Rowdy Fans Riot After College Football Games

Fox News ^ | Sunday, November 24, 2002 | AP

[Sparta]

COLUMBUS, Ohio

[tomkat]

that's tom landry, former cowboys coach.

vince lombardi

[budwiesest]

What we are witnessing today are simply the pre-war-with-Iraq jitters among todays' youth. Someone declares peace in the Middle East, and all will return to the Ozzie and Harriet, Leave it to Beaver calm that once prevailed over the land.

Sporting events are battles, micro-wars if you will, played out (acted out) on a field with rules. The degree to which the fans participate expresses much about a societies' willingness to engage. The turned over, burning-in-the-street Toyota today might well be a foreign tank tomorrow in some water-challenged sand forrest.

Media coverage of such events ought to give our foreign adversaries pause as such similar events do not seem to be occurring in their lands. 'Camel tipping, anyone?'

Goal posts fall under their own weight- that being their ridgid and unforgiving role as milepost along the road to victory. Only to be re-installed the following year. Welcome, freshman class.

While a more sober and civilized expression toward a win might be desired by many, we must not deny the fact that victory against the enemy for Americans is, a deeply seeded emotion that cries out for recognition when achieved.

A free people may act boorishly occassionaly, but what the heck, they're free.

[PhiKapMom]

The University of Oklahoma Sooners won the National Championship in football two years ago and there was no rioting, no fires, only cars driving around with horns honking.

When we beat Nebraska on the way to our Big 12 Championship in 2000, the fans tore down the goal posts for the first time in many years and when finished taking them around the stadium put them down and took off.

Looks like some folks who consider us out here in flyover Country less than civilized or cultered (understatement) could use a few lessons in how to win and celebrate without rioting!

[hoosierham]

Oh bull!

Sports rioting has NOTHING to do with any war in or against Iraq. A quick study of history doesn't bring to mind the wanton destruction of private and public properties in pre- and wartime WWII U.S. of A. And people were less regulated by gov't then; but more restrained by their own good sense.

[xm177e2]

First, severely stiffen the penalty for rioting, a minimum of 1 year in jail with no possibility of probation for even first time offenders. Should take care of visiting fans rioting, seeing as how they would go before an unsympathetic opponent's jury.

This is basically good...

Second, if it is the home fans that riot, add a new NCAA rule that requires that team to forfeit the victory or a prior victory. Tear down the goalposts, lose the game.

Players should not be held responsible for the actions of fans. But universities can be. Make them pay stiff fines to the league if there is home-team rioting. If the universities arrest the rioters, they can make the rioters pay the fines; if not, it would come out of the university's pockets. That would encourage them to crack down on rioters with an iron fist.

The problem with a crackdown on rioting is that innocent people could get caught up in it. Police should be required to have videotape evidence before the rioters could be nailed. There have been instances before where innocent people are arrested in large numbers for no good reason, I would hate to see innocent fans caught in a legal nightmare because of "zero tolerance" policies that allow the police to arrest non-rioters.

[discostu]

Cute but sadly misguided. You see the things you outlined are rights garuanteed to us in the Bill of Rights. No where in there is there a right to go onto private property after a sporting event and destroy equipment.

I don't think you want the goalposts made out of something more "disposable", doing that would put them in the endzone again, which caused problems for offenses and caused a number of injuries. Do some reading of football history, don't have to go too far back, the Ice Bowl was dones with the old-fashioned "field hazard" posts. Also thanks to the new age of place kickers that need the posts high for easier judging of the accuracy of kicks. Really a bad idea. And misplacing the issue. The problem isn't WHAT'S being destroyed but that ANYTHING is being destroyed at all. It's criminal behavior.

[Iowa Granny]

Step 3. Cut out all of the player on-field taunting and chest-beating after each play in both college and pro games.

Step 4. Quit selling liquor in the stadiums.

Step 5. Do not allow anyone to carry alchol into the stadium.

Step 6. Do not allow anyone to leave the stadium once they are inside.

[xm177e2]

That's a great attitude, swap out the word "rape" for "tearing down the goal post" and you see why it's a rediculous attitude

That is a terrible attitude. Replace the word "Disco" with "FallaciousArgument," and you see what I mean.

[Concentrate]

Or look at it this way, we can use this mentality and train the rioters to fight the Islamofascists.

Excellent idea. All it takes is some flyers and some presence on a university campus. Don't write our young off!

[discostu]

So you think vandalism and arson are OK as long as their related to post game celebrations? That's the behavior he was excusing as "traditional" and "unstoppable". It's not a fallacious argument at all. Violent destructive behavior should ALWAYS be fought, just because we can't stop it completely is no reason not to try.

[FreedomPoster]

If you want to read a good book about the Packers, find a copy of I Am Third, by Jerry Kramer. Kramer was a guard during the Packer's glory days, when the pulling-guard-sweep was a key part of the Packer's offense.

The title comes from one of Lobardi's lessons:

"God is first, my family is second, and I am third"

Of course, you had your home family, and your football family, in the Lombardi mindset. The hotdogs of today's NFL wouldn't last 5 minutes on a Lombardi team.

[gabby hayes]

With a photo like this, it should be pretty easy to identify the a$$hole.

[budwiesest]

And people were less regulated by gov't then; but more restrained by their own good sense.

You WIN!

Wish I had a prize to send but alas, my icechest is almost empty.

A less regulated people will, by virtue of the liberties bestowed upon them, act in a more restrained and good mannered way. Thank you for making this point.

The war with Iraq drums have been beating for some time now. Natives can get restless. And today's native is far removed from yesterday's, what with all the gratuitous violence in movies and the advent of MTV, not to mention the abundance of camera's at today's sporting events. (15 min. of.....)

People haven't changed, that which surrounds them has. This is what we are left to enjoy, the cultural adaptation to such changes and all it's splendor.

[Frank_2001]

And parents are in hock up to their eyeballs to send these morons to college??? College should not be for everyone...let's ratchet those academic standards back UP, and keep the rabble OUT!!!!

[judgeandjury]

Step 3. Cut out all of the player on-field taunting and chest-beating after each play in both college and pro games.

If you did this, the black players would cry "racism!".

[stainlessbanner]

Hey Billbears, looks like you are make some new friends on this thread, geez!

Buddy goes to Italy for a pro soccer game. Fans are caged in - separated by a 30 ft. high plexi-glass wall. The fans are tossin' firecrackers over the wall at each other and throwin' anything else they can find. The entire game, these guys are pounding on the glass, face-to-face, fist to fist.

After the game, he's riding a bus out of the stadium, fans are rocking cars, throwin' bottles at the bus, spittin at the LEOs (who carried M-16s, btw). He was scared to death! That ain't fun in my book.

One more thing, Bobby and the boys will be back next year. Enjoy the win.

[Clemenza]

The French, for instance, measure their culture by the writers, artists, and philosophers it has produced.

Yeah, all Michel Foucault and Jaques Derrida do (in the case of the former, did) is waste paper better put to use for Lowrider and Wrestling magazines.

I'll put America against ANY so-called "civilized" nation anyday of the week.

[NautiNurse]

Perhaps make the goalposts out of something disposable. I don't know. But sending out more and more police isn't going to do anything except incite more violence.

What a stunning idea! We could have jewelry stores change their storefronts and displays to something more disposable like Saran Wrap--because--folks are going to steal anyway. Why waste the money and effort to try and keep your valuables for the next paying customer? What a silly idea!

Banks could just set out their tellers and money on folding tables in the parking lot. After all--people are going to rob banks, right?

[billbears]

Okay, go ahead. Put more police on the field. H#ll, line the sidelines with cops. The more the merrier, is that it? Put the fear of God into them? Well at least a nightstick? I don't know about the other schools and what happened there, but at State, some of the players were involved in tearing down the goalposts. Suspend them too? Are the players not supposed to get exuberant? We're not talking baseball here. We're talking about a sport where 22 big men emulate what boils down to anger and fighting over a piece of dead pig. Do you not think there's going to be some pent up emotion in the stands as well?

What about those vandals in basketball games once or twice a year that cut down the net? You know, the coaches. That's vandalism. Are you going to send them to jail?

The more of the 'state' you put into a situation like this, the more injuries you are going to have by people being beaten into the ground by police. I don't know if you remember much about your late teens and early 20s, but for many there was a general propensity to rally against authority. Sure put cops down on the field, full riot gear. That'll be a hoot!! Then, when the riots do happen, you can complain about how bad it's gotten, and point to the 'facts' that this proves you needed extra police there. Kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy I'd say. And since you're suggesting this, I'm sure you won't mind paying for the extra pay for the police officers (more than likely double time or hazard pay) and outfitting them all with nice big nightsticks and shields out of your own paycheck will you? I don't want any more taxes than necessary coming out of my paycheck. Heck, for that matter, since you already know how bad it's going to get why not buy them all a nice supply of rubber bullets. The parents of these exuberant youth will just be peachy seeing their kids shot on television. And the wonders it will do for the ratings? Wow, you're right. That is a good idea < /sarcasm>

[billbears]

Well you know me!! BTW, Bobby called up to a local TV station. Something to the effect that they're going to start putting an L on the schedule at this time of year and not bother playing. Too humilating or something.... LOL