The Mob Mentality and Cheap Beer…

Johnny-on-the-Spot … by John Foster …

Let’s start this week’s column with some definitions.

“Mob”.

“A large crowd of people, especially one that is disorderly, and intent on causing trouble or violence.”

“Mob Mentality”

“When a group of people adjust their personal views, or actions, to fit the group they’re in.”

An event on June 4th, 1974 in Cleveland, Ohio probably fits those definitions.

But it was enhanced by beer.

Cheap beer.

A lot of cheap beer.

The long-suffering Cleveland Indians Major League Baseball team thought a promotion might draw a bigger crowd to cavernous Cleveland Municipal.

The diamond denizens were averaging less than 14,000 fans a game that season in a facility that could hold 78,000.

So Cleveland came up with the “10 Cent Beer Night” promotion.

With a tip of the hat to the USA Today from June 4th, 2024, here’s what took place.

The promotion drew 25,134 people to the ballpark for the game with the Texas Rangers.

Now, I’m certain the vast majority of people in attendance did not come to the game “intent on causing trouble or violence”.

But 10 cent beers combined with the “mob mentality” changed the setting.

It didn’t take long for things to go downhill.

It started with a bare-breasted woman getting on the field and attempting to kiss the home plate umpire.

A few innings later a naked man, save for his black socks, took to the field and slid into second base.

Then a father and son jumped on the field and mooned the crowd.

Fans started taking over some concession stands and pouring their own beers.

Pretty soon, there were more beer-swilling idiots storming the field, setting off fireworks and tossing anything they could get grab onto the field…food, batteries, golf balls, tennis balls and folding chairs.

Eventually, ball players got involved defending themselves and the game was eventually called a forfeit and it went into the record books as a 9-0 Texas victory.

Someone estimated there were over 60,000 beers consumed that night and my guess is most of the brew was consumed by a group of individuals consumed by the “mob mentality” which developed.

Years ago, I went to a Cleveland Browns football game and noticed a group of fans sitting on the top row behind me.

They looked like young businessmen.

Short-sleeved shirts, some wearing ties but by late in the fisst quarter, they started making quite a racket.

Suddenly one of them jumped up, kicked out a fiberglass louvre behind him.

Then he stood on his wooden bleacher seat and proceeded to urinate out the opening to the cheers of his buddies.

Mob mentality.

The problem was the wind blowing in the space where the louvre once called home.

A few minutes later, security guards came up and asked nearby fans if they saw what had happened.

Nobody would say anything.

As one of the officers walked away, I told him, “I saw the whole thing” and described the louvre-kicking lout to him.

Then, several others took my lead.

Another form of mob mentality.

Eventually, officers cuffed the guy and led him down the aisle to the boos of other fans who were oblivious to what had taken place.

The officer came back and asked for my name and address but confided, “We have enough witnesses who said they were willing to testify in court and since they were all from the Cleveland area, I doubt you’ll get called.”

He went on to further say most of these arrests wind up being a quick court appearance and fine for the “perp” but he thanked me for speaking up.

It was the last Cleveland Browns game I ever attended.

And, while I missed the 10 Cent Beer Night debacle, in those years I might have attended 10-15 games a season.

My guess it, I might not have returned if I was at 10 Cent Beer Night.

Besides, the seatins is more comfortable in my living room and the beet is cheaper.

But still not 10 cents apiece.