The University of Phoenix Stadium located in Glendale, Arizona is a brand-new stadium. It was officially completed in 2006 and put into use in the same year. It can accommodate 63,000 spectators. Its modern design and high-tech materials make this stadium Become one of the best advanced representatives of the new century in the league.
Although the name is "University of Phoenix Stadium," in fact, this stadium has no direct relationship with the University of Phoenix. It is just a title. The University of Phoenix owns another home stadium for games.
This modern stadium hosts a variety of events, including concerts, E-games, football games, and basketball games; however, its main purpose has always been a football stadium, and in 2007 it became an annual NCAA festival. The site of the Fiesta-Bol Bowl, and more importantly, since its completion, it has become the home stadium of the Arizona Cardinals.
As the oldest team in the league, the Arizona Cardinals have a very deep heritage. Although they have only taken root in Glendale for less than 20 years, they still have a large number of die-hard fans in Arizona and their home attendance is the highest. The performances are always gratifying and truly drive home the obsession and fervor Arizona has for football.
On February 3, 2008, the University of Phoenix Stadium became the venue for the first Super Bowl in the city's history. In that game, they witnessed history. The New York Giants broke the New England Patriots' undefeated season. In the mythical attempt to reach the top, at the last moment of the game, Eli Manning led the team to make a desperate comeback and win the Super Bowl championship.
The next season, the Arizona Cardinals made a historic run to the NFC Finals, playing at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. The game attracted a full 70,000 spectators - far more than the stadium could accommodate, but it was still organized in an orderly manner and saw the Cardinals defeat the Eagles and advance to the Super Bowl. decisive battle.
Since then, the University of Phoenix Stadium has been one of the most popular stadiums in the league. Rumor has it that they are trying to apply to host the Super Bowl two years later, and league officials are also very satisfied with the facilities of the stadium. Facilities and fan enthusiasm, then it depends on the league’s further review and selection.
However, the Arizona Cardinals' record performance this season is unsatisfactory. In the first half of the season, the home attendance rate was always only about 80% to 85%, which was far lower than the peak level; and during the season In the second half, the team's performance began to pick up, and the home attendance rate gradually increased. The closer to the playoffs, the more enthusiastic the fans became.
Today, the home fans are excited again, because they are about to face the visiting San Francisco 49ers, and hope to defeat their opponents again after the eleventh week of the regular season, achieve a season double play, and firmly grasp the initiative in the playoffs. in hand.
Three hours before the start of the game, the stadium was already buzzing with excitement.
Glendale is a small city with a population of only 220,000. Its quiet and leisurely life revolves entirely around football. Every home game day is the biggest carnival day in the entire city; and Arizona Phoenix, the capital, is only fourteen kilometers away, and countless fans drive from Phoenix to Glendale to watch the Cardinals game.
Therefore, on the day of the game, the traffic jam stretched from the parking lot of the University of Phoenix Stadium towards Phoenix and Glendale, as if all the residents of the small town had rushed out. It was a rare sight. The grand occasion was indeed exciting.
When Ryan Baldwin and his team arrived at the stadium, it was already 12 noon Western time, and there was only a full hour left before the game started. This meant that they had to speed up, otherwise they would not be able to play before the official game. The support arrangements for the stadium are completed.
This is an away game, and they already have no advantage. They are lucky enough to be able to buy tickets; in order to fight against the home fans, they need a little extra help. Therefore, they must enter the stadium early.
For this much-anticipated revenge battle, there were as many as 1,500 away fans organized by Chris Wilson and Jonathan Baldwin alone; while others came to Glendale sporadically. There were even more fans who came together with the organization to cheer. According to incomplete statistics, more than 8,000 fans swarmed into this small town.
On the one hand, the importance of this game is self-evident, and the smell of gunpowder is permeating the entire network; on the other hand, because the away game is located in Arizona, it is only a short drive from San Francisco to Glendale. It only takes twelve hours, and it is even easier to fly. The time and cost make it feasible to watch away games.
As a result, the 49ers who collectively went to watch the away game ushered in a new craze.
The overwhelming momentum even made it onto ESPN's news reports, making it the biggest highlight of the week.
Jonathan pushed Ryan's wheelchair and quickly walked through the crowd. He was heading to the stadium gate to meet and rendezvous. Then they could see a large surging white field in the distance. No need to identify it, they knew that it was a gathering. The base camp——
The Arizona Cardinals' home jersey is dark red, while the San Francisco 49ers' away jersey is white. In the dark torrent of dark red, the white waves are just a drop in the ocean, but they are like the finishing touch, easily attracting attention. And...hate value.
Before they had time to get close, Jonathan and Ryan noticed something was wrong. The surging and hotness of the crowd was a bit unexpected. The scene seemed to be in chaos. The tense atmosphere burst out with a strong smell of gunpowder, as if they could smell the smoke of sulfur and gunpowder now. The taste is average.
Unpleasant trash talk was vaguely heard, and the next moment, the conflict got out of control. First, two people started fighting, then one person joined the fight, and then another. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen people joined the fight, and the scene became a mess, and it continued to expand.
The fans surrounding the conflict began to push each other, and the dirty words became louder and louder. The tempers of the fans on both sides were extremely hot. The anger that had been suppressed on Twitter seemed to have finally found an outlet in real life. At the exit, both sides rolled up their sleeves and burst into unyielding determination.
"Fuck!" Ryan cursed fiercely, rolled up his sleeves and wanted to rush forward to join the battle, completely forgetting the fact that he was sitting in a wheelchair.
But Jonathan stopped Ryan, "Calm down, we need to calm down."
After causing widespread chaos in the away game, they were undoubtedly the underdog.
Firstly, the number of fans is not dominant at all; secondly, after a large number of fans are arrested, it is likely to affect the on-site support for away games. This is to sacrifice the good for the last. Even putting these two points aside, the most important point is, what if the police threw the troublemaking fans into the detention center and then banned them from watching the game?
There is no need to shut them down for forty-eight hours, just shut them down for one game and then release them after the game is over. This is uncomfortable enough.
The more chaos there is, the more calm is needed; the more urgent it is, the more calm is needed.
Jonathan took a deep breath and said quickly, "Ryan, I need your help. The team needs our help."
Ryan didn't know why, but he nodded impulsively, "Okay, no problem!"
"After rushing into the crowd, you only need to pretend to be extremely uncomfortable and weak, and leave the rest to me." Jonathan said quickly, and then before Ryan could react, because the scene was already starting to get out of control, Jonathan pushed Holding Ryan's wheelchair, he quickly rushed into the crowd, "Emergency (911), emergency, emergency."
…
Nate Chandler only felt like a small sampan in the stormy sea. He tried to control the situation, but one huge wave after another came crashing down on his face. He was unable to even parry, let alone resist. Being able to drift with the waves, this deep sense of powerlessness binds my hands and feet, and I feel a deep sense of frustration.
However, then Nate's eyes fell on his friends. They were angry and funny, neither did they stop, nor did they cheer.
Danny Reese waved his fist the size of a bowl and punched the opponent in the stomach. His eyes were as wide as copper bells, revealing a cruel ferocity, and he muttered, " Motherfucker! Motherfucker! Let me tell you, who is the motherfucker? Shameless motherfucker!"
The Cardinals fan on the opposite side was completely unable to parry. He was waving his hands randomly like noodles. He couldn't use any force at all and couldn't hit the target. He just danced meaninglessly and looked like a weak waterweed. Generally speaking, Danny couldn't hold his head up under his overwhelming anger.
There were two Cardinals fans nearby who tried to help, taking advantage of their numerical advantage to severely suppress Danny's arrogance. One of them hit Danny on the temple regardless.
But Danny quickly dodged with a short body, and then used his shoulder to face the impact heavily, and then knocked the man's center of gravity unsteadily, and he stumbled back again and again, falling into the crowd in embarrassment.
Danny didn't give up. He spat at the other party and cursed fiercely, "Mom!"
Nate could understand Danny's anger, even support it.
Today, Arizona Cardinals fans completely lost control. At first, fans from both sides just shouted at each other and supported their teams. But gradually, those rednecks couldn't suppress their emotions and launched personal attacks. Some people even cursed, "That Asian guy is just a pussy selling his ass. It's better to go back to the slums on the other side of the Pacific now..."
Before the next words could be finished, the conflict broke out.
