Fan, taser connect in Philly

By Eric Nelson

Fans love their teams. They show their pride with assorted paraphernalia, cheers, jeers and in certain cases by running on the field. You do have to admit that as a fan there is rarely a bigger adrenaline rush than watching a fellow fan display his enthusiasm with a robust lap around the outfield.

In fact, last time I checked, fans are more likely to cheer while watching somebody dodge the stumbling, overweight grounds crew than just about anything else, shy of watching Big Poppi's inability to hit anything now that he's off the juice.

If you happened to be in Philadelphia on Monday to observe the Phillies game, you witnessed a teenager sprint on the field and subsequently get tasered.

According to ESPN, the facts read something like this:

Seventeen-year-old Steve Consalvi, wearing a baseball cap, red T-shirt and khaki shorts reportedly hopped a fence during the bottom of the eighth inning and scurried around the outfield, eluding two security officers. One trailing officer resorted to using a taser and Consalvi went down in a heap.

Several Phillies placed gloves over their faces, appearing to hide their laughter.

It is interesting to note that not only was Consalvi completely sober during this entire process, but he is also an honor student headed to Penn State next year. Additionally, Consalvi's actions were not instigated by any sort of dare or bet, according to his father. Consalvi had called his dad prior to actually running onto the field to ask for permission; his dad wasn't sold on the idea.

"This would be a once in a lifetime experience!" Steve Consalvi replied to his father.

Hopefully little Stevie learned a valuable life lesson. Most dads probably know how to avoid ending up face down in front of 50,000 people with half a million volts running through you.

"If you're on the streets running away from a cop, doesn't that cop have a right to Tase you because you're fleeing from a cop? So what's the difference," Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino said.

While the officer's actions are under review, many people have not been hesitant to voice their disagreement with the unnecessary use of force. Among them is the governor of Pennyslvania who calls the entire incident "a big mistake."

Regardless of the consequences, there is a lesson to be learned here: If sports teams ever begin to lose their flare, fans will come running to the rescue with their passion for the game.