# Best fans in baseball: Cardinals fans/Michael Brown protest

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [October 7, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681 "2014-10-07T19:47:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/21 "2014-10-08T01:57:49Z")

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> [@Smapti](#):
>
> The question remains: What role do they believe the St. Louis Cardinals, their management, or their fans had in the Brown incident?

This.

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**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/22 "2014-10-08T01:59:33Z")

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There were about 50,000 fans in the stadium. Probably at least that many outside. A) This is a huge event, even by St. Louis baseball standards, being the playoffs and all, so if you want to raise awareness about an issue, this is the place to do it. 2) This is not remotely a representative sample of the diversity of thought among Cardinals fans re: Ferguson.

Nevertheless, St. Louis is a pretty racist town in my experience, and baseball will draw out the lowest common denominator more than say, [a symphony audience](http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/us/michael-brown-symphony-performance/).

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**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/23 "2014-10-08T02:01:15Z")

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They’re not claiming the Cardinals had a role in what happened. They’re not saying the symphony did either. They’re trying to make sure the public doesn’t forget about an issue, and while I have mixed feelings about random disruptive protests like this, I understand the concern and I think they’re right to feel the public will move on if they don’t stay active.

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**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/24 "2014-10-08T02:05:49Z")

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> [@Velocity](#):
>
> This.

They’re part of the community. This is an issue relevant to the entire community. Demonstrations are at least in part intended to reach everyone, not just those who are directly culpable.

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**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/25 "2014-10-08T02:25:08Z")

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The concert protest, also, was far more disruptive and uninvited than the baseball game protest.

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**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/26 "2014-10-08T02:28:13Z")

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> [@Velocity](#):
>
> The concert protest, also, was far more disruptive and uninvited than the baseball game protest.

It happened during an intermission and it was met with far more grace and respect than the baseball game protest. A spokesman for the symphony even said he had wished that the protesters had stayed to hear the last part of the program after they were done protesting.

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**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/27 "2014-10-08T02:31:00Z")

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The ironic thing is that these protesters would probably be angered if someone protested for a cause they didn’t like, at a concert or game they were attending.

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**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/28 "2014-10-08T02:40:51Z")

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> [@Velocity](#):
>
> The ironic thing is that these protesters would probably be angered if someone protested for a cause they didn’t like, at a concert or game they were attending.

Yes, some causes are worthier and more important than others.

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**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/29 "2014-10-08T02:43:28Z")

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> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> Yes, some causes are worthier and more important than others.

Entirely subjective.

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**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/30 "2014-10-08T02:44:36Z")

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> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> Yes, some causes are worthier and more important than others.

> [@Velocity](#):
>
> Entirely subjective.

This is somewhat ironic given their slogan, “black lives matter.”

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**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/31 "2014-10-08T02:46:08Z")

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Let the judge and jury deal with it.

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**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/32 "2014-10-08T02:48:44Z")

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> [@Velocity](#):
>
> Let the judge and jury deal with it.

Without protests, there never would have been a judge or jury. Without continued attention, the judge and jury might just get up to the usual shenanigans. And even if the judge and jury deals with it this time, unless the community at large is forced to keep their attention on it, the underlying sickness in the community will not be cured.

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**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/33 "2014-10-08T02:51:56Z")

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> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> Without continued attention, the judge and jury might just get up to the usual shenanigans.

“Shenanigans” defined as what - any outcome other than the desired one?

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**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/34 "2014-10-08T02:55:35Z")

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> [@Velocity](#):
>
> Let the judge and jury deal with it.

> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> Without protests, there never would have been a judge or jury. Without continued attention, the judge and jury might just get up to the usual shenanigans. And even if the judge and jury deals with it this time, unless the community at large is forced to keep their attention on it, the underlying sickness in the community will not be cured.

Right, the protests were mostly a reaction to the lack of responsiveness from the police. At this point I’ll be shocked if there are charges. And again, they seem to have a broader issue in mind, which is the question of how our society values black lives. One court can’t decide that, and to the extent courts have been involved in it lately, the response has not been good overall.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/35 "2014-10-08T03:11:34Z")

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> [@Velocity](#):
>
> “Shenanigans” defined as what - any outcome other than the desired one?

Shenanigans defined as every fault in the process so far. If you think this is only about outcomes with respect to Wilson’s eventual fate, then you’re intentionally not paying attention.

Other specific kinds of long-term outcomes, yes. Such as reform of the institutional biases that this situation has revealed.

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**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/36 "2014-10-08T04:00:39Z")

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> [@Marley23](#):
>
> Disgusting. Let’s go Dodgers.

splat

so much for that idea

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**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/37 "2014-10-08T04:03:00Z")

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> [@eschereal](#):
>
> splat
> 
> so much for that idea

Yeah, it didn’t work out so great. Still, these fans said some disgusting things. Stupid, too. "“We’re the fucking ones who gave y’all all the freedom that you have?”

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**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/38 "2014-10-08T04:06:56Z")

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> [@Velocity](#):
>
> Entirely subjective.

And?

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**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/39 "2014-10-08T05:08:57Z")

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Cardinals defeated the Dodgers 3 games to 1.

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**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2014, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fans-in-baseball-cardinals-fans-michael-brown-protest/700681/40 "2014-10-08T05:10:00Z")

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> [@Marley23](#):
>
> “We’re the fucking ones who gave y’all all the freedom that you have?”

Yeah, that statement was, how shall we say…questionable?

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