Fans Trying to Kill Each Other for Souvenirs

For all of us who have ever gone to a sporting event, one thing that always makes the experience more memorable is leaving the game with a souvenir.

Whether that means snagging a foul ball during a baseball game or diving for a jersey tossed by a basketball player, fans seem to do anything they can for a piece of memorabilia.

How far do they go, though?

Let's take a look at these fans, who literally tried killing each other for a souvenir.

Spring Training Fan

Basketball coaches everywhere can rejoice, because this lady just boxed out like she needed to secure a crucial rebound.

And while the sport wasn't hoops and she was going for a baseball instead, she did fend off the strength of a few other fans to make sure she walked away with a souvenir, thanks to Dennis Rodman-like rebounding technique.

Bayer Leverkusen Players

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

When a team loses 3-1, one would imagine that the players on that team would be upset with the result and not focused on other things.

That wasn't the case in 2012, though, when Bayer Leverkusen players Michal Kadlec and Manuel Friedrich fought over Barcelona striker Lionel Messi’s jersey, with Friedrich ripping the shirt off of Kadlec's back at halftime.

Thankfully for Kadlec, he exchanged with Messi after the game to get his own.

Messi is one of the best players—if not the best—in the world, so this is understandable behavior from fans, but not opposing players.

Kansas City Royals Fan

C'mon, man!

I've poked fun at grown men who wait in lines to get autographs from athletes around their same age, but one who bulls over a little girl for a souvenir completely outdoes that!

Injuries in sports happen—but they shouldn't come this way.

Hanley Ramirez Fans

Editor's Note: Video contains strong, NSFW language.

This might just appear to be an instance of an L.A. Dodgers fan resisting arrest by a few members of security, but, allegedly, it was all over trying to get an autograph from the team's shortstop, Hanley Ramirez.

As one can see from the video, things got way out of hand, with a group of people getting involved.

I mean, a player's signature is cool and all, but not worth spending a few hours with the cops for.

Total Jerk Boston Red Sox Fan

This one may not have resulted in a fight, but if I were anywhere around it, it just may have.

After a foul ball gets tossed into the stands towards a young fan, an older dude abruptly puts his paw up and snags the thing away from the poor little kid. 

Seeing how the youngin' couldn't defend himself, the ball went to the bigger guy—who, hopefully, had karma come back and bite him in the butt—especially after he stared him down afterwards.

San Francisco Giants Fans

As a few of these other instances will show you, catching a baseball player's bat is something every fan wants to do—because people will go to great lengths to make sure it's theirs.

Just take a look at these older San Francisco Giants fans, who, after a nice little slap on the hand, got themselves a piece of lumber.

With a lot of different hands on the thing, it's nice when people respect their elders.

Asamoah Gyan Fans

Soccer players—especially on the international level—are admired by millions of people.

Hell, it's one reason why the game is the world's most popular.

So it's probably not too surprising that a few Ghanaian fans had a royal rumble for nearly 20 minutes in an effort to take home the game-worn jersey of Asamoah Gyan after he chucked it into the stands.

Derek Jeter Fan

Normally, you'll see two fans in the stands doing what they can to fight away a souvenir from each other, but in this case, it was a few of them trying to do it from Derek Jeter!

With an onslaught of people doing anything they could to change Jeter's mind, the Yankees shortstop was able to maneuver his way towards the little girl wearing a Jeter jersey, who he handed the ball to. 

Is it just me, or did these folks look like puppies begging for a treat?

Boston Red Sox Fans

It's all about who wanted it more.

Following a rolling foul ball, a few lucky fans thought the same thing—grab that baseball as it sat beneath them and along the padded wall.

Stretching their hands to grab it, they nearly all fell over and onto the field—which would have led to them being escorted out of the stadium—which, in my opinion, is a big price to pay for a souvenir.

Edwin Encarnacion's Bat

While most of these fans are fighting for something small like a foul or home run ball, catching a soaring bat is a rare thing to leave the stadium with.

So it's not too surprising to see a few guys almost duke it out for one.

It is a bit out of the ordinary to see one nearly choke the other out with the bat in order to claim it as his. I mean, couldn't they just play rock, paper, scissors like a few other fans did for Edwin Encarnacion's bat before?

St. Louis Rams Fans

It is always difficult when an athlete tosses something into the stands for fans to catch, because everyone assumes that the player meant for it to come to them.

When two separate people do it, though, things can end badly.

This story about a couple St. Louis Rams fans falling from the stands while wrestling for a couple of shoes definitely proves that.

Thankfully, no one was seriously injured.

L.A. Angels Fan

I'll applaud the attempt to catch the ball by this L.A. Angels fan since he landed a row or two behind where he started.

But for absolutely nailing an older lady in the process, he showed that he has to read the "How to Be a Proper Fan" handbook before the next game he attends, because this is in poor form.