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Yesterday — 18 September 2025Main stream

From Home Run Balls to Signed Hats, Why Do We Love Chasing Freebies?

By: Sopan Deb
18 September 2025 at 17:02
Sports events and concerts offer more opportunities than ever to reach for free keepsakes. But several recent episodes raise a question: Is fan behavior getting worse as a result?

© Ye Fan for The New York Times

New York Knicks fans at a playoff watch party in May. If it seems as if adults have forgotten how to behave at public events when presented with the prospect of a freebie, it’s hard to quantify.
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