Fan interference
Posted: Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Officials of the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals would seem to be on to something with a new idea designed to curtail over-the-line obnoxiousness in the stands.
An Associated Press story detailed the team's plan for the upcoming season to set up a hotline number that fans can call from cell phones during games to report bad behavior, such as excessive profanity, fighting and drunkenness. Video cameras will be focused on the offending fans and security personnel will respond. Fans involved in the behavior will be warned first, then will be subject to ejection, loss of season tickets and even arrest if the behavior continues.
Good for the Bengals.
It's likely that anyone who has attended a professional sporting event has witnessed the kind of behavior - the bulk of it driven by booze - at which the Bengals are targeting their efforts. We're not suggesting fans at, say, an NFL game should behave as if they are at Sunday morning church services and shouldn't be allowed to buy a beer. But a couple of drunken idiots sitting in your row shouldn't be allowed to destroy your enjoyment of the game - particularly given the price you paid for your ticket.
It's difficult when often we're talking about tens of thousands of people, but sports franchises should work to provide safety and comfort for all fans.
In essence, a fan is a guest inside a sports venue. It's appropriate and prudent for the franchise to set rules for behavior, expect fans to abide by those rules and take action against them if they don't.
That, in essence, is what the Bengals appear to be doing. For that, we give them a standing ovation.
An Associated Press story detailed the team's plan for the upcoming season to set up a hotline number that fans can call from cell phones during games to report bad behavior, such as excessive profanity, fighting and drunkenness. Video cameras will be focused on the offending fans and security personnel will respond. Fans involved in the behavior will be warned first, then will be subject to ejection, loss of season tickets and even arrest if the behavior continues.
Good for the Bengals.
It's likely that anyone who has attended a professional sporting event has witnessed the kind of behavior - the bulk of it driven by booze - at which the Bengals are targeting their efforts. We're not suggesting fans at, say, an NFL game should behave as if they are at Sunday morning church services and shouldn't be allowed to buy a beer. But a couple of drunken idiots sitting in your row shouldn't be allowed to destroy your enjoyment of the game - particularly given the price you paid for your ticket.
It's difficult when often we're talking about tens of thousands of people, but sports franchises should work to provide safety and comfort for all fans.
In essence, a fan is a guest inside a sports venue. It's appropriate and prudent for the franchise to set rules for behavior, expect fans to abide by those rules and take action against them if they don't.
That, in essence, is what the Bengals appear to be doing. For that, we give them a standing ovation.
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Hanson wrote on Aug 9, 2006 3:04 PM:
Keith wrote on Aug 9, 2006 9:05 AM: