Have you ever spent hundreds of dollars to go to a football game, only to have to sit with obnoxious, intoxicated fans? When I go to an event with my family, I’d like to have an environment where my kids don’t have to hear profanity with every play or pitch. On many occasions I have seen fans physically and verbally fight around us. On another occasion we saw a drunk man throw his half full beer at another man, while they were arguing. There was a security guard in the next section, but the guard didn’t seem to care. What kind of messages is this sending to young children attending the sporting event?

Another thing I think is that you should limit alcohol consumption at a sporting event. There’s a difference between a fan having a few drinks and a fan so intoxicated that he can’t control himself. There are some dangers when talking about intoxicated fans. Some may pose a physical threat to others due to their inability to control themselves. Also, when leaving the stadium, many intoxicated fans will get into their cars and drive home. This poses a threat to everyone else on the road. Concession works at the stadium must be enforced to refuse alcohol to those who physically appear to be over the limit.

Personally, I have stopped taking my kids to sporting events because of the language and violence that other fans are involved in. It’s a shame because I, along with my children, enjoy sports very much. We settle for watching the games on television. I believe leagues and teams should enforce strict rules of conduct at sporting events. People should still be able to cheer and even boo. The only thing that would apply is the familiar and hostile environment mentioned above. I heard that certain teams have started “Family” zones in stadiums. I think this is a good start, but it needs to be extended to a larger area. In most stadiums, Family Friendly Zones only cover one section out of a hundred sections in the stadium. I encourage sports teams to support a family environment at their venues. I’m not the only one who says something needs to be done so we can take our kids to a fun but safe sporting event.