This is the moment a college tuba player punches down a heckler while still playing his instrument at a football game.
It comes as fan violence has been felt at all levels of American football this season.
During a game between Texas Southern and Jackson State on Saturday, the Texas Southern Band tuba player struggled with a heckler.
The Jackson State fan confronted the tuba player with a drink in his hand and began yelling at him as he tried to play along.
The Texas Southern tuba player tries to use his words but ends up resorting to punches as the fan spirals backwards.
A tuba player in a college band took matters into his own hands without dropping his instrument, turning down a heckler at a football game without missing a minute of play
All of this happened without the tuba player missing a beat with the Texas Southern tuba section.
In one video, the band member can be heard clearly telling the man who confronts him: “Fuck off, bitch.”
Another video is reportedly from the heckler’s perspective, with commenters saying the man was upset after being spat on.
It is unclear whether police responded to the scene or whether the heckler was injured. It is also unclear whether the tuba player was allowed to continue playing the rest of the game or face criminal charges.
Texas Southern lost to Jackson State on the field 21-19
Saturday’s incident came as fan violence gripped the stands of National Football League games this season.
A 53-year-old New England Patriots supporter died after being punched by a Miami Dolphins fan – but an autopsy revealed that Dale Mooney may have succumbed to a “medical issue.”
Already this season, the Giants, 49ers, Bengals, Commanders, Rams, Broncos, Ravens and Seahawks have seen horrific scenes – in the stands or around the stadium – go viral.
In a statement to Mail Sport, the NFL said: “Our top priority is the safety of the more than one million fans who attend games each week.” “We regret the activities of a handful of fans that interfere with the enjoyment of others.”
This is of course not a new problem, nor is it limited to football. But the numbers are still grim.
During a game between Texas Southern and Jackson State on Saturday, the tuba player in the Texas Southern band struggled with a heckler
The Jackson State fan confronted the tuba player with a drink in his hand and began yelling at him as he tried to play along. The Texas Southern tuba player tries to use his words but ends up resorting to a punch as the fan spirals backwards
The game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the LA Chargers on Sunday was marked by massive violence
In one incident, a Raiders fan was punched and thrown down the stairs by a Chargers supporter
A recent survey found that nearly 40 percent of NFL fans have witnessed crime in or around an NFL stadium; around one in 14 people was a victim themselves. Nowhere did fans experience more unrest (63 percent) than at Lincoln Financial Field – home of the Philadelphia Eagles. The most commonly observed crime? Physical violence.
Meanwhile, less than two percent of Colts fans said they felt comfortable letting their children go to Lucas Oil Stadium unaccompanied. Across all 32 teams, this value was 77 percent.
Nearly three-quarters of female Lions fans (74 percent) admitted they wouldn’t feel comfortable being near Ford Field alone; Leaguewide it was 45 percent. But perhaps the most striking feature of this spate of violence is the number of women perpetrating violence.
Patriots fan Dale Mooney, 53, died after an argument with a Miami Dolphins fan at Gillette Stadium
One of them lost her wig in a wild brawl during the 49ers’ win over the Giants last month. A few days later, a mass brawl broke out between female fans near the Bengals’ Paycor Stadium, with punches ensuing and even a chair being thrown over a crowded bar. Only the arrival of a SWAT team ended the carnage.
“I thought I was at a WWE wrestling match,” says Dr. Lou Marciani on recent violence against female fans. He is co-founder of the Innovation Institute for Fan Experience – with a focus on safety and security.
“It was almost disgusting,” adds Marciani.
So what’s behind this wave of viral violence and what can be done to curb it?
“We continue to work closely with our clubs and law enforcement to support our comprehensive fan behavior and stadium security initiatives,” the NFL statement continued.