Playoff game halted as fan pulls stunt at end
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Associated Press
WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- A rowdy fan was punched and kicked by players when he ran onto the field near the end of Sunday's CFL West Division semifinal between the B.C. Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
With seven seconds to play and the Bombers leading 30-3, the man ran past an official at midfield and jumped on Lions cornerback Eric Carter.
Carter shook the man off and landed several punches to his body before about a dozen players from both teams restrained the fan. Lions linebacker Carl Kidd kicked the man a few times while he was pinned to the ground.
The man was detained and then released, according to the Winnipeg police's acting Duty Inspector Chris Beattie, who added the fan was not injured and will likely be charged with causing a disturbance.
Moments after the incident, more of the 22,508 fans in the stands at Canad Inns Stadium started jumping onto the turf and the referee called the game with seven seconds remaining on the clock.
"We've got to protect ourselves,'' Kidd said. "You never know what that guy had in his pocket. (Fans) threw bottles at us, snowballs. It's ridiculous.''
The episode was reminiscent of a scene at Chicago's Comiskey Park when a father and son burst onto the field during a game in September and slammed Kansas City Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa to the ground and then punched and kicked him.
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Associated Press
WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- A rowdy fan was punched and kicked by players when he ran onto the field near the end of Sunday's CFL West Division semifinal between the B.C. Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
With seven seconds to play and the Bombers leading 30-3, the man ran past an official at midfield and jumped on Lions cornerback Eric Carter.
Carter shook the man off and landed several punches to his body before about a dozen players from both teams restrained the fan. Lions linebacker Carl Kidd kicked the man a few times while he was pinned to the ground.
The man was detained and then released, according to the Winnipeg police's acting Duty Inspector Chris Beattie, who added the fan was not injured and will likely be charged with causing a disturbance.
Moments after the incident, more of the 22,508 fans in the stands at Canad Inns Stadium started jumping onto the turf and the referee called the game with seven seconds remaining on the clock.
"We've got to protect ourselves,'' Kidd said. "You never know what that guy had in his pocket. (Fans) threw bottles at us, snowballs. It's ridiculous.''
The episode was reminiscent of a scene at Chicago's Comiskey Park when a father and son burst onto the field during a game in September and slammed Kansas City Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa to the ground and then punched and kicked him.
