The irony, she stings: NFL announces fan conduct policy

Ohhh. Now I’m peeved. Roger Goodell’s latest efforts to put lipstick on a pig were announced yesterday.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2008093129_apfbnnflfancode.html?syndication=rss

The NFL implemented a new code of fan conduct Tuesday, warning that spectators who misbehave will be ejected from stadiums and barred from coming back.

The policy, first recommended by commissioner Roger Goodell at league meetings in April, is aimed at conduct that the league said “detracts from the gameday experience.”

It includes bans on:

- Behavior that is unruly, disruptive, or illegal.

- Drunkenness and signs of alcohol impairment that result in irresponsible behavior.

- Foul or abusive language or obscene gestures.

There are other rules in the article I’m referencing, which you are free to review at your convenience. In the meantime, I’m using every bad word I can think of in the privacy of my own home.

Mr. Goodell, you refused to levy any kind of league punishment on a player who hit a woman with his vehicle this offseason and then hid from the cops for a week. You did not levy any kind of league punishment against various players arrested this offseason for domestic violence offenses, DUI’s, and a player who pointed a gun at his girlfriend’s head. After all, those players were all starters or Pro Bowlers, right? They shouldn’t be punished, no matter how many times they’ve done it before! You allowed the reinstatement of Adam “Pacman” Jones as well, didn’t you? Since you can’t control your own players, though, you’re going to come down HARD on a fan who’s just spent at least $100 for a game ticket and a few beers, huh? Yup. It’s the smart thing to do!

Might I suggest, Mr. Goodell, if you’re truly interested in eliminating some of the bad behavior at NFL games around the league, you might try limiting the amount of alcohol any attendee can purchase first? I know that’s a tough one, considering the NFL makes lots and LOTS of money from alcohol sales and advertising year-round, don’t they?

Above all, Mr. Goodell, wouldn’t it be nice to put your own house in order before backing up the truck on a fan who may have had one beer too many and called an official an objectionable name? Gosh, players and coaches on the field never, ever use bad language, do they? It’s never picked up on the sidelines microphones, either. Oh, no. We’ve seen it hundreds of times over the years watching the NFL. If you’re trying to encourage the “family-friendly atmosphere”, it’s a non-starter. Your ticket prices around the league have ensured that the vast number of fans aren’t able to bring the small fry to a NFL game. My husband and I just purchased our first tickets to Qwest Field for a November contest. Standing room only, Mr. Goodell: $115 for two tickets with Ticketmaster fees. You can add $25 for parking to that. If we eat or drink anything, we’re over $200, which may not seem like a lot to you, but to us, it’s four tanks of gas. I don’t know many people who can afford say, $400 to take the wife and two kids to a game, especially right now.

In other words, you are penalizing those paying to get in for things that your own PLAYERS aren’t punished for, are they? Who’s the enemy here, Mr. Goodell? You might also want to reflect on who’s paying the bills before implementing a vague, badly written, draconian “fan conduct policy”.

-S

p.s. All thanks to www.seahawkaddicts.com for bringing this to my attention.