Latest news with #fanabuse
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
New Details Emerge Regarding Threats Toward $85 Million Astros All-Star
New Details Emerge Regarding Threats Toward $85 Million Astros All-Star originally appeared on Athlon Sports. In an age where gambling and online conjecture have taken centerstage in the world of professional sports, it's not surprising that players have discussed an uptick in threats and abuse from fans. Advertisement Strained relationships between players and the fans is nothing new, but has become a corollary of today's betting society. 2018 Most Valuable Player Christian Yelich told the AP that online abuse has gotten "worse in recent years," even saying it's a nightly occurrence for players. 'You get a lot of DMs or stuff like that about you ruining someone's bet or something ridiculous like that,' veteran Red Sox reliever Justin Wilson said. 'I guess they should make better bets.' Two players have been hit particularly hard by this uptick: Red Sox reliever Liam Hendriks and Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. celebrates a strikeout at Yankee Stadium during the 2022 Penner-Imagn Images McCullers only made it through 1/3 innings in his start May 10th versus the Reds; his seven earned runs in that span ballooned his ERA to 15.75. Advertisement Shortly after the game, McCullers reported he and his family received threats from fans, which was a rude awakening for his wife, Kara and five-year-old daughter, Ava. 'She asked me when I came home: 'Daddy like what is threats? Who wants to hurt us? Who wants to hurt me?'' McCullers said. 'So, those conversations are tough to deal with.' Liam Hendriks, who survived a battle with Stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2023, received threats after a tough outing for the Red Sox in May, and had to speak out about it online. The AP reported Friday that McCullers reached out to the Astros about what could be done to protect him and his family after the threats, and that owner Jim Crane hired 24-hour security for the starter's family. Advertisement No player should ever receive threats and need to hire 24-hour security after a tough start where they were simply not themselves or outplayed by their opponent, yet here we are. Related: Astros Suffer Major Injury Blow After Fluke Accident Related: Giancarlo Stanton Sent Clear Message To Yankees After 'Participation Trophy' Ceremony Related: Yankees Announce Jazz Chisholm Jr. News Before Dodgers Series This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA probing 'hateful' comments in Clark-Reese game
The WNBA said Sunday it had launched an investigation into allegations of "hateful" fan comments during the Indiana Fever's season-opening clash with the Chicago Sky. Indiana's 93-58 win over Chicago on Saturday made headlines after a flashpoint in the third quarter when Sky star Angel Reese was fouled by Indiana's Caitlin Clark. Reese, who has a long-time rivalry with Indiana prodigy Clark since their collegiate careers, reacted angrily after being bundled over by the Fever ace as she drove to the basket. A furious Reese needed to be restrained by team-mates after moving to confront Clark following the incident. Clark turned and walked to the other end of the court as Reese gesticulated. The Indianapolis Star reported on Sunday that the WNBA's investigation was looking into allegations of racist abuse against Reese by sections of Indiana's home crowd. "The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms — they have no place in our league or in society," the WNBA statement said. "We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter." Indiana said the team was assisting the WNBA in its investigation. "We are working closely with the WNBA to complete their investigation," the team said. "We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players." The latest allegations echoed incidents last season when Indiana fans were accused of racially abusing some of Clark's WNBA rivals. Clark spoke out against the issue at the end of the season, describing fans who racially abused WNBA players as "trolls." "Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism, hurtful, disrespectful, hateful comments and threats," Clark said. "Those aren't fans, those are trolls, and it's a real disservice to the people in our league, the organization the WNBA." rcw/nr
The Guardian
18-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
WNBA investigating claims of racist comments during Clark-Reese game
The WNBA says it is looking into allegations of 'hateful fan comments' during Indiana Fever's fiery win over the Chicago Sky on Saturday. Indiana eased to a 93-58 victory in their season opener against Chicago but the main storyline came when Fever star Caitlin Clark was called for a flagrant-1 foul on her long-time rival Angel Reese, which led to a brief confrontation between the players. The pair's rivalry started in college and has continued into the WNBA. Clark is white and Reese is Black, and there has been racist and misogynistic abuse online around their relationship. Sources have told the Indianapolis Star the investigation is based around racist comments directed towards Reese from a member or members of the crowd, although they are not believed to have been directly related to the incident with Clark. On Sunday, the WNBA said it is looking into the matter without going into specifics. 'The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms – they have no place in our league or in society. We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter,' the league said in its statement. The WNBA Players' Association released its own statement on the subject. 'Such behavior is unacceptable in our sport. Under the WNBA's 'No Space for Hate' policy, we trust the league to thoroughly investigate and take swift, appropriate action to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all,' the association wrote. Both Clark and Reese downplayed the foul after Saturday's game. 'Let's not make it something that it's not,' Clark said. 'It was just a good play on the basketball … I've watched a lot of basketball in my life, that's exactly what it was. I wasn't trying to do anything malicious. That's not the type of player I am.' Reese indicated she did not believe Clark was being cynical when she committed the foul, saying it was 'a basketball play.' Last season, a number of players who committed fouls on Clark were subjected to a significant amount of racist, sexist and homophobic comments online from people purporting to defend the guard. 'People should not be using my name to push those agendas. It's disappointing. It's not acceptable,' Clark said last June. '... Treating every single woman in this league with the same amount of respect, I think, it's just a basic human thing that everybody should do.'
