The University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, is a brand new stadium. It was officially completed in 2006 and put into use that same year. With a capacity of 63,000 spectators, its modern design and high-tech materials have made it one of the most advanced stadiums of the new century in the league. Although it is named "University of Phoenix Stadium," it has no direct relationship with the University of Phoenix, which has its own home stadium.
This modern stadium hosts a variety of events, including concerts, WWE matches, soccer, and basketball games. However, its main purpose has always been a football field. In 2007, it became the venue for the annual Fiesta Bowl, and more importantly, it has been the home of the Arizona Cardinals since its completion.
As one of the oldest teams in the league, the Arizona Cardinals have a deep history. Although they have only been rooted in Glendale for less than two decades, they have a large number of loyal fans in Arizona. The home attendance has always been impressive, truly showing the state's obsession and passion for football. On February 3, 2008, the University of Phoenix Stadium hosted the first Super Bowl in the city's history. In that game, they witnessed history as the New York Giants shattered the New England Patriots' attempt to go undefeated for the season. In the final moments of the game, Eli Manning led his team to a comeback and won the Super Bowl championship.
In the season after that, the Arizona Cardinals historically advanced to the NFC Championship Game, where they played against the Philadelphia Eagles at home. This game attracted 70,000 spectators, which was far beyond the stadium's seating capacity, but the event was still organized in an orderly fashion. The fans witnessed the Cardinals defeat the Eagles and advance to the Super Bowl.
Since then, the University of Phoenix Stadium has been one of the most popular stadiums in the league. It is rumored that they are trying to apply to be the host of the Super Bowl two years from now, and the league is very satisfied with the stadium's facilities and the fans' enthusiasm. The rest is up to the league's further review and selection process.
However, the Arizona Cardinals' performance this season has been disappointing. In the first half of the season, the home attendance was only about 80% to 85%, which was far below their peak. In the second half of the season, the team's performance started to improve, and the home attendance gradually climbed. The closer they got to the playoffs, the more passionate the fans became.
Today, the home fans were boiling over again because they were about to face the visiting San Francisco 49ers and hoped to defeat their opponent again after their last win in Week 11 of the regular season, completing a season sweep and holding on to the momentum for a playoff spot. Three hours before the game started, the area around the stadium was already bustling with activity.
Glendale is a small city with a population of just over 220,000. It is a quiet and leisurely place, and life there completely revolves around football. Every home game day is the biggest party in the entire city. Phoenix, the state capital of Arizona, is only 14 kilometers away, and countless fans have driven from Phoenix to Glendale to watch the Cardinals play. So, on game day, long lines of cars stretched all the way from the University of Phoenix Stadium's parking lot towards Phoenix and Glendale, as if all the residents of the small city had poured out. It was a rare and exciting sight.
Ryan Baldwin and his group arrived at the stadium at noon, Western Time. There was only one hour left until the game started, which meant they had to hurry, or they wouldn't be able to finish their preparations for cheering before the game. This was an away game, and they were already at a disadvantage. It was a blessing that they were even able to get tickets. To counter the home fans, they needed a little extra help. So, they had to get into the stadium early.
For this highly anticipated revenge match, the number of away fans organized by Chris Wilson and Jonathan Baldwin alone was as high as 1,500. There were even more fans who came to Glendale on their own or with other organizations. According to incomplete statistics, more than 8,000 fans flocked to this small city. On one hand, the importance of this game was self-evident, and the tension had been spreading all over the internet. On the other hand, the away game was in Arizona, and it only took 12 hours to drive from San Francisco to Glendale. Flying was even easier. The cost of time and money made it feasible for fans to attend the away game. So, a new wave of 49ers fans were traveling together to watch the away game. The massive momentum even made it onto ESPN's news, becoming the biggest highlight of the week.
Jonathan was pushing Ryan's wheelchair, quickly weaving through the crowd and heading to the stadium entrance to meet up with their group. From a distance, they could see a huge patch of white. They didn't need to check to know that it was their gathering point. The Arizona Cardinals' home jerseys were dark red, and the San Francisco 49ers' away jerseys were white. In the vast torrent of dark red, the white waves were just a drop in the ocean, but they stood out like a brilliant finishing touch, easily attracting attention andโฆ animosity.
Before they could even get close, Jonathan and Ryan noticed that something was wrong. The surging and heated crowd was a bit unexpected, and the scene seemed chaotic. The tense atmosphere gave off a strong smell of gunpowder, as if they could already smell sulfur and smoke. Vicious trash talk could be heard faintly. In the next moment, the conflict spiraled out of control. First, two people started fighting. Then, one person joined, then another. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen people had joined the fight. The scene was a mess and had the potential to keep growing. The fans surrounding the conflict started pushing and shoving each other. The foul language was getting louder and louder. The tempers of both sides were incredibly explosive. The anger that had been suppressed on Twitter finally found an outlet in real life. Both sides rolled up their sleeves, showing their determination to fight to the death.
"Damn it!" Ryan cursed loudly. He rolled up his sleeves and wanted to rush into the fight, completely forgetting that he was in a wheelchair. But Jonathan stopped Ryan. "Calm down, we need to calm down." After causing a massive disturbance in an away game, they would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage.
First, they didn't have a numbers advantage. Second, if a large number of fans were arrested, it might affect their ability to cheer at the game, which would be counterproductive. Even if they disregarded these two points, the most important point was what if the police threw the troublemaking fans into a holding cell and forbade them from watching the game? They didn't have to hold them for 48 hours; just holding them for the duration of the game and then releasing them after would be bad enough.
The more chaotic it was, the more they needed to calm down. The more urgent it was, the more they needed to be composed. Jonathan took a deep breath and quickly said, "Ryan, I need your help. The team needs our help." Ryan was confused, but he impulsively nodded. "Okay, no problem!" "After we get into the crowd, you just need to pretend to be in a lot of pain and very weak. Leave the rest to me," Jonathan said quickly. He didn't wait for Ryan to react because the scene was already starting to get out of control. Jonathan then pushed Ryan's wheelchair and quickly rushed into the crowd, shouting, "Emergency! Emergency! Emergency!"
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Nate Chandler felt like a small raft in a stormy sea. He tried to control the situation, but one giant wave after another crashed down on him. He couldn't even defend himself, let alone fight back. He could only drift with the waves. This deep sense of powerlessness tied up his hands and feet, giving him a deep sense of frustration. But then, Nate's eyes fell on his teammates, and he was both angry and amused. He didn't know whether to stop them or cheer them on.
Danny Reece was swinging his fist, the size of a bowl, and punching the other person in the stomach. His eyes, as big as bells, revealed a brutal ferocity. He was muttering, "Sissy! Sissy! Let me show you who the sissy is! Shameless sissy!" The Cardinals fan opposite him couldn't fight back at all. His hands were flailing around like noodles, completely without strength and unable to hit his target. He was just flailing about meaninglessly, looking like a weak water plant that couldn't hold its head up against Danny's raging fury.
Two other Cardinals fans tried to help, hoping to overwhelm Danny with their numbers. One of them didn't care and just went for Danny's temple. But Danny quickly dodged and then used his shoulder to absorb a heavy hit, which made the other person lose his balance. He stumbled backward and fell into the crowd. Danny didn't let up. He spat at the guy and cursed, "Sissy!" Nate could understand Danny's anger, and he even supported it.
Today, the Arizona Cardinals fans were completely out of control. In the beginning, both sides' fans were just shouting at each other and supporting their own teams. But gradually, the rednecks couldn't suppress their emotions and started making personal attacks. Someone even cursed, "That Asian kid is a sissy who sells his ass. He should go back to the slums on the other side of the Pacific..." Before he could finish his sentence, the conflict erupted.
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