An Indoor Football League game on Sunday turned into a wild scene after several players jumped into the stands to confront fans.
With less than a minute to play in a hard-hitting game between the Arizona Rattlers and Massachusetts Pirates, the Rattlers held a 9-point lead over the Pirates. The game seemed like it had run its course and would conclude like games typically do. However, all that went out the window after Pirates defensive back Leon O’Neal Jr. decided to leap over the wall to get in the face of a fan who had apparently been heckling him.
WILD scene at end of Rattlers game. 5 Massachusetts players ejected with 32 seconds left. Players going into the stands… If a fan said something — they need to be held accountable, but you can't charge the crowd in full pads. A kid in the front row looks to be crying?! pic.twitter.com/yqtjRKIjjn
— Cameron Cox (@CamCox12) July 3, 2023
O’Neal Jr. wasn’t the last Pirates player to jump into the stands. At least five additional players leaped over the wall, and a wild fight ensued.
“I heard the Rattlers start saying ‘Oh, he’s hot’, so I looked over and I saw him jump over,” said the sideline reporter for the game.
“There was a fan over there. He was in the fan’s face. I don’t know what he said, but he hopped over there — didn’t even touch the wall.”
At one point, a young fan could be seen crying as the fight continued around him.
Five players and at least one fan were ejected or thrown out of the stadium.
“Under zero circumstance can you ever go beyond the wall and into the stands,” Indoor Football League Commissioner Todd Tryon said.
“This is a one-time incident that does not reflect what the IFL stands for. We are a family friendly league that offers great sports entertainment, and we will continue to build on that moving forward. What was a very exciting game was marred by the actions of a few.
“These actions will never be tolerated and are being fully dealt with.”
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