Fan conduct: Tell us your story

You're at a Bucs game with your wife, or maybe your kids. And the fan behind you is cursing a blue streak:

"Gruden, you ----!"

You're flinching after each incomplete pass and missed tackle because the filthy outrage is close behind, coming over your shoulder.

This is talking during a movie raised to an obscene exponent. You wish the alphabet never included the letter "k."

These tickets cost you $200, you gotta do something, right?

Well, the National Football League is trying to help with a new code of conduct for fans. Grossed out by the drunk two rows back? The NFL now says that "any fan in violation of the code will be subject to ejection without refund, and loss of ticket privileges for future games."

We're writing about the new fan policy for Friday's St. Pete Times.

What do you think? It's about time? It infringes on free speech? What have been your experiences at Bucs games? Post in the comments area.

Comments

[Megan]

If that's the case, my dad's in big trouble!

[Skyrider]

I think it's a good rule. It's a family sport.

[Michael]

GOOD, THERE IS NOTHING WORSE then having people sit there with young kids swearing. I cant tell you how many times I see people sitting near kids who cant be older then 8 or 9, and you hear language that is TOTALLY uncalled for. I know some will say they have heard it before and will hear it again, but there are still some parents out there that dont want their kids to be cursing. And as far as the drunks, I have actually had someone so drunk that they were comming back from another beer run, and spilled their beer all over me at a game. Then they started yelling at me! Good for the NFL taking action about these things.

[Scott]

No problem with this. I don't attend games. I can cuss all I want in front of my TV...

I've got no problem with yelling and screaming, provided the language is relatively clean.

What I do have a problem with, and why I'll never attend another Bucs' game, is the need of some drunks to physically threaten someone who has the audacity to wear the opposing teams' jersey to the game.

Now, because I figured I'd get a hard time for wearing a Favre jersey, I sat there relatively quietly. I clapped when something good happened for the Pack (not often that day as per usual for Brett in Ray Jay), but I did not do anything to call attention to myself other than wear a green and gold jersey.

So I was treated to at least one guy jumping in my face to try to start a fight after the game, a number of things thrown at me, and a few drunks trying to get the 8 year old sitting in front of me to spit on me.

I figure I'll get roasted for typing this, but I've never understood this macho posturing at sporting events by people who hold an 'us vs. them' attitude. Folks, we're not on the field. We're WATCHING other people play A GAME. And even more, we're (likely) PAYING for the privilege!

Oh well... I guess I'm spoiled by growing up around Cubs-Cardinals games where the rivalry is there, but the fans are at least respectful of one another.

[Steve L]

Gee, where to start? I’ve been a season ticket holder since 1991 so I’ve seen (and heard) nearly everything there is to see and hear. I’m conflicted about the NFL sticking their nose in one more area. And just so we’re clear, most stadiums already have such rules in place. An acquaintance one row in front of me sold his tickets to a friend. This friend came to the game and acted like a complete as*. Needless to say he got into a fight with a fan a row in front of him and was escorted from the stadium, told that he would no longer be permitted into the stadium. At this point he drunkenly and defiantly informed the police that they weren’t even his tickets. He was then told that according to Raymond James Stadium policy, the actual season ticket holder could lose his privileges as well. This and other related minutia used to be printed on the backs of the tickets. Next time I look I’ll see if such a provision is still there.

It is indeed a terrible feeling when you decide to take the kids to their first game and your biggest concern is the incessant profane behavior you know could occur at any moment. Read enough of the posts here and you’ll see a watered down version of what you see and hear at the Bucs games with much alcohol added. Not a pretty sight. That said, the NFL should allow the stadiums to maintain such a policy, perhaps giving them guidelines (with penalties for non compliance) to follow. I’ve been to stadiums around the league and Ray Jay is one of the best. I’ve seen fights at Pro Player that resembled gang fights.

In my experience one of the biggest problems arise from the conduct of opposing team fans who are visiting the stadium. We always give them the benefit of the doubt. When they are respectful in “our house” everything’s fine; when they act like drunken buffoons, that’s when there are problems. During the Giant’s playoff game last year Giant’s fans behind us were fine early, but each 32 ounce cup of urine colored (and likely flavored- have you ever had one of those? Yeech) beer chipped away at the veneer of their behavior until their belligerence caused them to get thrown out. Shocking.

[pat]

mccardell k johnson garcia clayton and the list goes on with this 2 faced coach.dont bend down in the shower if this guys around

[Trevor]

If you want a quiet, family style atmosphere, I would suggest you STAY AT HOME!
The fans at the stadium need to stand up and cheer loudly the ENTIRE game. Wimpy fans should not sit in my section, we spill beer on "wine & cheese" fans, golf clappers too.

[Wayne Haddix]

Sit in the family section, whiners.

[Perfect]

I think it is a great idea!!! I have also seen at other stadiums where you can text to a certain number the section and row of a person that is completely out of control and they will come take care of it. I think it is wonderful and anyone that has a problem with it is probably someone that would get kicked out.

[The Truth.]

Honestly I think there should be a set age to when you can start attending games. And if you're offended by people there, then DON'T go! Pretty soon only golf claps are gonna be allowed and they're only gonna serve us tea. This is bad by the NFL. Think of how stupid parents are that bring their kids to the games, they will allow them to see some of the most gut wrenching hits, career ending injuries and potentially teach them that violence is alright but swearing is horrible? Jesus freaks stay away from football, you already ruined this Country as it is.

[Rich]

After finally giving up my season tickets after 20 years due to the greed of the Bucs, Glaser's, and TSA, I couldn't care less. Do you think they'll stop selling $8 beers to drunks? Not hardly. I'll get my football jag on Saturday and use Sunday to fish. All of those who enjoy getting screwed by the Glaser's shouldn't mind a little potty mouth.

[DR]

Tampa's crowd is nothing compared to going to an Eagles game wearing a Cowboys jersey. I went to a Tampa game and felt like I was eating dinner at Bern's Steak House.
One way to fix this is to fire Gruden. Just kidding. It is ridiculous to hear some of the vulgarity directed at the field, but there is the first amendment. As long as the vulgarity is directed at the field and not at another fan, I can tolerate that, especially when people do pay for their tickets. Most of the comments I hear are "I payed for this..(fill in the blank with some creative cuss words)", and of course the final you suck.
People get mad just for paying for the $9 beers. You should ask the beer vendors the language they hear. People think those poor vendors are the ones determining the price.

[B]

When I had season tickets, it felt as though I was walking into the Coliseum in Rome...the cheering and noise and frenzy. And players are not unlike the gladiators in some ways. It would be great if people just self policed themselves, but that likely won't happen. If police are brought in to maintain order or remove folks, it likely causes more of a disturbance than the 'bad actor' was causing in the first place. Plus the 'perp' will try to sue. Is there a clean solution? Staying at home is the best option although the 'experience' of attending an NFL game is wonderful. I'm torn about a real 'solution.' Mandating or punishing behavior is a real slippery slope.

[Steve L]

I see your point Truth, and don’t necessarily disagree, but that’s not the way it is right now. Someone earlier mentioned “family section”. Well there is no family section. It’s not an R rated ticket folks. There have to be some guidelines. The Eagles were mentioned earlier. They have the infamous stadium jailhouse in the bowels of the stadium. I’m not sure how that’s working out for them but perhaps it’s an idea whose time has, unfortunately, come.

[Feesh]

Being a season ticket holder for a long time now, I've seen my fair share of loud mouth fans from both sides.

Back in the day when Buc fans were outnumbered, I'd show up at a game and get heckled by Packers and Bears fans..AT A HOME GAME!

Since (and let's be honest here) a lot of bandwagon jumpers came on board, I feel like these people who aren't true fans feel the need to really give it to opposing team fans in the worst way.

When I would regularly attend games, the row in front of me would almost always be sold to opposing team fans. 99% of the time, these opposing team fans were very respectful. Only once did a Rams fan ever try to get in my face because I told him Kurt Warner was awful.

Time after time people from rows above would throw stuff at the opposing team fans (usually hitting me or my wife in the process). On one occasion I had a drunk woman jump down rows and while jumping on my back was beating a Steelers fan in the head with her Bucs towel. This same Steelers fan had been nothing but respectful the entire game.

Now I think heckling is to be expected. People show up at Bucs games and wear opposing team colors. Do that in Philly and you probably won't make it out alive.

Alcohol plus ridiculous heat plus fans who aren't really that intelligent equal a problem waiting to happen.

However, cursing and obnoxious fans are wherever you go and there are options that can be taken when dealing with idiots.

[BucMama]

My husband and two teenage boys were at a bucs vs atlanta game having a great time. All of the sudden we noticed everyone in the stands in front of us standing up, turning around, pointing and taking pictures at something going on just behind our seats. So naturally we (including my teenage boys) turned around just in time to see a man and women exchanging football jerseys. I guess they had a bet if one team scored the other had to wear the other's jersey. The women was not wearing a t-shirt or a bra under her jersey. After that I had to keep telling my kids to keep their eyes on the football game. Fun - great family entertainment!

[drad]

I think this is a great idea. Now maybe they can start working on getting people to dress appropriately for the games...
Coming from the northern states, I was appalled to see how scantily clad many of the women who attend the games are! Half shirts and micro miniskirts abound on the first level.

[Steve L]

Ok, I draw the line at complaining about scantily clad women…

[Randall]

Free speech? You can't go yell bomb in an airport. You can't curse at your boss. Why should we be subjected to the diseased mind of an obnoxious drunk?

I took my boy to see the Bucs play in Atlanta last season and was amazed at the difference. I'm not sure whether it is a combination of the sweltering heat and alcohol or just the transient, blue collar community but Tampa is a miserable place to take a child to an NFL game. Glad to see someone finally noticing/reporting on the problem.

[TC]

So "Bucmama" I bet that is nothing those teenaged boys haven't seen before! LOL
Anyway, I think serious cursing is probably not a good idea in any public situation only because there are always going to be those parents out there who worry that their kids will see or hear something that isn't sugary sweet and innocent. These are the same parents that don't want their kids to see anything violent or sexy! I guess they would rather just wait and have all "bad, nasty" stuff in the world bombarded on them when they get older.

[Bob]

I'm sure there are a lot of good fans.

But Trash describes the vocal minority.

But the Trash is what gets noticed.

[Eric]

Steve L: "In my experience one of the biggest problems arise from the conduct of opposing team fans who are visiting the stadium. We always give them the benefit of the doubt. When they are respectful in “our house” everything’s fine"

Not my personal experience! Every time there is a problem its home team fans harassing visiting team fans. My dad was hit in the head for wearing a Vikings hat (the cop in the vicinity laughed). My dad's boss was sucker punched for wearing a packers jersey. Another Vikings fan had her sign torn up by a Bucs fan, both fans went after each other. The Vikings fan was ejected, the Bucs fan got to stay.

Of course, I hear it is ten times worse if you are in a wheelchair (Home or Away fan,Bucs or Bulls games). I'd love to know why that is.

[aaron]

i live just outside of Washington, D.C. and i took my wife and 6 year old son to a game a number of years back and that is the last Redskins i will EVER go to. we wore our alstott, sapp and throwback selmon jerseys and bucs hats, you get the picture, we were all decked out. well this drunk lady, imean blitzed lady, behind us was screaming the whole game at patrick Ramsey. and she was a skins fan. F-bombs every couple words. it was bad. at the half it was close but in the 3rd we pulled away and that is when the lady turned her attention to us, especially my son. she was riding his a** about his alstott jersey saying he sucked and using a lot of profanity. after i asked her to watch her language she kept going. so that is what we did, left and went down to the concorse for the rest of the game.
when we left to go home we got rode by just about every damn drunk redskin fan that was there. it was awful. i will not go back, ever. the skins fans are really bad. real bad. i guess they are trying to make up some ground on the eagles.

[John]

I have been to many games at both the old and new Bucs stadiums and it seems the new one brought in the old LOUD MOUTHED DRUNKS. These are the ones who make the games a crises to go to. On the other hand, I went to a Bucs/Giants game in the early 80's in New Jersey and wore my old proud Orange Bucco Bruce jersey and was treated very well, even tho I was the only orange and white in miles it seemed. Some of our fans need to take a lesson on civility and honor instead of booze and cuss words. Leave that crap at home. And If you want to fight, go try out for the Buc's and see where it takes you. When you are attending a game, believe it or not, you are in the spotlight. Just watch the cameras as they zoom around the stands. If you want your friends and family to see you as an arrogant, loud mouthed drunk, then you need to stay home. People, the world watches you and it does reflect on a teams image.

[Joe]

It's football, not sunday school!

alcohol and swearing are in the rule book, please follow it.

PC Liberals, please go to disney on sunday and leave football to the people that will stand up and fight for Tampa football

[NINJA]

I LIKE IT WHEN MY KID CUSSES OUT THE REF. THEN WE DRINK BEER AND GO GET TATOOS AFTER THE GAME. HE'S STARTING SCHOOL NEXT YEAR AND NEEDS TO BE READY TO SMACKTALK!

[NINJA]

I LIKE IT WHEN MY KID CUSSES OUT THE REF. THEN WE DRINK BEER AND GO GET TATOOS AFTER THE GAME. HE'S STARTING SCHOOL NEXT YEAR AND NEEDS TO BE READY TO SMACKTALK!

[Steve L]

Eric, I can appreciate your experience. I didn’t spend any time railing on the home fans, though perhaps I should have. Yes, plenty of problems there as well. I think the point is that there has to be some kind of regulation. As Randall noted above, this has nothing to do with free speech. Laws, morals and ethics are what separate us from the animals. Or at least what should.

[Christine]

Fans that yell, scream and curse are the losers that couldn't ever make it on a team. Quit living out your loser dreams through the football players. Get a life...

[Steve L]

Joe, that's just stupid.See you Sunday.

[John]

Trevor,
Any D.A. that spends 9 dollars a beer and spills it on people must like to kiss up to the rich and stupid and have more money than you are worth. Myself, I would rather drink it than spill it. Or is your daddy buying it for you?

[Steve L]

Eric, I can appreciate your experience. I didn’t spend any time railing on the home fans, though perhaps I should have. Yes, plenty of problems there as well. I think the point is that there has to be some kind of regulation. As Randall noted above, this has nothing to do with free speech. Laws, morals and ethics are what separate us from the animals. Or at least what should.

[Steve L]

Pardon the re-post. PC issue...

[John]

Trevor,
Any D.A. that spends 9 dollars a beer and spills it on people must like to kiss up to the rich and stupid and have more money than you are worth. Myself, I would rather drink it than spill it. Or is your daddy buying it for you?

[John the Baptist]

If everyone would cheer, they could never hear the F Bombs. What about the Kids that drop F Bombs? They do it too. At least they have some passion. Free speech is no longer a Right. It is now called "Politically Correct Speaking Only". Warnings should be given for a first offense unless the person is belligerent to the cops, then he should be ejected for that Game Only. 3 Strikes should be the ban from all Games unless it involves extreme violence or threats, then 1'st time. Roger Goodell should be fired. He sucks. Fights will happen. Stop serving beer if it's a problem. Maybe they should sell Weed instead. Then all you would hear is "Dude, did you see that". "No man, I was looking for the roach I dropped in that lady's hair". Phili & Cleveland will have to stop selling tickets period.

[Leo Canadian Bucs Fan]

My 11 year old daughter and I attend a game in Tampa usually once a year since she was 6. We try to get tickets close to Buccaneer Cove. The majority in this area are fun loving but respectful. There are a minority of idiots making fools of themselves. We both understand this is a microcosm of society and cannot be eliminated. We put up with them, albeit begrudgingly. There are SO MANY great fans surrounding us that the experience is still pleasurable.

[Jerry]

Give an IQ test at the gates....if you score too low, no alcohol armband for you.

Then again, just ban alcohol...you'd end up with the same result.

Rednecks + football + heat + alcohol = what we have here.

[Steve L]

Jerry, you may want to skip that IQ test. If you banned alcohol, the equation would not be rednecks + football + heat + alcohol… I get your point though, and j/k ;)

[DR]

Jerry, not to go off subject, but give an IQ test at the voting booths. If that happened, George Bush would have never been president.

[Jay]

DR, stop giving him a good reason to institute the IQ test. We'll never have another president again. Or mayor, or governor, or...

[Ed]

Drunks ruin the experience for everyone.My wife was injured,not seriously,when a totally wasted individual fell backwards on top of her.She was also hit in the face numerous times by a towel waving Pittsburg extremist.One too many times and my wife sent the towel flying into the stratospher.Cheer,root,yell,but stay sober, and keep it clean I'm a season ticket holder since Ray Jays first day.

[Adam]

I saw a fan wearing a VICK jersey. I found that offensive.

[Big Ed]

I quit going to games, all the fans are Pinellas Park rednecks that drink 10 beers and cuss and burp not a very nice scene. Rednecks.

[Lozushuies]

I luv the gamez cuz all my bro's get drunked up and yell for da boz.

[john]

Hey ED nobody cares that your a season ticket holder.

[BucMama]

Hey TC, I thought I was taking my family to a football game not Mons Venus. They asked for football game experiences, thats what I gave. I don't think they asked for your parenting advise.

[Mike]

I saw a Bucs fan get battered in Minneapolis. I saw these big and stupid Vikings fans swarm the restroom looking to beat someone up. Dont wear your Green Bay crap here. If you wear your gear..you often pay the price. If you do and start to run your mouth, you deserve what you get.

[go_dog_go]

One time I fed my snake some beer...

[TC]

Hey Bucmama, no worries my advice is free :-)
I bet your boys would enjoy Mons Venus!