Something worse than a team winning the World Series and having the fans tear the city apart...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/01/BAM31IONA2.DTL&tsp=1
A 41-year-old Santa Cruz man who traveled to Los Angeles to support the San Francisco Giants in the season opener against their archrivals is on life support tonight after being beaten by two Dodgers fans.
Bryan Stow, a father of two who works as a paramedic, was leaving the stadium with three friends after watching the Giants lose 2-1 Thursday night when the two men began to harass the group, said Los Angeles police Detective P.J. Morris. Stow was wearing Giants gear.
As they walked toward the parking lot, one of the attackers punched Stow in the back of the head, police said.
Stow fell and hit his head on the pavement, and authorities say his attackers continue to kick him as he lay unconscious. His friends were attacked when they tried to intervene.
"He is stable at this point, it could take a turn for the worse," Morris said, adding that doctors hope that brain swelling will subside and he will be able to breathe on his own.
Police are asking for help from anyone who witnessed the beating.
"There were thousands of people in the lot. It was totally horrific sight - it probably lasted about 15 seconds," Morris said.
A security video of the lot has not been very helpful, authorities said.
Police have described the attackers as Latino men in their late teens or early 20s. One wearing a tank top, the other was wearing a Dodger jersey.
Stow's parents, Ann and Dave Stow of Capitola, are with their son at the hospital.
"It's horrible, but I'm confident that we will get these people under arrest," Morris said.
In a statement, the Dodgers' called the incident "extremely unfortunate" on what "was otherwise a great day at Dodgers Stadium for tens of thousands of fans.
"We're committed to having the most fan and family friendly environment in baseball and will continue to make that a top priority," the team said.
The stadium has been plagued by opening day violence before.
In April 2009, a man stabbed his friend in the stadium parking lot after the home opener, in which the Dodgers beat the Giants 11-1. Arthur Alvarez was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Alvarez, who contended that he was knocked to the ground and acted in self-defense, was later acquitted by a jury.
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