Mets Fan Charged With "Interference With a Professional Sporting Event "

I'll have some comments on the pathetic Detroit Tigers, high flying Detroit Red Wings, and (hopefully) 1-0 Detroit Pistons late tonight after the basketball game, but, for all you depressed Tigers fans in need of a pick me up (and you've already watched the Boston Red Sox pizza throwing video) here's another ridiculous baseball story.

According to our good friends over at the Associated Press, a New York Mets fan was charged with reckless endangerment and interference with a professional sporting event" (I'm not making that charge up).

A 40-year-old man arrested at Shea Stadium on Friday night is accused of trying to distract an Atlanta Braves pitcher and shortstop with a high-powered flashlight.

Authorities said Martinez flashed the powerful light at the players in the bottom of the eighth inning from his seat behind home plate. He was quickly ejected from the game.

A law making it expressly illegal to interfere with a professional sporting event was passed by the city in 2003 following a disruptive incident involving fashion designer Calvin Klein.

Klein stepped onto the basketball court at Madison Square Garden in March 2003 to speak with player Latrell Sprewell while a Knicks game was in progress.

There are a thousand things funny about the incident, but the flashlight guy is likely not laughing, seeing as he is now facing up to a year in jail as a result of the incident. A few comments are in order. First, great idea, but poor execution. Why waste it in a meaningless April regular season game? Why not wait until the playoffs, when blinding a pitcher could actually make an impact. I'm kidding of course. Kind of.

I think just the fact that there is an offense titled "Interference With a Professional Sporting Event" is a good enough laugh all on its own.