Quite a few, actually, Mostly local, but I keep up with the tons of streams for big and small events. I've immersed myself in what other players are doing all the time, offline and on.
There's drama here and there. That's to be expected. It's a large fandom with passionate players.
However, there are far more moments where people are nice, respectable, friendly, and within the boundaries of hype, just all around decent people. You and others on the outside don't see that.
You don't see how welcoming my group is to literally anyone who chose to play, how we pass tips from player to player instead of hording it. The gaming parties that go late into the night, the online tournies with hilarious commentaries, and even hype chants that get everyone feeling excited.
When players die, everyone in the community is affected. That's how great this shit is.
None of that gets highlighted. Instead, you get one or two slightly dramatic events that the internet blows out of proportion, especially compared to other things outside gaming.
I'm sorry your friends had such a bad time at Seasons Beatings. But I know for a fact that's a rarity. It's incredibly ignorant to assume it to be bad based on one or two events you see.
Now, some locals are better than others, but I've been to the surrounding areas of mine and I haven't had a bad time once. The whole reason I felt comfortable in this big city is due to the fighting game scene and everyone in it.
Drop the generalizations, guys. It's not good for you, and it's really not good for a community that's largely amazing and welcoming.
(Funny thing is, the dude isn't even in the wrong here, so I don't know why people are using this as an example of the FGC being awful.)
Sorry, I should have put that /s there in the first place. But I agree. There's a huge double standard with this shit and it's incredibly annoying.