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Snatching items from kids? Stealing from players? Why are so many fans behaving badly?

Two incidents at the U.S. Open highlight a trend of abhorrent fan conduct

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Jannik Sinner is under no obligation to stop and sign autographs for fans. (Credit: Getty Images)

What is wrong with people?

Seriously! What is wrong with people?

Last Thursday at the U.S. Open, a millionaire CEO snatched away a match-worn hat that Polish tennis player Kamil Majchrzak was attempting to give to a young boy in the stands.

Think about that? A full-grown man with millions to his name, who reportedly supports local youth sports programs and individuals in Poland, snatched a hat out of the hands of a boy one-fifth his age.

Then, Monday night, after Jannik Sinner’s victory in the Round of 16, a fan attempted to steal gear from Sinner's bag while the No. 1 player in the world was taking time to sign autographs and take photos with fans.

Again, this was an adult. And the only reason he didn’t get away with it (in the moment) is because a security guard was there to hit his hands away.

In today’s world, where every action is caught on camera, how do people think they can get away with such abhorent behavior?

How did a Yankees fan think he could try to rip the ball (AND GLOVE) out of Mookie Betts’ hands during the World Series?

Why did Bryson DeChambeau need to pause his round at the 2024 PGA Championship to yell at a spectator who tried to steal his ball from a child?

The list unfortunately goes on much longer than that, if you’re looking for other grotesque examples of heinous “fandom" — if you can even call it that.

When did people get this false sense of confidence they can behave however they please without consequences? You’re at one of the premiere sporting events in the world, watching the best athletes on the planet. Did you seriously think there wouldn’t be cameras on them?

More importantly, when did people begin to think this sort of action was OK?

Not just from a legal standpoint — obviously at its basis, a fan trying to covertly take something from a player’s bag looks like attempted theft. But when, from a moral perspective, did fans begin to think this is ethically conscionable?

The answer is some fans probably always have fooled themselves into a false sense of rationality. And for years, people probably got away with these actions, without recording devices everywhere. And they especially escaped punishment with the former, in stealing something from another fan.

And I hate it. This dark corner of the hobby disgusts me.

It is honor to get close to the best athletes in the world. Sinner is not obligated to sign autographs and take photos after a match. He does it to try to make a fan’s day, and then a selfish half-wit decides to take advantage of both Sinner and his fellow fans and ruin it for everyone? That’s deplorable.

If you’re looking for a solution ... I don’t have one. I would say, “Be a decent human being,” but if you’re trying to steal from a player while he’s taking the time to take a photo with you, or you snatch a souvenir away from a child, who is obviously distraught afterward, you clearly aren’t one.

Matt Liberman is a reporter and video producer for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.