LA Rams Preseason Game Leaves Fans Bloody After Heated Fight

A massive fight broke out between fans of the L.A. Rams and the L.A. Chargers on Saturday night in a relatively low-stakes game. Videos of the brawl are going viral on social media, where some commenters are joking about the pent-up energy of sports fans after a year without live sporting events. Many hope that fans will find better ways to vent this energy in the future.

The Rams and Chargers faced off in a pre-season game on Saturday night at the SoFi stadium in Los Angeles, California. As the video below shows, tensions were high in the stands where fans clashed with raised voices, obscene gestures, thrown objects and finally harsh blows. One man in a jersey was pulled over two rows of seats and beaten badly by four fans of the opposite team, and the whole area cleared in moments. Snacks and drinks were spilled and scattered everywhere as bystanders tried to intervene.

Many commenters were stunned by the lack of security on the scene, though a video from another angle showed that they eventually showed up over a minute later. A third video showed that a woman standing a few rows back threw the drink that really got the whole thing started. Still, many commenters felt that the men involved had gone way over the line before it was all said and done.

Commenters had many other observations about the scuffle as well — many commended the man in the white jersey for holding his own against four opponents longer than he had any right to, while others mocked the four aggressors for their drunken aim and technique. More than anything, however, commenters speculated that this would be the tone of live sports for the rest of the year.

Like other forms of entertainment, the professional sports industry was devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last year. Many promoters tried to make it work with televised games and empty stands, but commentators observed that the energy was never quite the same. Now, it appears that it will take the crowds some time to recalibrate that energy upon re-entry.

It is not clear when exactly this fight broke out, but the night ended with a score of 13 to 6 in favor of the Chargers. The Rams will face off against the Las Vegas Raiders next on Saturday, Aug. 21 at 10 p.m. ET. The Chargers are up against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET.