Colorado Rockies Fan Suing Team For Being So Bad At Baseball

Any true sports fan will tell you that being a real supporter of a sports team isn't as easy as you'd think. Sure, it's all great when the team is winning and is one of the handful of teams that is consistently leading sports talk, until you find yourself in the equivalent of sports hell, even if it is below freezing temperatures at times!

Enter: The Colorado Rockies, who have been bringing emotional and mental frustration to their fans after not having a winning record since 2018.  In one instance, the pain has become real, after a Rockies man was hit by a line drive and is now the subject of an ongoing lawsuit!

The lawsuit in question revolves around the Rockies' fan, Timothy Roeckel, who is suing the organization for getting hurt by a foul ball during a Rockies game in 2023 at Coors Field after being rocked in the right eye that has since "caused catastrophic and permanent injuries." Roeckel's arguing that it's not entirely HIS fault, but rather the layout of the stadium and also the team for not putting out a competitive product. 

THE TEAM STINKS, SO WHY BOTHER PAYING?

"Defendant's longstanding poor performance on the field (has) contributed to a game-day environment in which spectators, particularly those in luxury suites, are less engaged with the action on the field," a court filing from Roeskel's lawyer read. 

"This cultural shift is not incidental but rather encouraged by (the Rockies') own marketing and design choices, which emphasize hospitality and off-field amenities over fan vigilance," he continued.

THIS COULD BE A LANDMARK RULING

A number of fans have sued baseball teams and their stadiums throughout the years due to injuries they suffered, although "the vast majority of them do not return a favorable outcome for the fan," CBS Sports reports. 

But the Rockies fan is one argument that has a bit of a twist to it. With stadiums becoming much more lavish "hangs" these days rather than just sitting and watching nine innings of ball, does the venue ownership have to do a better job of protecting and educating the fans?  

Anyone who has been to a baseball game knows that nearly every ballpark warns fans in attendance to be on the lookout for live balls and bats that may leave the playing field. But just because they may have said that, do they actually have to try and do what they can to protect the people that are coming onto the premises?

We'll find out soon whether the judge believes this is an argument that warrants a legal ruling, or if a judge will simply pass this off as being a joke.