Greg Byrne: Forfeits should be assessed for on field/court storming

[CB4]

IMO it is a combination of seriousness of punishment and an increased certainty of being caught that will stem some of this stuff. Fines for universities certainly need to be continued, but there is technology available now to identity those perpetrators. Lifetime bans for all athletic events, make students face suspension or expulsion, heavy fines and/or community service (how about a entire football season spending your Saturday and Sunday wearing an orange vest picking up trash along side the road) is a good start. Every ticket has a disclosure that you are being monitored on CCTV/Video. The court and the field is off limits to fans. It is not “if” we catch you. We “will” catch you.

Additionally , a show of force is needed. A handful of security people isn’t sufficient. I watched Clemson beat Duke the other night at home. About 50 security personnel trying to manage about 10,000 fans was like trying to seal a leaking dam with silly putty.

Finally, announcers and commentators and broadcast personnel have got to stop “reveling“ in this kind of behavior. They want to treat it like it’s part of the atmosphere of the game or the “pageantry” of the game. These are same people that when someone one gets injured, or a player has an altercation with a rival fan while leaving the field, want to blame everyone but themselves.

 

[Tidewater]

Poor guy had to fight his way through the fans to touch the bases.

 

[FF4bama]

I like the idea of making the team play their next home game with an empty stadium. Throw in a video blackout and forfeiture of all the offending school's TV revenue for their next televised game (if it's not their next home game) and you might see schools begin to police themselves.

 

[Krymsonman]

I understand that sentiment, but many teams use fan involvement and the chaotic environment as part of their appeal.

An alternative could be that they have to play their next 3 home games with nobody in their stadium.

Regardless, $100K and $500K fines are nothing and definitely not working.

That would be a great idea. Since it is the fans - not the players - who are storming the field, let the fans stay home for a few games. I think the fans would think twice about the storming the field again. But I can see it now. As soon as the punishment is announced, here come the lawyers and some local judge granting an injunction against it.

 

[PA Tide Fan]

I'm opposed to forfeiting games because of fan behavior. I think players and coaches should always decide the outcome of games, not the fans. I think the only time a forfeit is justified if if a team is caught cheating, such as recruiting violations or sign-stealing. I'm in favor of raising the fines as high as possible.

 

[Krymsonman]

Chambliss could have been seriously hurt by that mob. There was also ten cent beer night and Disco Demolition.

But it does seem to be a college thing except for random nutjobs running on the field.

A couple of those fans look like they were trying to take Chambliss' head home with them.

 

[CrimsonNagus]

No. The players shouldn’t be penalized for the actions of fans. They played hard, worked hard and won the game. Administrators should not be able to take that away from them for actions committed by others. If you have ever played organized sports, competed as a team, you should be against this. JMO.

100% agree.

What if opposing fans colluded to dress as home team fans and storm the field to force a forfeit.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

College sports still grappling with how to stop court storms

The question as storms in football and basketball continue: How to let fans celebrate and keep everyone safe?

www.espn.com

Two questions...

1) What are your thoughts on this?
2) How would you feel about forfeiting a game Alabama won where idiot fans stormed the field and we had to forfeit?

Storming fields is not something we generally do but lots have done it to us. I'm 100% ok with this and believe that fines don't really impact it much. Most schools turn it into a pride / fundraising opportunity.

If Bama fans storm the field then I would say we deserved it for being idiots.

I know it may seem Draconian, but I'm all for it.

Years ago, they had problems with fighting in sports like baseball or basketball or hockey and decided, "Hey, you leave the bench, you're out for awhile."

SOMETHING has to be done.

People have already been seriously injured by such things as goalposts falling, etc.

By God, if you can search my bag and pockets before I go into a stadium, you can 100% make it the fault of the fans (who all think they made some sort of major contribution - they can help but come on) if you lose.

And btw - you can use cameras that are everywhere nowadays to BAN FOR LIFE if necessary fans that do this.

This is not an unsolvable problem.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

A couple of those fans look like they were trying to take Chambliss' head home with them.

It's New York, they just wanted to add it to their collection....

 

[92tide]

Poor guy had to fight his way through the fans to touch the bases.

i admired his commitment to finishing the job

 

[PGDocBama]

Season ticket holders very likely wouldn't storm the field. For most any program out there. I would suggest instead, only allowing season ticket holders to attend the next home game after a home game is stormed. This would encourage policing among the fans who do buy tickets.

The other thing if you don't want to punish the innocent is to set up security in numbers like NFL teams do and simply arrest a number of fans and chase some off. The city could help out in passing laws that penalize stormers with very high fines of between $500 to $1000. This could pay for extra security and a potential fine.

I feel like I'm with most any Alabama fan who was raised right and knows this is not how you handle your business by acting like a fool. I want it to be as fair as possible to the players, good honest fans, to the University and to the SEC.

 

[bamaga]

I think I have changed my mind . After thinking about this, it would only take once and the fans would police themselves. I must say, it would be a deterrent. A fanbase goes from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows after a big game. One time, and it wouldn’t happen again. Besides, Bama fans would never have to worry about it. Well, not in football anyway.

 

[RammerJammer14]

Forgetting how you should act after a big win, there's a huge safety issue here for both fans and players. It's a matter of time before somebody gets hurt or worse. I remember some years...decades...ago someone was killed when fans took down the goal posts after a football game and the post struck the fan in the head on the way down. That will happen again, it's just a question of when.

A couple of weeks ago, there was a nasty incident at Auburn when Gameday was in town (UTe game?). Due to logistics around the Gameday set, students weren't allowed in the arena until later than normal. And student seats are festival seating -- first come, first served. So when the gates finally did open up, there was a mad rush for seats. In which rush, some students were trampled. I don't think there were any serious injuries, but that was just dumb stumbling luck. No, it wasn't storming the court, but it poses the same dangers as storming.

We've tried fines, but that clearly hasn't worked. It's time for something more punitive. So I support Byrne's position and agree that it's time for forfeits.

That said, there are some issues with execution -- as in, exactly what constitutes storming the court? Where do you draw the line between a few students showing their hindquarters vs. no-foolin' storming? A dozen students? A hundred?

How to handle a false flag incident -- wherein fans of the road team join in the storming in an attempt to cross the required number of stormers and overturn the home team's win? In today's world, those will come.

Who determines where the line is crossed and when? Must it be imposed on the spot? Or can it be imposed later upon further film review? When the inevitable lawsuits come, how do you get it resolved before seeding for tournaments?

Conceptually, it's time for forfeits. Execution, especially immediately after the rule is adopted, could be a problem.

Late Add: I kind of like mdb's suggestion of no fans after a storming -- however that might be defined. That might be a good interim step....especially if fans can't get refunds for tickets.

I think the problem with the forfeits and fines and stuff is that they aren’t directed at the people actually committing the violations. There is therefore little leverage to actually stop the behavior. I hadn’t thought of it but I do like the idea of banning fans or students at the next game- that actually (sorta) directly punishes the perpetrators and incentivizes the university to prevent it.

 

[JohnD]

I’m in favor of hiring enough security and just arrest the ones who storm the court. Or at least as many as they can. Fine them about $5k each. Have the PA announcer remind everyone in the final minute of the game that they will be arrested and fined. The conferences could enforce this. The players and coaches should not be held accountable for what the fans do, with the exception of players like Auburn’s #10 who gets into it with the fans all the time.

 

[AlexanderFan]

100% agree.

What if opposing fans colluded to dress as home team fans and storm the field to force a forfeit.

That’s my major holdup for forfeiture, is that it’s almost impossible to tell fans apart.

 

[crimsonaudio]

Byrne has been striking out lately.

 

[BAMARICH]

I think a combination of things would eliminate it. One, the game won should be forfeited. Two, the next home game would be played in an empty stadium. Three, with facial id easily utilized, those who touch the field/court are hit with a lifetime ban from athletic contests. And if opposing fans come up with the marvelous plan of sabotaging other schools, it's their school who gets hit with the penalties.

 

[bravo6]

I think a combination of things would eliminate it. One, the game won should be forfeited. Two, the next home game would be played in an empty stadium. Three, with facial id easily utilized, those who touch the field/court are hit with a lifetime ban from athletic contests. And if opposing fans come up with the marvelous plan of sabotaging other schools, it's their school who gets hit with the penalties.

You are drastically overestimating the quality and ability of the video systems to perform that.

 

[AlistarWills]

I think I have changed my mind . After thinking about this, it would only take once and the fans would police themselves. I must say, it would be a deterrent. A fanbase goes from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows after a big game. One time, and it wouldn’t happen again. Besides, Bama fans would never have to worry about it. Well, not in football anyway.

Police themselves or the institution would make sure it never happens again. Forfeiture is the near ultimate penalty and it’s going to take something like that to really get someone’s attention.

 

[GP for Bama]

Just keep doing the way things are being done now. It is not that big of a problem. Just keep escalating the fine for recurring violations.