WOW!
This is a novel approach to crowd control! If ejected at an American Football match, an NFL fan will have to sit a four hour online course, then achieve a 70% pass mark!
What are the consequences if they try to get into any other National Football League (NFL) stadia without the exam pass mark or without taking the course in 'good behaviour'? They will be arrested!
One of the 14 topics of the course is entitled "skills for becoming less impulsive and improving judgment", and another five deal with alcohol.
Dr Ari Novick, is a licensed psychotherapist, and developed the course in addition to one he runs for Major League Soccer.
He states: "We're not trying to squash anyone's passion. We're just trying to say don't be violent."
Novick began sampling the program in 2010, employing his conduct classes at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
Daniel DeLorenzi, security chief of MetLife Stadium - the shared home of the New York Giants and Jets - also demands a letter of apology before allowing re-entry if the crowd goes wild. He estimates 25 fans are ejected each year from the Giants-Jets game alone, and about 500 in total per year.
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| Denver Broncos fan arrested |
He said: "Most of the time, they apologise for their behaviour." He reckons on about 25 percent of the ejected fans never take the course and they make the “unforgiven” list: this contains the name, photo and seat number of every booted fan.
According to the report, security guards comb the stands for the “unforgiven,” and 10 have been caught in the stadium and arrested for trespassing.
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| Arrest at Arizona Cardinals match |
The classes are an effort to stem the rising tide of ugly stadium behaviour that has included everything from bare-knuckle brawls to lewd Jets fans who screamed obscenities at women until they exposed their breasts in a rude Gate D tradition at the old Giants Stadium.
Novick takes $55 (£35) for each test taken, with charities receiving the remainder such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers.
With racism still evident from the stands across Europe in football in advance of the European Championhips in Poland & Ukraine?
Should we be worried? Theo van Seggelen, the secretary-general of FIFPro seems to think so. Union chief fears racism in Poland and Ukraine
Do YOU think this novel approach could work in football in Europe, or in South America?
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