No one's rushing the field.

February 20, 2012 11:23 AM

When and why did pitch invasions/court-storming/rushing the field end in professional, american sports? I see highlights in the 70s from Hank Aaron's 715, Yankees winning their division, even the Celtics winning an NBA championship in the early 80s where the fans celebrate with the players (or try to take hats off of their heads). In my sports lifetime,(post 1992), I cannot recall a single moment of this happening in pro sports (in America).
posted by sandmanwv to sports, hobbies, & recreation (10 answers total)

(not counting when the father and son ran and attacked the 1st base umpire in Chicago)
posted by sandmanwv at 11:24 AM on February 20, 2012

10 cent beer night.
posted by empath at 11:27 AM on February 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

Security.

After Stefi Graf got knifed in the mid-90s, security was significantly increased in American sports arenas due to concerns about liability and insurance.
posted by dfriedman at 11:37 AM on February 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

FWIW, it happens all the time in college sports, particularly college basketball.
posted by lewedswiver at 11:50 AM on February 20, 2012

After Stefi Graf got knifed in the mid-90s,

That was Monica Seles.
posted by deadmessenger at 11:54 AM on February 20, 2012

Duh. Yeah, Monica Seles, not Stefi Graf. Sorry about that.
posted by dfriedman at 11:54 AM on February 20, 2012

I want to go even earlier, perhaps to The Play.
posted by rhizome at 12:17 PM on February 20, 2012

I'd say it got tougher begining in 1973 after Hank Aaron had to share his run around the bases after hitting number 714 with a bunch of fans who had run onto the field. It was an embarassing spectacle for major league baseball.

When the Phillies won the world series in 1980, I remember scores of cops on horses surrounding the field so this began way earlier than the mid-1990s.
posted by three blind mice at 12:42 PM on February 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

Disco Demolition Night is later than 10 cent Beer Night.
posted by Jahaza at 12:55 PM on February 20, 2012 [2 favorites]

To me this seems like just part of the increasing professionalization and commercialization of professional sports. Also, modern stadiums tend to be bigger. And probably we're more litigious.
posted by mskyle at 12:56 PM on February 20, 2012