NFL : Teams begin implementing "Fan Code of Conduct"

Unfortunately, history shows us quite clearly that people (as a rule) can't control themselves and exercise "common" courtesy. Thus, rules to enforce good behavior become necessary AND some of them might even be silly.

Case-in-point... those penalties for "excessive celebration" after touchdowns. It is silly to have a penalty for a guy doing a 2-second dance after scoring... BUT the problem is, without that penalty... guys on the other team were getting way overly mad about such dances and arguments/fights/delays of game were beginning to become a problem... The REAL solution would be for players to not start fights over a guy dancing... but since players proved they were not better than that, we get the silly no-celebrating rules.

Similarly... I agree that it is acceptable and should be expected to be heckled at the other team's stadium... but some folks take even verbal abuse too far and say some really harassing/threatening things... and other folks take to throwing food/beer... and still others make it a physical event. In the ideal world everyone could be respectful while at the same time jabbing at the visitors' fans and at the end of the game everyone agrees to disagree.

Unfortunately, people keep proving they can't do it... so we end up with more rules.

I rarely am in this tone of voice but.. Typical American Scumbag Attitude.

A person following a team that is opposing yours and THAT is how you act? Now, if the 'visitor' is talking smack and being obnoxious, they get what they deserve. However, there are those that know how to be polite, even when rooting for the other side.

Two personal cases that demonstrate my point.

In the late 1980s I went up to Montreal with my wife and in-laws to take in a couple of baseball games. I'd been a big Expos fan but my wife's family was from St. Louis so they were rooting for the Cardinals. They "wore their colors" and were asked by Montrealers if they were from St. Louis (we were from NH), what they thought of Montreal, if they were enjoying their visit, etc. The worst we got from one of them was "Well, I wish you luck but I don't think you're going to win today" (it DID sound funnier with the Quebec/French accent).

Fast forward a few years. Wife and her brother are going to a hockey game in Boston - Bruins vs Calgary Flames. For reasons too complicated to list, they're Flames fans and came in Flames jerseys. Also there was our then 4-year-old daughter going to her first hockey game. She fell asleep in the 3rd period and the obnoxious drunken idiots behind them leaned down specifically to shout in my daughter's ears trying to wake her up, swearing worse than any sailor I've ever heard.

It's one of the few times I'm ashamed to be an American. When you think that being 'the home team' allows you to act like a neanderthal.

Think about it. People coming in and supporting your economy with their hotel and restaurant money. And what do you do? Trash talk them. What a WONDERFUL representative you are of the city.

Isn't it about time the fans have their own code of conduct, such as:

"National Football League fans deserve the opportunity to enjoy observing the most exciting sport on earth in person. We want all fans attending our games to enjoy the experience without having to bankrupt their families or subject them to severe financial hardship just to remain season-ticket holders. The clubs are required to refrain from the following behaviors:

» Charging more than a Mercedes to sit 100 yards behind the end zone and half a mile in the sky, where the game is only a rumor.

» Charging full price for two or more meaningless exhibition games and mandating that they be part of the season-ticket package.

» Charging more than a 72-month car loan for a "seat license" that grants the user nothing but the privilege of paying more than a Mercedes for season tickets.

» Charging more than a full-course restaurant dinner for an 8-ounce beer, even though the clubs don't need the revenue because they have already received upwards of $20 million apiece from the national TV contract before the first whistle of the season is heard.

» Charging more than the price of grand opera tickets for parking, even though the clubs don't need the revenue because the taxpayers have anted up hundreds of millions of dollars or more to build the stadium under the owner's threat to move the club and turn the city into a sports backwater.

"Clubs are responsible for a.) fostering an atmosphere that encourages fans to become intoxicated; b.) fostering a level of acceptable violence and on-field behavior from its players that encourage intoxicated fans to exhibit unacceptable levels of behavior that would result in incarceration if performed on the street; and c.) accepting off-field behavior from its players that do result in arrests (i.e. intoxication and assault) but chastising fans for participating in the same behavior. Clubs that continue to participate in this behavior will be subject to boycott by fans who have better places to take their spouses and children. (We should only hope.)

Ken S said:

Buying a ticket is an excuse to drink and act like an animal. It's what pro sports is all about anymore.

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I don't drink, but there's no harm in razzing fans of the opposition. Actually what I think would be more fun is being a fan of the opposing team and then have your team win in a close one. I'd love to go to a Sabres game when they play Ottawa at Scotiabank, and have the Sens be up all game and then have my boys in Blue and Gold come back and get a few goals in the third and win. Then when the games over, rub it in the hometown faces. There's really no team in the NFL I hate that much, with old man Gibbs out of Washington and I can't stand the Colts, but it's more because of Manning. But I could have a lot of fun with Senator fans. Toronto is a bigger rival, but I have respect for the organization and the history, but Ottawa, they should be excommunicated from the NHL and their fans should go with them.