Letters: Give the Dodgers-Giants rivalry a rest

Re “Giants-Dodgers rivalry turns ugly off the field again,� Sept. 27

Between the 2011 beating of Brian Stow at Dodger Stadium and last week’s fatal stabbing of Jonathan Denver in San Francisco, something far more insidious than drugs is starting to creep into baseball: hooliganism.

Here’s what the Dodgers and Giants need to do. When the Giants visit Dodger Stadium for their first game next season, each fan in attendance should receive a free T-shirt — in those unthinkable black-and-orange colors — welcoming the rivals to town. As awful as it sounds, Dodger Stadium would be awash in Giants colors. When the Dodgers travel to San Francisco for their first game, Giants fans would be similarly decked out in Dodger Blue.

I cannot imagine a more powerful statement against violence. Decent fans of both teams need to demonstrate that when a sports rivalry begets violence, it’s time for the rivalry to take a breather.

Stuart Tochner

Los Angeles

This tragedy may have been fueled by team rivalry, but the root cause was a deadly mix of alcohol and testosterone.

Too much macho posturing and threat-making do not a friendly rivalry make. Mix in too much booze and heated tempers over a stupid game, and you have a recipe for disaster every time.

I wanted to take my son to his first big-league ballgame this year (he’s 6), but I feared for his safety and mine.

Whatever happened to being a good sport, cheering for your team and accepting a loss with grace?

Scott W. Hughes

Westlake Village

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