Excess in sports rivalries can go way too far and that was the case on Sunday when a longtime New England Patriots fan lost his life after a physical altercation with a Miami Dolphins fan at Gillette Stadium.
Tragedy: A long time #Patriots Fan died at the game on Sunday night after being hit by one #Dolphins He hit his head on the ground, causing him to lose consciousness and never regain it.
The fan, Dale Mooney, had had a season ticket for 30 years and was at the game with his… pic.twitter.com/4nT9cQnv9k
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) September 19, 2023
Dale Mooney was a Patriots season ticket holder for 30 years. In the fourth quarter of a tough divisional matchup, a fight broke out in section 308/309 of Patriots Stadium shortly before 11 p.m.
According to people at the scene who spoke to NBC Boston, the victim was struck in the head violently and immediately lost consciousness.
“It was definitely a move I saw. The victim was hit very hard on the side of the head and fell. He seemed pretty strong, but he collapsed,” a witness said.
Security officers intervened while paramedics transported the 53-year-old New Hampshire man to the hospital. He was pronounced dead around midnight.
Police are now investigating “the facts and circumstances leading to the man’s death, including the sequence of events leading up to the medical incident,” a police spokesman said.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, no charges have been filed yet.
According to a witness, first responders tried to revive the victim in the stands for at least 10 minutes.
“The game continued and the public knew what was happening in our department. People were cheering for the Patriots’ comeback while this poor man was dying in front of our eyes. It was pretty brutal to watch,” said one supporter.
Dale Mooney was married for 30 years and had two children.