List of Violent Spectator Incidents in Sports - 1989

1989

• October 1 — During a game between the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos at Cleveland Stadium, officials had the teams switch end zones in the fourth quarter to protect Denver players from batteries and other objects being thrown from the Dawg Pound. The switch put the wind at the Browns' back, and the Browns wound up winning on a field goal that barely cleared the crossbar.
• December 10 — Week 14 of the 1989 NFL season saw two notable fan incidents occur almost simultaneously. During Bounty Bowl II at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia Eagles fans threw snowballs, chunks of ice, and various other objects at Dallas Cowboys players and officials as revenge against accusations by Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson that Eagles coach Buddy Ryan had placed a "bounty" on the head of Cowboys placekicker Luis Zendejas during the teams' previous meeting. Back judge Al Jury and Cowboys punter Mike Saxon were both knocked to the ground by a barrage of snowballs, CBS broadcasters Verne Lundquist and Terry Bradshaw had to dodge snowballs aimed at the broadcast booth (at one point, with the cameras focused on them, Bradshaw took one and threw it against the wall so viewers could see just how dangerous the snowballs were, while at the end of the game Lundquist claimed on-air that a recent root canal surgery had been less unpleasant than broadcasting the Eagles), and Johnson was booed, pelted with various objects and subject to beer pouring as he was escorted from the field by Philadelphia Police officers as the game ended. The Eagles upgraded security at the stadium and banned beer sales for their last home game of the season. Meanwhile, 500 miles west of Philadelphia, Cincinnati Bengals fans, angered by what they perceived as a bad call, threw beer bottles and various objects at officials and Seattle Seahawks players. After the Seahawks, who were backed up deep in their own territory, refused to play until the field was cleared, Bengals coach Sam Wyche addressed the crowd; alluding to the boorish reputation of their in-state rivals, he angrily reminded Bengals fans that "You don't live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati!".