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I can’t believe I, or anyone else, need to say this, but it is not okay to twist the nipple of a person you don’t know. The victim being a celebrity in his field does not change that.
It honestly boggles my mind that someone would think this is acceptable behaviour, but there you go: people are weird.
In case you missed it, yes, this is a real thing actually happened after an LCS match this past weekend.
If ur showing up as a fan to LCS, don’t do weird shit like twist our nipples at the fan meets after matches. What is wrong with you people
— Eugene Park (@Pobelter) August 5, 2018
Now, I’ll admit, I laughed when I first read about this. What other response could one have? The sheer ludicrousness of the situation makes it difficult to immediately parse beyond a ‘what the ….’ level.
It’s not really that funny if you’re on the receiving end, though. Even Reddit users, never normally the voice of reason, were appalled by the behaviour of this so-called fan.
The word assault was bandied about, but it’s hardly hyperbole in this case. US common law requires four elements for an incident to be considered assault, all of which were present in the fan-meet incident.
1. The apparent, present ability to carry out;
2. An unlawful attempt;
3. To commit a violent injury;
4. Upon another
Tick, tick, tick, tick. The players may not have suffered any long-term damage, but the point is that they could have done.
As awful as the incident must have been for the victims, it raises broader questions about the way Riot handles fan interaction at LCS events. In a Reddit thread about the incident, it was pointed out that the LPL has no such fan interaction.
The Chinese fans are, to put it politely, rather passionate. LPL organisers get around any creepy behaviour by simply not putting players in a position where anything weird could happen.
It seems like a shame to have to resort to such extreme methods because of a few anti-social idiots, but it only takes one really maladjusted individual to ruin things for everyone. LCS studios in America have metal detectors because, well, America, but clearly that isn’t enough for some people.
Perhaps it’s up to the players to refuse this interaction, but I don’t think most of them would want to do that.
Most players, it seems to me, enjoy talking to their fans and have a healthy, grounded, attitude towards their celebrity status.
If their physical safety is at risk, though, it might be different. In this instance, the players got away with some discomfort and a lot of embarrassment, but it could be so much worse if the wrong person was in the same position in future.
In football, the referee can award a yellow card to a player who celebrates with the crowd. I’m not suggesting Riot take things that far, but maybe it is time to re-think player safety and fan interaction.
It’s not as though American crowds don’t have a history of anti-social behaviour. Veteran commentator, Rivington, called out NA fans on Twitter this weekend after a handful of them were heard cheering ironically for irrelevant actions in-game. “Just don’t try to be the show,” tweeted Rivington, “it ruins it.”
If you attend the LCS and this goes for any sporting event. Don't make it about you by cheering incessantly about random things in the game. This is a time enjoy something as a community and honor the caliber of play that these players have worked hard for. Thanks! 😀
— RivingtonBisland III (@RivingtonThe3rd) August 5, 2018
Nor is this the first time such accusations have been levelled at a North American crowd either. There was another thread on Reddit just a month ago about similar issues with a group of people doing the same thing.
Even Doublelift chimed in on the topic, calling it “super annoying.”
Season six Worlds is perhaps the most notable example of poorly behaved fans, though. Locals booed Samsung Galaxy after they crushed Cloud 9 on home soil. I’m all for passionate fans, but booing an opponent simply because they won is really poor form.
All of this may seem like a storm in a tea-cup to fans of traditional sports, but esports didn’t grow up in stadiums full of vociferous fanatics.
It’s one thing to shout, cheer and sing at the top of your lungs in a huge, open stadium among 50,000 people (what I would give for some proper football-esque chants, instead of hearing “Tee-Ess-Em” every game); it’s quite another to do the same thing in a small, indoor studio with maybe 100 people.
In fairness to Riot, they do put a stop to this kind of thing eventually but they can’t stop people being gross in the first place, sadly. All they can do is react to the problem as and when it arises.
Perhaps Riot needs to take a cue from tennis and snooker and have the referees “hush” the crowd when they get too noisy.
They can do something about player safety, however. I’m sure a little extra security wouldn’t make too big an impact on the balance sheet. Peace of mind for your stars has to be worth a few dollars, surely.