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Proverbs 25:24-28

A man without self-control
is like a city broken into and left without walls.
Proverbs 25:28

Reflect

It was meant to be a simple promotion, a way to fill seats in the midst of yet another losing season. Steve Dahl, a Chicago rock DJ, and Mike Veeck, the son of legendary owner and promoter Bill Veeck, developed an idea that was a little crazy — but potentially a lot of fun. It was to be Disco Demolition Night, an evening of baseball and hatred for disco by hard-core fans of hard rock. Veeck ran the idea past his father and got his approval, but neither of them confirmed all of the details. That would later prove to be a big mistake.

On July 12, 1979, the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers were set to play a doubleheader. WLUP, Dahl’s station, played up the promotion, which allowed fans to gain entry for just 98 cents if they brought a disco album with them. Between the two games, Dahl was expected to literally blow up all of the albums brought by the fans. The problem is that for the crowd enticed by the offer, even 98 cents and a disco donation was more than some wanted to pay. Many snuck in over the walls or pushed past the turnstiles without paying. The park was jammed to capacity earlier than expected, and police were summoned to help close the gates and keep additional fans out.

From the beginning, there were signs that big problems were ahead. During the first game, fans began to throw all manner of objects on the field, from bottles to shoes to golf balls. Outfielders on both teams began to wear helmets in the field for fear that they would be hit in the head by solid objects. After the Tigers won the first game 4-1, it was time for the Demolition.

It went off as Dahl planned. An enormous explosion destroyed the records in spectacular fashion, but a fire remained and smoke shrouded the field. Frenzied fans slipped over the fences and began to pour onto the field. Teens, many of them in a stupor from alcohol or drugs, started taking out their hatred of disco on the turf. Some gashed holes in the surface. Others tried to steal the bases.

The umpires weren’t amused. They determined the playing surface was not suitable for another game and declared the second game a White Sox forfeit. Instead of a cool promotion, it was a night of mayhem in which players from both sides were relieved to not play the second game because they feared for their safety. Old footage of the night still captures the sheer disorder of the scene.

I can imagine being at that game. I hated disco, too, and I understood the joke. In Tampa, 98 Rock used to do its own radio version of “Disco Demolition,” where they would start playing a record like “Ring My Bell,” let it run for a few seconds, then rip it from the turntable with a scratch before adding jackhammers, sledgehammers and, finally, an explosion. My brother Jeff loved it, and I thought it was funny, too. There was a certain goofy satisfaction in pretending to blow up music we couldn’t stand. But laughing at the gag is one thing. Becoming part of the destruction is something else entirely.

That is why this scene has come to represent to me the very definition of chaos and disorder. This is what happens when dislike becomes license, when a crowd decides that anger and amusement are enough excuse to throw off order and decency. Consider Proverbs 25:28: “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” That’s exactly what happened that night in Chicago. There was a complete lack of self-control, and at that point, no walls or restraints made a difference to the people in Comiskey Park. They did exactly what they wanted to do without consideration for anyone or anything but their immediate pleasure.

Most of us will never storm a baseball field, tear up turf or turn a promotion into a police matter. But every one of us knows what it is to lose control in smaller ways. We let anger speak before wisdom can answer. We let a crowd pull us farther than we meant to go. We let appetite, frustration or pride convince us that what we want in the moment matters more than what is right.

As Christians, we are called to a life of Spirit-led discipline. Yes, the Lord wants us to have fun, but not at the expense of other people. And our example of doing the right things in the right way should be a light to those around us, encouraging them to go in the same direction. In this age when so many have decided to follow their own desires and passions, make sure that when chaos rears its head you are part of the solution and never part of the problem. In a world intent on pursuing darkness, make a difference by being the light.

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