As more athletes speak about depression, anxiety and suicide, a minority of fans are weaponizing it

By: Scott Parrott

Outlets: South Carolina Daily Gazette

Published: June 11, 2026

Words: 1,214

Last Updated: 11 hours, 8 minutes ago

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It’s a cool Tuesday night in Columbia, and fans of the Minor League Baseball team the Columbia Fireflies are letting an opposing batter named Marcos Torres hear it.

“Marco!” one fan calls.

“Polo!” a half dozen fans respond, mimicking the swimming pool game.

The batter swings and misses. The cacophony begins again.

“Marco!”

“Polo!”

Baseball fans have developed a reputation for shouting wisecracks to try to rattle players. But there’s a dark side to …

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