New York Mets: Noah Syndergaard might be a puffed up, pompous popinjay

And They Never Pull Their Punches

Here are just a few who chose a different path.

"A West Virginia player was seen punching a Red Raiders fan rushing the court Saturday following Texas Tech’s 72-71 upset win over the Mountaineers."

"Oakland outfielder Matt Joyce received a two-game suspension without pay Saturday for directing a gay slur toward a fan in Anaheim and he will take part in a public outreach initiative with PFLAG, a family and ally organization supporting LGBTQ community. Major League Baseball made the announcement, saying Joyce’s penalty was set to begin Saturday, when he also apologized through the team. Joyce said he is “beyond sorry,” and the Athletics also made a statement insisting his language was unacceptable and wouldn’t be tolerated. “A fan yelled vulgar and obscene words about me and my family and I let my frustrations and emotions get the better of me.”"

That can happen. But this can never happen.

"The images are just as striking almost a decade later. A cup splashes off Ron Artest in the closing moments of a blowout win against the Detroit Pistons. He leaps into the stands at the Palace of Auburn Hills and into sports infamy. Mayhem follows. Players fight fans, fans fight players, a chair is thrown, bottles are tossed — in seconds, the invisible wall that separates athletes and spectators is demolished; the social contract of arena behavior is left in shreds."

Whoa

No one who saw the Malice at the Palace will forget that scene.

Okay, we know what it is…now let’s talk about what should be. And again, this is not the first article to cover the topic. But incidents of interaction seem to be on the rise as our world gets more sensitive, and so another perspective is probably warranted.

Especially as we head for another Mets season.