Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2010 6:28 am Post subject: Bombers stamp out fun: fans Beefed-up security, police prese
Quote:
Bombers stamp out fun: fans
Beefed-up security, police presence called a downer
By: Melissa Martin
Forget about throwing beer cups: Some Winnipeg Blue Bombers fans might start tossing their tickets after a game marked by what some call "overkill" security and an abrupt change to rules on beer sales.
While the Big Blue stomped the Edmonton Eskimos at last Saturday's game, many fans were watching security stamp out stacks of as few as three plastic cups, seize beach balls and send as many as 10 Winnipeg Police Service officers to patrol the most raucous sections of Canad Inns Stadium.
After the game, online forums and radio call-in shows exploded with comments from angry fans. On Sunday, one fan issued a press release headlined "Football fans treated like criminals," urging others to contact the team's head office.
On the official Blue Bombers forum, a discussion on "security issues" netted 150 comments by Wednesday morning, one of the busiest threads of the year. Some thanked the Bombers head office for its security efforts, but most expressed frustration with policies they say are poorly communicated and amount to a ban on having fun.
"If the amount of security that's there keeps going up, it wouldn't even be fun anymore," said Bomber fan Tracee Tesch, 23, who was at Saturday's game. "The amount of security there was absurd. There's way more security at the Bombers games than we have monitoring the North End of Winnipeg... and they're just on you in a second. People are there to watch the game and have fun. We should be more concerned about things happening in the city."
The police presence was heaviest in party-hearty Section S, but fans from across the stadium voiced similar displeasure.
Bombers diehard and Treherne resident Robert Jenkinson, 41, has been going to games "since the Dieter Brock days" of the early 1980s and "isn't a rowdy guy" in his north end-zone seats, he said. But on Saturday night, he was astounded as he watched security guards chasing a stack of beer cups "wipe out" two older ladies attempting to leave the game.
"They didn't even care. It was like Keystone Kops," said Jenkinson, who called in a complaint about the incident. "Oh, you got a beer cup? Let's go get him!"
Jenkinson said he also saw guards tear up a cardboard "Save the Beer Snake" sign held by a pair of kids about 10 years old. The experience affected his game day "dramatically," he said.
"It's way overboard. I've been to 14 Grey Cups, I've been to every CFL stadium except Hamilton, and I've never seen anything like it. The president of the Bombers (Jim Bell) was talking about not trying to alienate the fans... but at the game, it was all about alienating the fans.
"I hope it doesn't turn the youth off. I just want to see kids and students go to games... . That's the future of the Bombers."
Bell said security hasn't been ordered to act more aggressively, but has been "asked to be more diligent and more aware."
"I'm not going to lay that at the feet of security," Bell said of allegations security staff ripped up children's cardboard signs. "We need to address what is proper use of authority."
Bell couldn't say how many complaints the club has received about security since Saturday's game, saying only, "We've had complaints and compliments."
At a July 16 press conference, Bell said fans attempting to launch a beer-cup snake would be asked to "discontinue," but witnesses reported seizures of collectible-cup collections and game ejections on Saturday.
Another rule change saw the sale of jumbo beers restricted to one at a time, from two. But enforcement appeared to be haphazard: during the game, witnesses told the Free Press that some vendors had nonetheless sold two large drinks to customers, who then had one seized by security. Other fans said some people holding a beer for a friend during a bathroom break had the second beer seized.
Sitting in his upper-deck season-ticket seat, Jon Doherty noticed more people making beer runs, a flow of bodies that disrupted the game-watching experience.
"I think (Blue Bomber brass) really need to review whether the policies they've put in place are doing what they intend them to do," said Doherty, 24. "The one-beer-per-person rule is ridiculous to begin with. I'll just spend my money elsewhere... but if people are there to get drunk, they'll still just wait in line to get drunk, or get around (the rule) in other ways. The game-day experience has definitely gone downhill."
It just blows my mind that the most important topic after a football game is beer sales. How about turning the stadium for a byweekly beerfest where you can drink as much as you want and where having a football game is optional? Another blogger trying to cash in on a hot subject. Not going to a game because you can't have two jumbos? _________________ "It turned out nice again"
Cacktus Jack
1. The "kids" who were holding the "save the beer snake" sign were not 10 year olds. That is completely inaccurate. Also, the article makes it sound like they were holding the sign and security walked up, grabbed the sign, ripped it up, and threw it at them. Again - not what happened.
2. Interesting how there are no comments on how security in the stands behaved the first 3 quarters of the game - before people started trying to make beer snakes.
Do you know where those two 10 year old children were sitting? Is it possible you may not have witnessed the reported act? Is it possible the act you witnessed was a different pair? _________________ You can agree with me or you can be wrong...
It just blows my mind that the most important topic after a football game is beer sales. How about turning the stadium for a byweekly beerfest where you can drink as much as you want and where having a football game is optional? Another blogger trying to cash in on a hot subject. Not going to a game because you can't have two jumbos?
The particular story referenced was about the behaviour of security staff. Perhaps your post is in the wrong thread?
Anyhoo... It's important to understand people just don't respond well to change. A study showed that 10% of peeps respond very well to change (early adapters) and 10% will never accept change. The remaining 80 struggle with it. So it doesn't surprise me to see peeps complaining.
In this case it'll likely blow over as peeps accept the changes. Or they vote with their feet. The Bombers need to not make so many changes so frequently. They are behaving like a typical government: react to issues rather than manage issues.
/end marketing 101 lesson... _________________ You can agree with me or you can be wrong...
It just blows my mind that the most important topic after a football game is beer sales. How about turning the stadium for a byweekly beerfest where you can drink as much as you want and where having a football game is optional? Another blogger trying to cash in on a hot subject. Not going to a game because you can't have two jumbos?
The particular story referenced was about the behaviour of security staff. Perhaps your post is in the wrong thread?
Anyhoo... It's important to understand people just don't respond well to change. A study showed that 10% of peeps respond very well to change (early adapters) and 10% will never accept change. The remaining 80 struggle with it. So it doesn't surprise me to see peeps complaining.
In this case it'll likely blow over as peeps accept the changes. Or they vote with their feet. The Bombers need to not make so many changes so frequently. They are behaving like a typical government: react to issues rather than manage issues.
/end marketing 101 lesson...
lol.....
_________________ Milt Stegall Is the greatest Player to ever live!!!
WPG -- K. GLENN Completed Pass to M. STEGALL (100 yds) - Touchdown (15:00)
Do you know where those two 10 year old children were sitting? Is it possible you may not have witnessed the reported act? Is it possible the act you witnessed was a different pair?
Granted, security MAY have torn up two signs, but the one everyone in the endzone would've seen was carried by two late-teens (16/17) and was quite disruptive, as they were running from end to end with the sign between them.
Do you know where those two 10 year old children were sitting? Is it possible you may not have witnessed the reported act? Is it possible the act you witnessed was a different pair?
It happened the bottom of section O they were way older than ten years old and were running up and down the north end zone with the sign. Security did have a kid that must of been around twelve who was running around with a stack of cups did not see if they actually did throw him out. _________________ You're Either With Us Or Against Us
To Quote Brett Farve "The Pieces Are In Place"
Bottom line: the new changes cheapen the Gameday experience immensely. Is Section S so violent that we warrant 10 police officers and 20 security officers? I've had season tix in the middle of the action there for 5 years and I've NEVER seen the need for security aggression. We're loud and proud, we like our signature chants, we don't like cellphone users, and yes, some of us have a few beers. We made a giant beer cup snake, and had the cups not been thrown, we'd probably make the snake a few more times before the novelty wore off. A lapse in judgment. Hogan being a *******? Sure he was drunk, but only became violent when confronted by security. And for the record, it happened in Section T, actually. You're complaining about drops of beer being spilled on you by drunks? Newsflash, 500-1000 people crammed into a small area, inching by one another back to your seat... doesn't matter if you're drunk or not, a few spills are inevitable and unpreventable. Doesn't affect the fan experience because IT WILL HAPPEN.
Section S is NOT a danger to society. We pay for our seats, and ******* it it is a football game, and we're going to be loud and proud. We're going to drink beer, and even the most sober among us is going to have the occasional spill. Go to England for a soccer match... you'll have a whole new definition of hooliganism. Bomber games in Section S are kindergarten play group in comparison.
I'm sick of people blaming Section S for all that is wrong in the world. I happen to think we're all that a football section should be. I'm sick of security and police officers cheapening our gameday experience just by their ominous presence. Their aggressive behavior brings out the worst in them, and the worst in fans, who resort to relentlessly taunting them for this same behavior that is supposed to suppress them.
If the Bombers continue their fan suppression strategy, they risk losing the defining section of the stadium. Opposing teams are aware of us, because they know they won't be able to hear one another. No one wants to drive down the field into Section S. And that's to the kudos of the passionate fans in Section S. My buddy's wife puts her cup on the bottom of his, so that two cups are not scattered on their sparse piece of real estate, and security aggressively moves in to "stop the snake." Give me a bloody break. Forget breaking Section S... you're going to break your fan base with crap like this.
I sincerely hope others who resonate with this rant make your thoughts heard as well. The Bomber brass is well aware of this forum, and I hope we have caught their attention.
Rant Over. _________________ How Strong? ARM-STRONG!!!
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