By Emma Gaskill

Red Bull New York’s first home game after the World Cup on Saturday was supposed to be a welcoming, kid-friendly environment because of its “Sesame Street” theme, but rowdy adults got in the way.

New York fans were excited to finally see their team back in action as red and yellow filled the stadium. Red Bull’s mascot, Redd, was even celebrating his second birthday with fellow sports mascots from around the country, and special guest Elmo.

Although the night was meant to be special, New York fans were quickly disappointed as Charlotte scored two quick goals before the tenth minute. Naturally, the adults in the stadium became angry with the performance of their team. 

Not everyone felt the same amount of anger. A few rows into section 225, there were kids no older than ten or eleven enjoying their night. But the emotions of frustrated grown-up fans caused those kids to move seats, leaving the yelling adults behind. 

 This highlighted a key divide between fans in this game: Kids versus adults.

Both groups handled Saturday’s game differently, specifically the losing, and their reactions weren’t necessarily mixing. 

In a game centered around kids, there were adults who clearly disregarded the audience around them. They shouted at refs about calls, or the lack thereof, that they didn’t agree with. For instance, they shouted when Adri Mehmeti was sent off with a red card. The general play by the athletes also caused an uproar among fans. 

In the same 225 section, a little kid that was no older than eight or nine was simply cheering for New York, hoping that they would score goals and win the game. 

New York’s Emil Forsberg, the team captain, talked about how he liked the energy of the fans and how it brought a good feeling to the team. That same energy didn’t have a similar impact on the children in the crowd. Parents of those children now have to think about the environment they are putting their kids into at Red Bulls games. Sports games are fun, but parents also have a responsibility to their children.

Adults are going to get angry when their teams lose a game and kids are always going to be at sports games. Should these adults have reigned in their vulgarities at a game specifically marketed to kids? Maybe. But should parents know that their kids might hear some bad words at a Red Bull game? 

Definitely.