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Michele Hanisee, prosescuting attorney [Photo by Daina Solomon]

The two men behind the beating of Giants fan Bryan Stow outside Dodger Stadium on opening day in March 2011 pleaded guilty Thursday in a Los Angeles County courtroom.

Louie Sanchez, 31, was sentenced to eight years in state prison. Marvin Norwood, 33, was sentenced to four years in state prison.

Both men remained expressionless as they pleaded guilty and received their sentences.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge George Lomeli scolded the men for what appeared to be their lack of remorse.

“You are the public’s biggest nightmare,” said Lomeli. “… At the end of the day, it was only a game. Rivalry occurs all over... but you lost perspective.”

His comments were punctuated by his frustration with Sanchez’s apparent irreverence. Lomeli, who has presided over the case since the beginning, called Sanchez out for smirking throughout the case.

“I have never seen in all of these months any remorse whatsoever, with all your smirks,” said Lomeli. “… Rarely do I comment, but this kind of case screams for it.”

The brutal, vicious attacks by Sanchez and Norwood blindsided Stow, according to Lomeli.

“It was obvious he was incapacitated, but you continued to kick him in the head, which tells me you are complete cowards,” he said.

Sanchez’s apparent indifference further incensed the judge.

“You don’t have to stare at me, Sanchez,” Lomeli said as Sanchez smiled, looking down. “I know you’re listening.”

Stow’s family gripped each other’s arms as the judge read the sentences. They also gave emotional testimonies.

“The years that you spend in prison is what you cretins deserve,” said David Stow, Bryan Stow’s father.

Erin Collins, Stow’s sister, looked the men in the eyes, hoping to see remorse, but saw none.

“How can we even begin to consider forgiveness when you aren’t even asking for it? ... As men, are you proud of yourselves?” she asked, choking back tears.

Collins also read a letter from Jacqueline Kain, Stow’s ex-wife and mother to his two children.

“Bryan was a paramedic and a damn good one… And had you been the one attacked, bleeding on the ground, he was the type that would stop and try his best to save you,” Collins read.

Bonnie, another sister of Stow’s, explained that no sentence would ever compare to the damage inflicted on her brother.

“Eventually, you will be released,” she said. “Bryan’s sentence is a lifetime.”

Stow suffers from permanent brain damage as a result of his injuries that night. The former Santa Cruz paramedic is in a wheelchair and requires 24-hour care, according to prosecutors. He’s unable to perform basic functions like showering, dressing or eating without assistance.

Stow also takes 13 medications throughout the day, including two anti-seizure medications to prevent the type of seizures he endured for months after the assault, family members said.

Sanchez was the main aggressor behind the attack, even antagonizing Giants fans inside the stadium, prosecutors said. He pleaded guilty to one count of mayhem.

Norwood pleaded guilty to one count of assault, receiving a lesser sentence than Sanchez.

Despite the fact that the plea deal allowed for Sanchez and Norwood to serve nearly the maximum sentences for their crimes, there was still a sense that the two men “got off easy,” prosecutors said.

“The sentences on both of the men are frustrating,” Hanisee said. “… The reality is the law didn’t allow for a sentence that would’ve been just in this case.”

The prosecuting team considered charging the men with attempted murder, but felt that the facts didn’t support such a charge. In fact, the Los Angeles Police Department had a hard time putting the case together, prosecutors said.

The case has gripped people in both San Francisco and Los Angeles, bringing attention to a widespread issue of fan violence at sporting events.

In 2012, Giants fans burned a municipal bus in San Francisco after the team won the World Series.

Last year, a Dodgers fan was fatally stabbed near AT&T Park after a Giants-Dodgers game.

If anything good came out of the case, it’s the increased awareness of fan violence at games, prosecutors said.

“Hopefully the stadiums are becoming more aggressive in the way they handle [this problem],” Hanisee said. “It’s a game. It should be fun and family-friendly.”

The Dodgers’ former owner Frank McCourt faces a civil suit by Stow and his family for security negligence. The case is set to go to trial in May.

Reach Executive Producer Anna Sterling here. Follow her on Twitter here.