NFL Shootings

Been to plenty, I've seen rowdy crowds at college or minor league events, and tame crowds at pro events. Hell I've even seen big differences between different concert events, one of the most well behaved crowds I've ever seen was at a Tool show, and I've seen horribly behaved crowds at a Dave Matthews show, go figure.
In the end it is all subjective to each of our own experiences.

According to our qualitative research 31% of people who say they are avid NFL fans have 4 or more years or college (and above) education. For college, it's 34%.

Told ya they were smarter.


In all seriousness, I still think it has to do with a combination of the following.

1) Amount of time tailgate lots are open prior to game.
2) Serving alcohol in game
3) Amount of opposing fans at stadium.


Also, the fact that students can have their free tickets taken away and expelled also deters them from being stupid. (not always though)

There are certain hard core folks that show up to a sporting or concert event already drunk or stoned. Plus it is hard to control the tail gate parties in the parking lots before and after a game.
When you have 80,000 to 100,000 people walking through the turnstiles quickly and only a few hundred employees, it is difficult to determine if all the fans have had too much to drink, unless they are falling down wasted.


About 3 years ago, there was a study done on people entering sporting events (baseball, football, soccer games as I recall). They did sampling and some kind of sobriety testing short of a blood sample.

Not so surprisingly, football and soccer fans were "more likely to be iniebrated" at the start of the event. Tailgating is not nearly as big a deal for baseball. I do not recall the percentage of folks who were considered "iniebrated" entering the stadium.

However, I do recall the study's estimate that between 55 and 60% of the people leaving a baseball, football or soccer game were "over the legal limit".

If that study is even partially correct, that tells you that there are waay too many drunks in the stands at the ends of sporting events to consider them as safe as going to the movies.

Oh, and keep that number in mind as you get in your car at FedEx next time to head on out to the Beltway on your way home. Perhaps as many as 3 out of 5 drivers in the cars near you is "over the limit"...

When I use to live in the DC area I would go to the skins home games. The guy I use to go with insisted on getting tickets near the 50, and in the lower level no higher than 10 rows up. Now, I never had any issues in those seats. Everyone was always very nice, even opposing teams fans. To ban alcohol at the games would be ridiculous. Adults should act as such, and when they get out of hand or starting fights, then they should be banned from the games. How to do that, I have no idea. I would take my oldest kid (7) to a game for sure. I would sit in the lower levels, and just let him know what he may here is not something that is acceptable in our home, and we just enjoy the game. I have rarely ever seen a fight in the lower levels, alway towards the top of the stadium. I think its an experience that kids love. I know when I was a kid I loved going to the skins games in RFK. It was awesome and I remember the games, the plays, who scored and how. It is a memory that I can't wait to share with my boys.

I don't buy the "college fans are smarter" argument at all.


Man charged with attempted murder - College Football - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1626939)

Alabama Football Murders (http://www.mahalo.com/alabama-football-murders/)

Appeals Court Upholds N.C. State Tailgate Shooting Conviction :: WRAL.com (http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1225129/?d_full_comments=1&d_last_seen_id=43226)

I don't buy the "college fans are smarter" argument at all.


Man charged with attempted murder - College Football - ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1626939)

Alabama Football Murders (http://www.mahalo.com/alabama-football-murders/)

Appeals Court Upholds N.C. State Tailgate Shooting Conviction :: WRAL.com (http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1225129/?d_full_comments=1&d_last_seen_id=43226)


One out of those three stories occurred at the actual game. I still remember the whole NC State fiasco though.