It was a great win for the Dallas Stars in the NHL on Thursday - but the action wasn't simply confined to the ice.
The Stars beat the Minnesota Wild 4-1 to send the majority of their fans home happy. Not all enjoyed the evening though, with the clash tainted by an ugly brawl up in the stands.
A video posted on twitter by American sports reporter Jeremy Beadling showed how things seemingly turned ugly as a young fan, accompanied by a female, argued with an older and undoubtedly bigger spectator sat behind him: "How about you step down here and I'll box your a**," said the fan, dressed in a Stars replica top.
A few more expletives followed, possibly to his regret. Having stood there motionless during the tirade, the elder man unleashed a right hook which sent his new nemesis tumbling to the ground.
The fallen fan tried to get up and respond, but struggled as he was held at bay while taking a couple more hits. His female friend soon tried to intervene, and both aimed haymakers before the youngster was pinned down as nearby spectators got involved.
The farcical scenes continued with the instigator repeatedly mocked with taunts of "Hey little boy" while his long hair was ruffled. Defiantly, he continued to swear whilst also ranting that "he hit me first."
NFL analyst Chase Senior weighed in on the debacle, criticising the younger fan: "Not only did he get rocked, but as he’s getting pinned down, he’s being called 'little boy' while his mullet gets stroked," he tweeted.
Sympathy was also in short supply elsewhere, with @TomPierce22 writing: "It would have been even better had the guy given him a wedgie to add to the humiliation." @MJWLeonard added: "And his girlie friend is a better scrapper!! Lol! It's all bad..."
According to TMZ, the fight started following a dispute over who was sitting in the right seats at the American Airlines Centre. Regardless, Stars fans will hope for a smoother from the stands when they face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
