I'm guessing UK will gladly pay this fine.........

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

http://www.sportsline.com/collegefoo...story/10357642

SEC fines Kentucky $25K for fan rush after game
Sep. 17, 2007
CBSSports.com wire reports

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The Southeastern Conference fined Kentucky $25,000 on Monday for violating league policy about keeping fans off the playing field following the Wildcats' 40-34 victory over Louisville on Saturday.

SEC policy limits on-field access to "student-athletes, coaches, officials, support personnel and properly credentialed individuals."

It is the school's second violation of the policy since it was adopted in 2004. Kentucky was fined last year when fans ran onto the Commonwealth Stadium turf after the Wildcats defeated Georgia.

Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart said the school would work to "ensure a safe environment for our players and fans to celebrate future wins."

[Young Drachma]

Yeah, who do these fans think they are anyway? Gotta keep 'em in line.

[Coder]

Same thing happened during the European Championships Qualifying game between Sweden and Denmark (soccer) a few months ago. Score was 3-3, 1 minute left and the ref awards Sweden a penaltykick.. Fan rushes in and basically takes a swing at the ref.

Denmark was fined, had to play their next game in another city and the game score was determined to be 3-0 Sweden.

[TargetPractice6]

Originally Posted by Coder

Same thing happened during the European Championships Qualifying game between Sweden and Denmark (soccer) a few months ago. Score was 3-3, 1 minute left and the ref awards Sweden a penaltykick.. Fan rushes in and basically takes a swing at the ref.

Denmark was fined, had to play their next game in another city and the game score was determined to be 3-0 Sweden.

Not really the same thing if that happened during the game and interrupted play. This was 20-30 thousand people rushing the field in celebration after the game was over. I don't really see how this fine is supposed to deter this behavior. Security was outnumbered about 50-1 by the rushing fans... how could they have possibly stopped it?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by TargetPractice6

Not really the same thing if that happened during the game and interrupted play. This was 20-30 thousand people rushing the field in celebration after the game was over. I don't really see how this fine is supposed to deter this behavior. Security was outnumbered about 50-1 by the rushing fans... how could they have possibly stopped it?

It's a stupid rule. There's no way they can stop it. If the crowd wants to go on the field, no amount of security can stop them short of some use of force, which is much worse than just letting them go on the field.

[Coder]

Originally Posted by TargetPractice6

Not really the same thing if that happened during the game and interrupted play. This was 20-30 thousand people rushing the field in celebration after the game was over. I don't really see how this fine is supposed to deter this behavior. Security was outnumbered about 50-1 by the rushing fans... how could they have possibly stopped it?

Oops, I missed that.

[larrymcg421]

Yeah, we really need to crack down on fan celebrations of great upsets, because that's been such a blight on college sports for so long. Sure, people could get hurt, but more are going to get hurt at the bender taking place later that night.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

... but more are going to get hurt at the bender taking place later that night.

But probably not as seriously, nor as expensively.

Back in 1983 the eventual settlement for Meg Cimino (paralyzed by a falling goalpost after the Harvard-Yale game) was over $900k.

A similar incident at Ball State in 2001 had a state-imposed limit of $300k liability.

Or the serious injuries to two students at Toledo in 2003 after they beat Pitt. The girl who suffered the broken neck was injured 150 yards away from the field by fans who were trying to dump the goalpost into a nearby river. The other was trampled by the mob as they rushed the field.

In the latest, it's a 14 year old boy trampled by the mob. In one at Texas Tech a few years back it was a player's father who needed after stitches after a brawl broke out when the morons tried to take the goal posts into the stands.

Sorry folks, but I can't find a single thing to make inciting a riot nor criminal damage to property defensible.

[Marc Vaughan]

I think a lot depends on the situation, mood and traditions involved in pitch invasions.

For example back in the days when Brighton actually had a stadium it was near enough 'formal' tradition that we'd invade the pitch at the end of the final home match of the season.

It was done in a more or less orderly fashion and no one trashed anything - it was just a celebration of the season and a way of marking the end of that season.

[MrBug708]

I think if anyone ever rushed the Rose Bowl (any game) I think you'd see a news report with the Pasadena PD all put on leave for the mass killings of fans. Those mf'ers are no joke

[sterlingice]

Lame. It seems like KU tears down the goalposts about once a year. I've always thought it kindof stupid as I'd rather be of the view of "act like you've been ther". But there's no way you're going to stop people from going out onto the field and a fine is just stupid.

SI

[st.cronin]

hxxp://www.usnews.com/blogs/paper-trail/2007/9/17/timber-down-goes-dukes-losing-streak-goal-posts-student.html

At Duke, they tore down the goalposts after breaking their losing streak. Which is curious, since the game wasn't even played at Duke.

[TargetPractice6]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Lame. It seems like KU tears down the goalposts about once a year. I've always thought it kindof stupid as I'd rather be of the view of "act like you've been ther". But there's no way you're going to stop people from going out onto the field and a fine is just stupid.

SI

I'm sure UK fans would love to start a similar ritual, but they installed collapsible goalposts after we beat UGA last year.