He literally came out of left field. Kelly Marcucci decided to make a political statement at the Yankees-Mets game on September 11, draping himself in a Palestinian flag and rushing the field.
Marcucci chose his moment well, because stunts like this are only ever about attention. He rushed toward center field at a crucial point in the 7th inning: The Mets had the bases loaded with two outs and a 3–2 count on the batter, shortstop Francisco Lindor.
Marcucci was tackled, and the crowd cheered on Yankee Stadium staff and the NYPD, which was providing security for the game. However, the most telling part came at the end of the interruption, when fans loudly started chanting “USA!” and a group of fans by the Mets dugout began throwing beer cans at the joker.
There is plenty to say about the outrageousness of a leftist protester wearing a “No Kings” jersey deciding to fly a Palestinian flag in solidarity with terrorists on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. And yet, the way the crowd handled Marcucci’s stupidity was peak American.
This is not the first time in recent months that spectators have displayed patriotism. At a Chicago Cubs game in July, a young man refused to stand for the national anthem. An older gentleman asked him to stand, explaining that he was a veteran and that standing honored those who bled and died to give the young man his freedom. He refused, so the gentleman smacked him upside the head. The young man quickly rose to the grins of those around him.
Leftists and the mainstream media (but I repeat myself) have worked long and hard to convince Americans that we live in a terrible country. They have browbeaten us to the point that some of us have started to believe we are alone in our love of country. Then came the World Cup, during which fans from all over the world visited America and showed us, in big ways and small, how great this country is. They gave us back a sense of pride and self-worth.
Most people are tired of this anti-American slop that is front and center all the time. Stunts like Marcucci’s don’t change anyone’s mind. At the end of the day, spectators paid to see a baseball game, not watch some loon ruin a crucial moment.
The security guards’ satisfying tackle was almost an allegory for 9/11 itself. Terrorists sought to destroy America by killing 3,000 innocent people. Instead, we hit back and sent them scurrying to their third-world holes.
Marcucci may have sought to desecrate the September 11 anniversary, but fans and security hit back and shouted their American pride louder than his hate.
