Families Catching Brunt of Fans’ Ire

Diane Chandler became livid at what she was hearing about her husband in the third quarter of last Sunday’s game at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

She was sitting in the Falcons’ family section for a game against the New England Patriots, and a handful of fans seated a few rows away were rooting for Falcons quarterback Chris Chandler to get hurt. They wanted to see rookie Michael Vick play.

Incensed that anyone could be so outwardly callous toward her husband, Diane stood up and began shouting toward the fans. At one point, she told them to shut up. A few seconds later, someone from the group hurled a container toward her.

What made the incident even more disturbing was that the fans were in a group of seats purchased by Falcons wide receiver Shawn Jefferson, although it is unclear whether they were his relatives or friends. Or if he knew them at all.

But the altercation did not surprise Giants quarterback Kerry Collins nor any of the other Giants and Jets players who spoke this week about the often unnerving issue of having their loved ones subjected to such unseemly behavior at games. This is the part of football we never see, but the part that players hear about every day. Even when playing at their home stadium.

Especially at their home stadium.

Like last Sunday, when Collins was struggling through the first half of a game against the Dallas Cowboys and his fiancee, Brooke Isenhour, had to get up and walk around Giants Stadium because she couldn’t stand the vitriolic comments being aimed at Collins.

“She’d had enough,” Collins said. “Plus, the fact that things weren’t going well didn’t help. She was sitting with my dad, and it’s the same thing with him. He’ll just get up and kind of walk around and find a seat around the stadium that nobody’s sitting in, because he doesn’t want to listen to that stuff.” Collins said his former Carolina Panthers teammate, quarterback Steve Beuerlein, once told of an incident in Oakland several years ago, when he was playing with the Raiders.

“Some guy was saying something about Steve in the stands, and his wife turns around and says, ‘Shut up,’ ” Collins said. “Steve’s brothers were there, so they took the guy out of the stadium and beat him up.”

Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Doug Pederson nearly retired from the NFL because of the vile treatment he received from Eagles fans in 1999. Pederson was the starter in Donovan McNabb’s rookie season, and fans became increasingly hostile toward him because they wanted to see McNabb play. After one early-season game, Pederson left the field and was spit on by a fan as he ran into the tunnel near the locker room.

Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde is so concerned about protecting his family members that he has spent tens of thousands of dollars for a private luxury box for each of the past three seasons. He made that decision after some family members became upset over some comments made during the 1998 season. And that was when Testaverde enjoyed a career year with 29 touchdowns.

“No matter where you go, there’s going to be somebody that’s going to say something,” Testaverde said. “Even in ‘98, when things were going great, they’d still say something because they don’t like you.

“Sometimes, having your family at games is a distraction because you’re worried about their safety. That’s why I bought a box. I just put them in there and I don’t have to worry about it.”

Jets receiver Wayne Chrebet doesn’t even allow his family members to attend games any longer. Chrebet made that decision because of security concerns following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but he has been concerned about his family’s safety for years. During a playoff game in Denver in January 1999, Chrebet’s sister was punched by a Broncos fan.

It infuriates Giants guard Glenn Parker to hear such stories about fan behavior, especially the one about Chandler last weekend. But it happens all the time. Even though it shouldn’t.

“When you give tickets to people, you have to tell them, ‘Listen, you’re in the family section, so watch your mouth,’ ” Parker said. “My wife has been out there and heard people say derogatory comments about players, use profanity and just be ugly spectators when they’re sitting in the family section. If that’s what indeed happened in Atlanta, then I think Chandler’s wife had every right to be upset. It’s bush league.”

It may be bush league, but it won’t change. As long as people pay to watch games, they will make their opinions heard. Some will be loud. Some will be vicious. They all will hurt.

“You’ve got to be careful with this issue, because it can really test how you feel about people in general,” Collins said. “I’m OK with it, because I’ve come to terms with it. But that doesn’t make it any easier on Brooke. There are some real jerks out there.”