One of the men arrested on Wednesday at Kansas City’s Livestrong Sporting Park for throwing bobblehead parts — one of which hit and inflicted facial injuries on Kansas City goalkeeperJimmy Nielsen — was identified as 21-year-old Robert Hauver, a former Lansing High quarterback who walked on the Kansas State football team in 2008 andredshirted. He was on the roster in 2009 but did not play and is no longer with the team.
Chris Wyche, Sporting Kansas City’s executive vice president foroperations, said the club used its high-resolution cameras to identify Hauver and another man who threw objects onto the field. Both were wearing Kansas City gear. Hauver was ticketed for disorderlyconduct, a misdemeanor, and released from jail Thursday.
“We’re going to support the local authorities to the full extent of prosecution,” Wyche said. “The individual whothrew the bobblehead that injured Nielsen is going to be charged with felony aggravated battery.”
The bobblehead-tossing incident is the second significant example of faninterference to occur at Livestrong Sporting Park. The first occurred in the club’s home opener against Chicago on June 9, when a man dressed in a cow suit interrupted play by running on thefield, unimpeded, for several moments. Sporting KC is considering whether to cancel a Aurelien Collin bobblehead night on Sept. 28. Nielsen was struck by a Omar Bravohead.