Brawl erupts after song played at rodeo

ABC13 News - Houston ^ | 3/15/03 | Elma Barrera

[CoolGuyVic]

By Elma Barrera

ABC13 Eyewitness News

(3/14/03) — Talk of war with Iraq has sparked an atmosphere of tension and anxiety. And it may be to blame for a brawl that broke out at the rodeo Thursday night.

ABC-13 report

With some 15,000 to 20,000 folks at the rodeo drinking beer and having fun, things can get a little out of hand at times. It happened when a tape of Lee Greenwood's song Proud To Be An American was playing. Some rodeo fans were standing and others were sitting down. Felix Fanaselle and his buddies chose to remain seated.

"This guy behind us starts yelling at us (because) we're not standing up," said Fanaselle. "He starts cussing at us, telling us to go back to Iraq."

The 16-year-old said the man seated behind him started spitting at him and spilling his beer on him and his friends.

"By the end of the song, he pulled my ear. I got up. He pushed me. I pushed him," said Felix. "He punched me in my face. I got him off me."

When the dust settled, Fanaselle had been handcuffed and released. He and John McCambridge were cited for "mutual combat" and fighting in public. That's a $200 fine. Fanaselle's lawyer says you don't have to stand for a country and western song.

"I guess next time, he'll think maybe we need to stand for the Okie From Muscogee," said attorney Clayton Rawlings. "This is phony patriotism. This man needs to be ashamed of himself for what he did."

Rawlings says he and the Fanaselle family will give McCambridge a chance to make this right without going to court. The family says the biggest insult was McCambridge telling Fanaselle to go back to Iraq. Fanaselle is half Hispanic and half Italian.

"He was born in this country and who is this clown to tell him to go back where he came from? He came from Houston, Texas, so he is where he came from," said Rawlings.

Rawlings says if the citation isn't dismissed after witnesses testify, they'll be going to court with accusations of assault and battery, mental anguish and lawyer's fees. Eyewitness news tried to contact John McCambridge in Austin for his side of the story, but so far there's been no response.

[Senator Pardek]

The guy is a POS

Agreed.

Having said that, we have a more peaceful and effective way to protest those who don't stand for the real National Anthem at the Cathedral of Baseball (and there's lots).

For those sitting adjacent to you, just sing it as loudly and obnoxiously as possible. You'd think otherwise, but it pisses them off right good.

[longtermmemmory]

There is such a thing as fighting words and acts. Sitting down during an American Rodeo, a place where patriotism is a MAJOR issue, remaining seated is arguable an intentional provocation to fight. Its like showing up at an NAACP meeting dressed up in a KKK robe. A provocation is expected and REASONABLY anticipated.

Are there any witness to back up the good guys?

[catpuppy]

Funny how clairvoyence is often used as an excuse for what seems like bigotry.

[FITZ]

For those sitting adjacent to you, just sing it as loudly and obnoxiously as possible. You'd think otherwise, but it pisses them off right good.

Well ---in some places in Texas, that would get you a fight started just as easily as tugging on someone's ear would!

[FITZ]

Clairvoyance??? Have you ever been in a place where there ends up being these little fist fights? Like a school playground? Or a rodeo or bar? They're nothing unless someone has a gun or knife they decide to use. And they're never just one-sided which is why they put cuffs on this 16 year old and slapped a fine on him.

[T. Buzzard Trueblood]

I am a patriot. I am a voter. I voted for George W. Bush in 2000. I will vote for him again in 2004. I support the war on terror, and I support the war in Iraq. And I stand and sing the National Anthem no matter when it plays, and on at least one occasion, I have done this in a crowd all by myself, when everyone else considered themselves too cool to stand and sing.

That said, that !@#$ Lee Greenwood song is not the National Anthem. "I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free" sounds like some kind of apology to me. Not standing for that song doesn't make you un-American, anti-American, or anything like that.

[bobbyd]

Could you imagine if that was you and I?

I could just see someone pulling your ear!!! LOL

BTW what's up w/20k @ a Houston Rodeo?......almost every night 60k......

Hell, the JR Reserve was auctioned @ 400k.

America, this is the premier Rodeo......no matter what PETA says!!!

[FITZ]

Also if you've ever been around 16 year old boys involved in a fist fight ----it was ALWAYS the other guy who started it when there's a punishment involved ---but if no punishment they'll take bragging rights.

[Steve Schulin]

...his right to silent protest

There's a lot to like about that song, but there's one line that I have been disappointed with since the first time I heard it -- the line that includes "gave that right to me". This nation was founded on a quite specific understanding that our unalienable rights are not given by man or state, but by God. I hope that the people who have given their lives to defend these rights from those who would take them away would understand that I mean not a whit of disrespect in pointing this out.

[ActionNewsBill]

It is troubling to this old man that there are so many native born Americans that have little or no respect for their country.

Anti American for not standing during a song? Sounds like thought-crime to me.

Later in life most will become America haters.

If they are treated this way by "Real Americans", what's left to like?

[cynicom]

To each his own.

[ActionNewsBill]

...I think this guy was just there looking for trouble in the first place,

Or maybe he just liked watching rodeo?

[ActionNewsBill]

Some guy went to a rodeo where probably about 97% of the people support Bush and the war effort, and this idiot didn't stand for the song?

It was a SONG, for cryin' out loud, it wasn't the National Anthem, just a country and western SONG!

[Anchoragite]

Im a little tired of people coming here to leech our country dry and raising their children to be the same type of parasites.

I'm sorry, I missed that part of the article. Where did it say he was leeching, or that his parents were immigrants, or that anyone here was being parasitic?

[rwfromkansas]

I would not have had a problem with the guy shouting at the top of his lungs that the boy was not standing, so the boy got proper attention.

But....if his presentation is accurate, it went too far.

Besides, it wasn't like this was the national anthem; the article indicates others were sitting as well.

[Tribune7]

I like the song but it's not our national anthem. The kid was in the right.

[Tribune7]

I don't see myself standing for a Lee Greenwood song, until and unless they make it the National Anthem.

Ditto

[rwfromkansas]

wowzers; I would not be focusing on teh music in that case.....

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Hi Bobby! My real problem is, as I told a friend of my son the other day, I'm too old to chase you down any more. HOWEVER, if I get you cornered I will hit you with all 240#'s three times before you even know you're in a fight!

[Husker24]

Yea, maybe half of the people in the audience didn't stand, maybe the kid didnt know he was supposed to. It wasnt the National Anthem.