If you want to hit rowdy sports fans where it hurts, remove them from the sporting event or even take away their season tickets.
In crafting ideas for cutting down on rowdiness, sports executives chose ejecting fans as the best punitive measure in a September TURNKEY Sports Poll. At 35.5%, revoking ticket privileges was the leading idea for improving poor behavior.
That idea was followed by:
- better policing of a Fan Code of Conduct, 27.6%
- stop alcohol sales sooner, 16.8%
- increase security, 13.1%
- provide alcohol-free seating areas, 4.2%
- other, 1.4%
There was no special category for revoking tickets from season ticket holders. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which oversees the home of the New York Jets and New York Giants in Meadowlands Sports Complex, has put in a plan this season to revoke season tickets from ticket holders who are ejected from the stadium three times. Also at the Meadowlands, tailgating has been limited to five hours before the game.
Starting the penalty after three ejections does not exactly sound stringent, unless your name is Bobby Cox. Still, planting the idea in fans' minds that responsible behavior is expected should make an impact.