The NFL Experience: Just Say No

OAKLAND, Calif.—Police say they arrested 45 Oakland Raiders fans and used stun guns to break up several fights at Monday night's game against the Denver Broncos.

The arrests for drunkenness, fighting, assault and drug charges were on top of dozens of ejections for minor offenses such as sitting in the wrong seat.

Authorities say three police officers were hurt when a brawl broke out as they attempted to detain a drunken man before the game.

Two of the officers suffered cuts and bruises when they were punched in the face. The third officer suffered a broken finger.

Oakland police spokesman Roland Holmgren says some people come to the game just to start trouble. From Wire reports.

So I had six very good tickets for the Cincinnati Bengals at the Baltimore Ravens and could not find anyone that wanted to. Including myself.

It was the home opener, a beautiful day, and I was talking to a room full of football fans. And they all just said no.

I been going to games since a kind in 1970's but the stadium experience has lost its luster for a variety of reasons. Don't get me wrong I watch a lot of football on my Sunday Ticket comfortably in my basement or occasionally in a sports bar but the live game atmosphere has lost its luster.

It's just not fun being around the obnoxious, dumb, drunken fans. But the hell with the half witted herd.

It's not just the outrageous ticket prices its the atmosphere. Its not just the eight dollar beers, the six buck hot dogs, the 25 bucks parking, the four dollar soda, or the 40 buck made in sweatshop China sweatshirt. 

Its not even that many people, even with free tickets, said they do not want to see the Cincinnati Bengals who are not only bad but have a reputation for being dumb thugs.

It's the culture of obnoxiousness.

It's the obnoxiousness fan who stands in front of kids the entire game. Or stand in front of othe rpaying fans for that matter.

Its the drunk guy with the whistle that blows it non stop from the start of the game till the finish.

It's the drunken jerks screaming insults or worse at folks rooting for the other team. The other teams fans are they enemy they say in their stupid fifth grade way.

Its the herd of intoxicated jerks who swarm around opposing fans, even if its a man is with his wife or a Dad with his kids, and spew insults at them because of their jersey colors.

It's being frisked in long lines while going in.

Its the drunken brawls and pushing matches going out.

It's the endless TV timeouts.

It's the traffic to and from the stadium.

I'ts PSL's and the poor product many teams field.

Its criminal players and the obnoxious 40 something accountants in their game jerseys who try to act like them on Sundays.

It'is the over priced food, drink, tickets, and souvenirs.

Its the small seats and the long lines.

It's the immature idiots who populated the stadium and think they are part of a "team war" and they must abuse any of the enemy fans that come to their "house"

It's the ESPN culture, the hype of stupidity that glorifies rudeness and general obnoxiousness.

Maybe its not ESPN maybe its just the progression of a decadent, dumb down American culture.

Either way who needs it?

Not me, its costly and its not very fun anymore. The cost of taking four folks to a game is roughly equivalent of taking them on a three day cruise. Entertainment dollars are few and far between why use them for something that's irritating and exhausting.

Again who needs it?

And a lot folks won't even go for free much less buy a ticket or a PSL.

The NFL Experience: Just say no....