The August 21 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Lions at Heinz Field got very heated indeed.
Only, the real action was not on the field, but in the stands.
In a video posted to Twitter, which received over 42 million views within 24 hours, a verbal altercation between a White woman and a Black man turned into a physical fight after the woman slapped the man in the face.
Warning: NSFW Language.
It\u2019s football season again in Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/uY9PB7p9Kz— Jimmy Brooks \ud83e\uddd1\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddbd (@Jimmy Brooks \ud83e\uddd1\ud83c\udffd\u200d\ud83e\uddbd) 1629602520
It is unclear what started the conflict, but at the beginning of the video, the White woman is heard telling the Black man to "shut up and get the f*ck out."
After swinging her arm in the man's direction, the man caught her arm, and told her not to touch him, but rather than heeding his warning, the woman slapped him across the face.
When it appeared the Black man was going to strike back at the woman, the man sitting next to her stood up, seemingly trying to calm the situation, but after the White woman once again struck at the Black man with her baseball cap, it led to a three-way brawl.
The fight was eventually broken up by a few jersey wearing Steeler's fans, with one of them emphatically pointing towards the exit sign to the Black man.
Security then came to the scene, seemingly coming to escort the Black man out of Heinz Field, which prompted some onlookers to make it known that the White woman threw the first strike.
While the relation of the white woman and the man sitting next to her was never made clear in the video, one of the most confusing moments of the video came towards the end, when the woman angrily yelled at him to sit down once the situation was finally quelled.
Along with the millions of views came a plethora of comments from Twitter followers, and the unidentified White woman found very little support or sympathy.
Guy got put into a horrible situation but shame on that lady. Looked like the guy was honestly trying to be calm with her until she slapped him— Owen (@Owen) 1629606208
Play stupid games win stupid prizes— Bianca (@Bianca) 1629604808
What made her think she could or should SLAP him?— James Baldwin was a genius. (@James Baldwin was a genius.) 1629608020
The brother didn't wanna fight.— c0de l0rd (@c0de l0rd) 1629646597
She got what she deserved— Drama in the OC \ud83d\ude37\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Drama in the OC \ud83d\ude37\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1629675565
someone teach this woman how to keep her hands to herself.....— Katie Kat\ud83d\udc8b (@Katie Kat\ud83d\udc8b) 1629696080
There was also a good deal of concern, if not flat out anger, that the stadium security seemed to rush in escorting the Black man out of the stadium, even though the White woman was captured slapping him in the face.
Crazy they all blamed the black dude— Kev (@Kev) 1629605211
I find it interesting that the couple started it and the woman hit first but the Black Man is the one being directed to leave— Milk Chocolate MAKamala (@Milk Chocolate MAKamala) 1629642341
My question is they started it but kicked the black man out, ion like thatpic.twitter.com/x690ifXPce— Mattastic the name (@Mattastic the name) 1629612351
Another follower posted a video which began a few seconds earlier, and though it still didn't offer any clarification as to what prompted the White woman's anger, it captured her ferociously yelling "shut up" down her row, including directly in the face of the man sitting next to her who would later join in the fight.
Warning: NSFW Language.
With the beginning of the video, you can tell she hits her man all the time shuttt uppp\n\nMy dude knocked him out. \nHe stylishly gave her a doze too pic.twitter.com/jqWxnMycnn— CatchMeTV \ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\u25cf (@CatchMeTV \ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\u25cf) 1629654743
Both the Black man and the White woman have yet to be identified, and it also remains unclear if any charges were filed, or even if either of them were asked to leave the stadium after the incident stopped being recorded.
While The Daily Dot reached out to Heinz field for further clarification, they have yet to respond.