The Beatles just wanted to play. The problem was, they were too good for their own good. Their massive popularity manifested as a mass hysteria, dubbed "Beatlemania," of an order of magnitude unseen before or since. Soon, they required armored vehicles to get around safely. Unable to even hear each other over the piercing screams, they simply quit touring. A few years and (landmark albums) later, they called it quits. Now, another young global phenomenon is being victimized by his own success. China's Fan Zhendong, the world's #1 table tennis player, was recently mobbed at the airport in Guangzhou on his way to the 14th National Games in Xian. The crushing "Fan-demonium" jeopardized not only their idol's safety, but everyone's in the airport, including their own. On Chinese social media site Weibo, Fan tactfully unloaded on his fans. "Regarding today’s chaotic situation at the Guangzhou airport, I think I must express my attitude," wrote Fan. "Aggressive crowds and physical contact not only bothered me but created inconveniences for the airport staff and other passengers. What’s more, obeying the social-distancing rules is everybody’s responsibility because the coronavirus pandemic is not over." Fan just wants to play. The problem is, he is just too good for his own good.

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