PHNX Arizona Diamondbacks Podcast - Why Are Fans MISBEHAVING At D-backs Games?

Episode Date: July 4, 2025

📬 Arizona sports in your inbox! https://gophnx.com/newsletterThe Diamondbacks have recently experienced some inappropriate conduct by fans that impacted games and caused those individuals to be ejected and banned from the ballpark. Derek is joined by Espo to discuss what is and isn’t acceptable behavior at events and how fans behaving badly could ruin the sports spectating experience for all of us. An ALLCITY Network ProductionSUBSCRIBE to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/phnx_youtubeALL THINGS PHNX: http://linktr.ee/phnxsportsMERCH https://store.allcitynetwork.com/collections/phnx-lockerALLCITY Network, Inc. aka PHNX and PHNX Sports is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by the City of PhoenixPHNX Events: Get your tickets to PHNX events and takeovers here: https://gophnx.com/events/ALLCITY — including us here at PHNX — is teaming up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America for an exciting three-year partnership. To learn more, visit https://www.bbbs.org/allcity/APS:  Find instant rebates, discounts and special offers on smart thermostats, energy-efficient appliances and more at https://marketplace.aps.com/default/heating-cooling/smart-thermostatsChicken N’ Pickle: Family friendly fun awaits! Visit chickennpickle.com to plan your visit today!bet365: https://www.bet365.com/hub/en-us/app-hero-banner-1?utm_source=affiliate&utm_campaign=usapp&utm_medium=affiliate&affiliate=365_03485317 Use the code PHNX365 to sign up, deposit $10 and bet $5 to get $150 in bonus bets!Disclaimer: Must be 21+ and physically located in AZ.  If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-NEXT-STEP, text NEXTSTEP to 53342 or visit https://problemgambling.az.gov/Branded Bills: Use code BBPHNX at https://www.brandedbills.com/ for 20% off your first order!Vme: Download the Vme app and play today using code PHNX! Available on the App Store and Google Play. Vme – Anyone. Anything. Anytime. https://getvme.com/?vmereferral=PHNXGametime: Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code PHNX for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply.Shady Rays: Head to https://shadyrays.com and use code: PHNX for 35% off polarized sunglasses. Try for yourself the shades rated 5 stars by over 300,000 people.Circle K: Join Inner Circle for free by downloading the Circle K app today! Head to https://www.circlek.com/store-locator to find Circle Ks near you!Monarch Money: Use Monarch Money to get control of your overall finances with 50% off your first year at https://www.monarchmoney.com/phnxAll Pro Shade Concepts: Call 623-204-1476 or visit https://allproshadeconcepts.com/ now to schedule your free estimate!When you shop through links in the description, we may earn affiliate commissions. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Well, when you come to a ballpark, we know it entitles you to certain things, but does it entitle you to harass the players and impact the game? Absolutely not. Derek Montia here with PHNX, your mayor of PHNX, of course, the real boss around here, ESPO. We are here to chat about some of this fan behavior that the Arizona Diamondbacks have experienced lately. And again, this is probably something that is as old as sports itself, the fans that are spectators, somehow getting involved with the game.

And of course, you know, we know that these. instances have gotten some pretty high-level, high-profile coverage. But it's kind of because some of these things that have happened to the Diamondbacks are fairly egregious. We have the fan in Chicago that obviously said the disgusting comments to Cotel about his mother who passed away in a car accident. And recently here at Chase Field, a fan that has not only gotten involved in a game and impacted it by interfering in the game, but has also been appearing around town kind of bragging about his exploits impacting baseball games and going out there and getting these balls. And I don't know. I mean, I do feel like obviously you're being a basketball guy,

baseball is one of those sports where fan interaction, fan interference is more prevalent than any other sport, I feel like. But, I mean, rules are rules. And it feels like this is kind of a simple thing when it comes to how to act as a fan when you come to a game. Yeah, I mean, certainly two very different kind of. Definitely. Definitely. And, you know, obviously in Chicago banning that guy and doing it immediately, I think, was 100% the right call. There is a line. We all know that.

Like, there's one thing, heckling players having a good nature ribbing and whatnot. There's another thing when you cross that line and it gets to the disgusting or to the disturbing. Now, in the case with the guy in left field at Chase Field, to me, one, time okay you got caught up in the moment it could happen to anybody right like you don't realize sometimes the boundaries of the game and when a ball is flying at you or in your direction sometimes the excitement is overwhelming and you just want to do everything you can to be the person that catches it right so especially if you're a kid too right like i and i not a grown ass man once once i totally understand but you know there was video evidence what this was the fifth time he says

nine or ten times that he's he's been involved with this kind of thing that has led to a review. To me, that's egregious, right? Even before you start going around touting yourself as some minor pseudo-celebrity because you're breaking the rules, the fact that you've put yourself in that situation multiple times and impacted or at least disrupted play of a major league sporting event and broke a rule, this isn't some unwritten rule of baseball. Right.

It is a written rule. I mean, we all remember it all the way back to, you know, the 97 playoffs. Yeah. No, the Yankees. Oh, the Yankees against the Orioles. Like, there's all sorts of situations we've seen this. It's not some kind of, oh my gosh, I can't believe that they're doing this and they're enforcing the rule that's always been there. It's egregious.

And, yeah, he deserved to be banned for this year. And I would go as far as saying he probably shouldn't be allowed to have a ticket. anywhere on an outfield wall in that ballpark ever again or in those general sections where he can make his way down there. That's fair. And I think that the one key characteristic between these two incidents that have happened to the Diamondbacks recently is impacting the game and disrupting the game, right? Like, yes, the one was verbal and it was more of those insults being hurled at a player. And like you said, that one's not really a written rule. That's kind of one of the more unwritten rules. Like there are things. I mean, I thought we all understand.

this. Like, no matter where your bubble is for what is acceptable and unacceptable, I felt like every Venn diagram had in the middle of it, relatives that are deceased and people's moms as like things to stay away from, right? So there's, there's the idea here that, oh, free speech, right? And a person can come to a ballpark and scream whatever stupid-ass thing they want to at a player, but that's not the case. But that's not free. Free speech is you have the right to say that, but it does not prevent you from facing consequences for what you said. And that's what drives me nuts with that. Right.

Is, yeah, you have the right to say it, and they have the right to throw your ass out of a ballpark for doing it. Right, for being inappropriate, not only amongst other fans, because there's that, right? Like, we as fan, you're bothering the players, you're interrupting the play, but you're also annoying us, and you're annoying the people around you, and there's a consideration for being a part of a community,

being part of a society while you're at a baseball game, right? There's like, again, yeah, you can act out, but everybody around you would prefer otherwise. You could sit there and scream the whole game and it could be perfectly allowable, like, like PG language, and you're still going to annoy people because you're just standing up screaming and being a jackass at a baseball game, right?

But I also think the idea here is that letting this go leads to, and I'm glad you're here, a basketball guy, incidents like. what happened back in the day with malice at the palace where you have a player lose it and go after a fan in the stands and for that brief altercation for that brief moment there's not a lot to help you from whatever's going to happen for the consequences of your actions now it's not to it's not to say what a player did was right but if you want to say screaming the most awful things that an athlete is acceptable because it falls under free speech i will say it's acceptable for a player to come at you in the stands and defend himself as self-defense based on it being, I don't know, mental health,

like, self-mental health anguish, you know, like. Yeah, I think there's, there's so many things. You're like, imagine if in that outfield, you've got that overzealous guy or somebody like him, and he hurts a player. For sure. Because that player is going for that catch, and he hurts that player. He's trying his best to beat him to the punch, but he ends up breaking his wrist or something, right?

I mean, there's consequences to actions. And yes, there is the danger that we don't treat athletes like humans sometimes in the situation with Catell. That's just heartless. And yeah, you're going to hurt another human being. And the reaction to that sometimes is not going to be the way that you want it. Like that could lead to different things. Now, the malice in the palace was multiple factors. coming together. But yeah, if you allow those kind of things, you know, you push those rules

further and further, like, it's problematic. Just don't make it about yourself. That's what it is. Don't continue to interfere with it. Don't say something that you wouldn't say to Catelle Marte's face or any athlete's face when you're out there. It's one thing to be jovial and give a guy a hard time or, you know. We just saw that in the Giants game, right? A group of fans was chanting at the starting pitcher for the Giants and what they were chanting at him was his last name bird song. They were just saying bird song and I love those people. I want more of those type of people. I want a pitcher, not a belly itch. There's good natured with it and then there's just being a bad human. Yeah. And just saying nasty things and I feel like we've, you know, we can't let that go too far because then anything goes and that's problematic.

And I hope people don't like the slippery slope argument with things. But there's, There has to be a line somewhere. And I would say, obviously, saying anything about a dead relative or a mother would do that. Or breaking the rules nine times or ten times. Like, eventually you pay the consequences for your actions. And I think it's as simple as that. It really is. And there's two examples of this.

But the result for both individuals has been being banned from the ballpark in the case of the guy with Ketel. He's been banned from all Major League Baseball parks until a later determined time. Meanwhile, this fan that was a season ticket holder has been banned for the season, and they said it'll be re-evaluated after the year. But again, just examples of how your conduct can not only impact a game, but can make this into a much bigger incident. Now, in some cases, you're searching for that glory, and you seem kind of unapologetic about what you've done, at least in the case of the fan that was yelling things I could tell, reportedly he was very apologetic and felt very accountable, at least for his actions, despite the fact that he did what he did.

I think just overall, the one thing we have to remember is when you come to a game, not only are you not the only person that paid to be there, but that ticket does not entitle you to treat anybody, whether it's people around you, ushers, or the players themselves, like crap, simply because you feel entitled. too. Yeah, I think for those people that didn't think the gentleman who reached over the fence should have been banned, fine. Put him in one of the 300 sections back in those seats that are behind the air conditioning vents and he can't go past there. If you want him in the ballpark,

fine. I'm okay with that as well. If banning feels too much to you. I just want people to remember, it's like I said in the short, come see the show. Don't be the show. And that's what it's all about. Well, we thank you guys for your time. He is Espo. You can follow him at Espo. I am Derek. You can follow me at K-U-N-X underscore K-Ban with a K. The show is at P-H-N-X underscore D-Backs,

but as always, all roads lead to at PHNX underscore Sports on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Thank you for your time and remember, kids. Baseball is fun, but it's way more fun when you behave yourselves at a baseball game. Keep your hands inside the car.