Professional sporting events across the United States are experiencing an unusual form of disruption as spectators launch adult toys onto playing surfaces during matches.
The phenomenon has affected multiple leagues, from basketball courts to American football stadiums, resulting in law enforcement action against those responsible.
Authorities have pursued and detained individuals who participated in these incidents, which have interrupted gameplay and struck athletes.
The disturbances represent a coordinated pattern of behaviour that has spread from one sporting event to another throughout recent months, creating challenges for venue security and broadcast teams alike.
The fluorescent yellow object made CBS believe there was a flag on the play
|CBS
A broadcasting mishap during Sunday's American football match between Cincinnati and Jacksonville exposed the scale of the problem when CBS television incorrectly displayed a penalty flag graphic.
The network's production team had spotted a bright green object flying across their screens following a touchdown by Cincinnati's Mitchell Tinsley.
The fluorescent projectile was actually an adult toy matching those previously thrown during women's basketball matches.
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CBS staff in the control room mistook the airborne item for an official's flag, leading to the erroneous on-screen notification that a penalty had occurred during the scoring play.
The women's basketball league experienced the initial surge of these disruptions during summer matches.
Athletes were struck by the thrown objects, forcing officials to halt gameplay on multiple occasions.
Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve publicly condemned the behaviour as both crude and discriminatory against female athletes.
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The items began being thrown on WNBA courts in June
|X
Law enforcement agencies launched investigations to identify those responsible for the projectile incidents.
The items thrown during basketball matches shared characteristics with the green object later seen at the Cincinnati venue.
These earlier basketball disruptions established a pattern that would subsequently spread to American football, suggesting coordinated activity across different sporting codes.
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A digital currency scheme may explain the coordinated nature of these disruptions.
Following the initial basketball incidents, a meme-based cryptocurrency emerged, raising questions about whether financial motivations underpin the disruptive behaviour.
The potential link between the adult toy incidents and cryptocurrency promotion remains under investigation.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was injured in the game and is expected to be out for a few months
|REUTERS
Cincinnati ultimately defeated Jacksonville in Sunday's match, though their quarterback Joe Burrow sustained a toe injury that could terminate his season.
The victory came despite the bizarre interruption that confused broadcasters and highlighted this troubling trend affecting American sports.
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