to show everyone, as if we didn’t realize which team you were rooting for. The differentiator here between this and the good-natured rib is this fan is making it all about himself and leaking over into the realm of confrontation. It isn’t enough to simply root for your favorite team, you’ve got to make everyone around you miserable in the process. 

A bigger problem is this opens the door for other, much worse behavior. There are layers here. The turn-around taunt happening a lot of times during the course of a game can trigger someone from several rows behind to escalate the matter. Sometimes that goes as far as throwing something. Yes, the big problem there is the person throwing objects and we’ll deal with that in a second, but the turn-around taunt is obnoxious. If the goal is “everyone look at me and get mad!” that absolutely isn’t good natured. 

Good: Genuine patronizing

Have you ever sat next to an opposing fan you’ve never met and exchanged pleasantries before they start gushing about how good your team is? That’s charting a path toward a very fun viewing experience. Whether it’s a team or a player or even a comment on the visiting city, it’s always a good place to start.

As an example, say you end up next to a Padres fan right now while rooting for the other team.

“Man, your team has been amazing so far. Fernando Tatis Jr. looks like an MVP and it’s been fun to watch them here in the early going. Oh, and San Diego is an amazing city.” 

There’s something to be said for being a nice human and setting the tone of friendliness with a person you’re going to be sitting next to for upwards of three hours. I’m a fan of giving it back, too, such as, “yeah, but your team looks pretty tough in their own right.” You can even follow it up with some good-natured ribbing. 

For example, take either above quote and tack on, “but the losing is about to start tonight!” Just make sure to accompany it with a smile or even a small laugh. 

Lukewarm: The subtle, condescending jab

I’m an Indiana grad and went to the IU at Ohio State football game last November, when IU was undefeated and Ohio State would end up winning the national championship. While in line to get into the Horseshoe before the game — obviously I was wearing Indiana gear but was not causing problems at all — an Ohio State fan tapped me on the shoulder and said, “that’s a nice little season you guys have put together.”

Hmmmm. 

Yeah, he said nice words. I guess. But the condescension was dripping straight through that “little.” 

The message? We’re big time and you little guys don’t have any business fishing in this pond. 

But also, there was no reason for me to do anything but smile and say thank you and that it’s been a fun ride. It’s possible I misconstrued his intent (I doubt it, but it’s possible), plus, there’s no reason to head into enemy territory with a chip on your shoulder. Because … 

Bad: Confrontational attitudes

This is the root of all issues at ballparks. So many fans are already angry the second they see an opposing jersey and are ready to start screaming obscenities and personal insults. As long as this person didn’t specifically start any trouble with you, why so angry? Why so riled up? Why so confrontational? People have the right to show up and root for their favorite team. Settle down, man. 

Don’t be that person ready to fight anyone who you perceive to wrong your sensibilities over a sporting event. 

And, yeah, if a person violates any of the rules above — remember, we are not confrontational — the proper response is to just ignore. No good comes from legitimate confrontations at sporting events. Ever. 

Worst of the worst: Physical violence

Don’t throw stuff. Ever. 

Don’t push someone. Don’t grab. Absolutely do not strike. 

A bigger problem here is these scuffles are not merely involving the people in the fight, whether it’s one-on-one or a group brawl. It is ruining the night for anyone witnessing it, let alone someone actively scared.

Attending a sporting event is supposed to be fun. Anyone who resorts to any sort of physical violence is a total loser and needs to get a life. Full stop. 

Don’t be a jerk. Be a good fan. 

Best: Good Fans

We’ve got to end on a positive note. Again, the majority of fans go to games and enjoy themselves while cheering for their favorite team. They are just there to have fun and create good memories. 

Here’s to you, Good Sports Fans. You make the sports world a fun and productive place. We wouldn’t have sports without you.