Rays-Red Sox fan fight brings arrest

by GomesSweetGomes on May 9, 2009 10:00 AM EDT

Norton ran up behind Ritter and "sucker punched" him in the back of the head, police said. Ritter fell forward on the concrete ramp, according to witnesses. He struck his head on the pavement and suffered a concussion and serious head injuries, police said. He went to the hospital and was later released.

If there's a lesson to be learned, its if you attack a fan at a game, everyone gets to find out things like this:

Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies arrested Norton Friday morning at his home, 8102 Sheldon Road in Tampa.

You can see the charge report here. I have a feeling his neighbors (and probably his boss) are going to make his life wicked hard.

This post was written by a member of the DRaysBay community and does not necessarily express the views or opinions of DRaysBay staff.

Tweet Comment 7 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Sucker punching is for bad asses.

by R.J. Anderson on May 9, 2009 12:53 PM EDT reply actions

So who was Norton a fan of?

by Sylar on May 9, 2009 8:33 PM EDT reply actions

Boston

I just realized I forgot to credit SPT for this article, or link it…oops.

by GomesSweetGomes on May 9, 2009 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Here is is

http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2009/05/raysred-sox-fan-fist-fight-ends-in-arrest.html

by GomesSweetGomes on May 9, 2009 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Anyone check out the comments below the article?

I especially like the one trying to say that all “northerners” act like this criminal. Do people realize how stupid they sound when they type stuff like this? Talk about your small sample size…using the actions of one drunk “fan” to describe 10’s of millions of people!

Fortunately, this moron does not represent the feelings of all southerners.

Anyways, off topic – LeBron is just sick! It seems like he ends every quarter or half with an amazing shot.

Regressing to the mean streets of St. Pete

by stpetelawyer on May 9, 2009 10:28 PM EDT reply actions

I think I saw Ritter on a gurney

I sit in 301, and I waited several minutes after the game for the crowd to dissipate, before I left my seat. As I walked out to the concourse, a guy on a gurney was being wheeled to the elevator from the direction of Gate 6. He was strapped in with a head/neck stabilizer. He was swinging his arms as if he was trying to hit someone or maybe he was struggling to get off the stretcher. The funny thing is I didn’t want to walk down the Gate 5 ramp with my wife that night. I decided it might be a better idea to stay inside and take the escalator down just in case some drunken Red Sox fan tried to start something, and there was no security to help out. Going back to the ALCS, I seem to be surrounded by drunken, rude Sox A-holes when the Rays lose to them, and last weekend was no different. It’s really starting to make me not enjoy going to the Red Sox games.

by rayweaver on May 9, 2009 11:19 PM EDT reply actions

Soxs/Rays fan fight

this is not how the fight went down. and Joe the sox fan lives in Tampa! John the Rays fan was running his mouth the whole game and also called joe out to fight him and no Joe wasn’t drunk! but the fight was one punch and John fell and hit his head…and was released the next day so couldn’t have been hurt to bad. But everyone making a big deal because it’s sox vs rays fans….bull sh!t … and since when do we believe the cops??!! telling the story and they only get 1/2 the facts after fight is over!

by volvotech.mike on May 12, 2009 4:15 PM EDT reply actions