Some Kansas Jayhawk football fans (?) are a little upset at a new ticketing policy in Lawrence. If you bring a toddler to the game now, they’re going to need a full-price ticket, regardless of age or size.
“I just thought it was pretty tacky,” Owen Foust said. “It’s just a grab for money.”
and…
“This is supposed to be a family-friendly environment,” Owen Foust said. “I don’t think that policy promotes that [environment] much.”
I hate to disagree, Owen, but I enthusiastically support the new policy. Hey, I like kids as much as anyone (despite what you might hear in this little interview I did yesterday on the Sports Bloggers Live podcast, which ends with them calling me disgusting, and rightfully so). But I’ll be honest with you, I don’t want to see your 3-month-old at a football game or a basketball game, and I will think less of you if you bring them.
What’s the point of even take a kid that age to a game? The child in question here is 3 months old… let’s be reasonable about this. That kid doesn’t know where the hell he is, and will gain nothing from the experience. Get a babysitter. If I’m sitting next to your kid, I’m going to make him cry. Bank on it. I’m going to scream, I’m going to teach your child his first profanities, I might elbow him in his soft, bald, head. It’s really no place for him… and I doubt very seriously that a child that young is going to enjoy the game in any way.
Now, it’s different if the kid’s a little older, and it’s something they’ll remember. That, I’ve got no problem with, every kid has a right to see a ballgame, share that with their dad or mom or whoever, and have a good time. I love that. That should be encouraged.
But if the kid’s at an age where they don’t even know what the hell’s going on around them… just get a babysitter or something. If you can’t find one, lock them in a closet, or chain them to a radiator at home. Be a responsible parent and duct tape them to something at home while you go enjoy the game. I don’t want to hear them crying.
I don’t even think new Kansas policy even goes far enough. Charge them double, and make them sit next to the drunkest, sweatiest, most abusive, profane, smelly guy in the house. They need to be taught a lesson.
deucetrey
Um…not to be a realist here…ok, to be a realist…but if they aren’t taking up a seat, explain to me why they need a ticket? Oh, for the seat he’s taking up? You mean the one that’s paid for? Oh…a father can’t watch the game with his son? The kid might not remember – honestly, I can barely remember anything before second grade – but the dad sure can.
This is a money grab, pure and simple.
And if you’re stadium is quiet enough that you can hear a baby cry, you suck as a fan.
September 8, 2006 at 3:10 am
Edward
“And if your stadium is quiet enough that you can hear a baby cry, you suck as a fan”
Sorry, I disagree. The average toddler has a set of lungs that could wake the goddamn dead. Sit next to that, and there’s not enough beer in the world to drown out the noise.
It should also be noted that it’s not a great environment for the kid either. Small children have very sensitive hearing, and in a stadium, there’s really no escape from ear-splitting noise. There’s also inadequate changing facilities to consider for very small ones (and I have no idea how formula would be warmed up…maybe you could chuck the bottle on one of those rotating hot dog things). Also, as you may have noticed, crowds aren’t always polite and respectful. Beer gets spilled, batteries get thrown, people push and get pushed. There is something to be said for bringing older children to games, even if they may not remember it later…say three or four-year-olds. But I can think of no reason an infant or toddler should be at a large sporting event (larger than say, AAA baseball). It’s bad for the other fans, and bad for the little brat.
September 8, 2006 at 4:05 am
Jay Miller
Sure, it’s a money grab. A money grab with the added benefit of keeping all the little tykes and their “can you please watch your language” parents out of the fucking stadium. Like many, I don’t feel guilty about screaming profanity in front of your kids. I don’t feel bad when I accidentally run over the height-challenged little guy. About the only thing I do feel towards you and your ‘that’s really inappropriate’ looks is annoyance, and if I drink enough, I’ll tell you to shut the fuck up and get the fuck away from us, which just escalates the situation.
Fuck ‘family friendly.’ Go Jayhawks.
“Good father? Fuck you, go home and play with your kids.”
September 8, 2006 at 7:06 am
john
Wow. Why are Edward and Jay so bitter and angry? Look,it’s a ridiculous, indefensible policy. Charging a 3-month old for the full price of a ticket? What a joke. I guess if you’re Kansas football, you need to find ticket buying fans wherever you can.
And as for it not being a good place for a kid, no changing tables, blah, blah, blah, why don’t you let parents decide that for themselves. I don’t think we need the Kansas athletic department telling people how to raise their kids. They should focus on keeping their football team from being relegated to D-III.
September 8, 2006 at 8:58 am
rob
Hell yeah, mjd! Based on your points, let’s take the next three logical steps:
- Every fan gets a sobriety test coming in. If they can’t walk the line, they’re tossed. They ain’t gonna remember a thing, plus it’s a health hazard, like loud noises.
- Every tailgate area has booze-sniffing dogs and any draft found is chunked and the drinker banned. I don’t want to see you stumbling and vomitting in the stands, much like you’d expect a 12-month-old would.
- All hot women are to be charged extra based on the skin they’re showing. Big titties – double. Tight tummy – double and a half. Long legs – triple. The whole package – you’re going to need a loan, honey. Fans are here for the game, not you. Don’t distract them.
People go to a football game for reasons other than the game – to drink, hook up, party, oogle or just get out the house. I take my lil one occasionally and we always sit out of the way, in the nosebleeds well behind the end zone. Sure, she won’t remember it, but she has a great time there. Five years from now, I won’t remember the game either, but I’ll know she was there with me.
Kansas can do what it wants, but that’s bad PR. Sucks to be a Jayhawk .. which really goes without saying.
September 8, 2006 at 9:46 am
Big Daddy
I have to agree with rob – I think the bad PR that Kansas will grab from this probably isn’t worth whatever they were trying to accomplish. If it’s a pure and simple money grab increase everybody’s tickets by a buck or two. Most fans wouldn’t notice a $1 increase. If it’s an attempt to keep babies and toddlers out of the stadium I think that will backfire with those parents who enjoy bringing the tiniest fans to the game. Bottom line? Kansas lost on this one.
September 8, 2006 at 10:22 am
PeteJayhawk
Of course, the fact that a lot of other schools have the same policy is buried deep in the story. Sure, it’s a money grab. So what? We’re desperately trying to play financial catchup with our football program after years of neglect by the former AD. Also left unmentioned in the story is the fact that KU sells family packs of tickets at reduced prices. Keep winning and the fans will come regardless of whether or not they have to buy a ticket for their babies.
September 8, 2006 at 10:43 am
WBRS Sports Blog
I think a lot of college teams are starting to do this, so why should Kansas fans be upset? Cause they suck?
September 8, 2006 at 11:22 am
the mighty mjd
Rob, I don’t know what any of that has to do with what I said… would I also support people that are falling-down drunk from entering a stadium? Yes. In fact, I’ve seen it happen. I don’t care if someone drinks, but if they’re hammered to the point where they’re going to pass out in the stands? Yes, they’re a threat to other fans and to themselves. I don’t see anything wrong with keeping them out. Do you?
And about the hot women… I don’t understand what point you’re trying to make there. I don’t know how it relates. Sorry.
September 8, 2006 at 11:24 am
rob
mjd – Your post came across as defining who should be at a football game. That since a child can’t understand what’s going on around him or remember the game, they shouldn’t be there, only those that “know what the hell’s going on around” them.
I would argue plenty of adults fit that bill, thanks primarily to alcohol and the chance to scope some college chicks. (I’m sure Carl Monday could fill days of programming at a bigtime college football game)
Re-reading your post, I assume you mean “keep your damn kids away from me!”
I agree children – no matter the age – have no business near the hardcore mjds in the stands. Those parents are just asking for trouble.
I just don’t think parents should be penalized for bringing a youngin to the game. If airlines let kids 2 and under fly free, why can’t the nation’s minor league football franchises (aka. NCAA football) do the same?
As an aside, I apologize if I’m a bit too sensitive on this topic. I’ve had debates with idiots who argue against some of the family-friendly aspects of my alma mater’s stadium. We feature a grassy hill behind one endzone, where parents let kids roam free. I don’t understand why that pisses some people off, but it does.
September 8, 2006 at 11:53 am
Biff
I went to my first hockey game at the ripe old age of four months old because my parents didn’t need to pay for me and/or were too cheap to hire a babysitter (Of course, back then, tickets to a hockey game, on the glass, were $35 a pop). Needless to say, no child should ever, under any circumstances, grow up to be like me in any way, so I think this is a good policy.
September 8, 2006 at 12:31 pm
DookieStyle
Facts are…if I’m paying 50 bucks for a ticket, I don’t care what I say around your kid.
Kids are just annoying in general. Don’t take them anywhere…especially sporting events and the grocery store..unless
A) they are comfortable with an obsessive amount of profanity
B) they know how to act in public.
September 8, 2006 at 12:33 pm
Mark
“We’re desperately trying to play financial catchup with our football program after years of neglect by the former AD”
Okay, problem 1: also see Rick Reilly’s article from SI for this past week. Way too much money in general floating around athletics on college campuses that struggle financially in other departments. Damn right, Kansas was making a money grab…and how come?
Problem 2: On that note, I think DookieStyle got it right. Tickets are too expensive to be around a whining kid the entire game, and in public places in general, for God’s sakes parents, MAKE SURE THEY KNOW HOW TO ACT IN PUBLIC ANYWHERE!!!! It’s fucking ridiculous to let the kid scream and scream and for the parents to act like they don’t hear it (See: Family Guy episode where Brian fathers puppies)
But generally speaking, I think you and the kid would have a better experience watching the game at home. Hell, stadium seats hurt my ass and cramp my legs anyway. What better way to bond with your son/daughter than holding him/her on your lap in the recliner, drinking your beer, and watching the game with the bathroom within easy reach? Seems to me that the better option is just to stay home.
September 8, 2006 at 2:57 pm
Matt Moore
I love that Dookie wants your kid to act right while he’s cussing their poor ears off. In the grocery store?!
September 8, 2006 at 3:13 pm
snake
dookie has it right. if the parents are willing to subject their little one to profanity, drinking, etc, then why would some a-hole like ed or jay care who is sitting on my lap, or in a kid carrier hanging in front of my chest.
i have had my now 10 week old on 2 flights, in a smoke free bar watching baseball, the metro, and many other situations in a baby bjorn where the people around us did not even realize i had a kid with me. also, my wife can change him in about 30 seconds on her lap.
the policy is ridiculous. there is nothing an kid under 2 can do that college kids and alumni dont do 10 times worse that anyone could justify such a policy on public nuisance grounds. a ticket is for a seat.
September 8, 2006 at 3:32 pm
Fightclub3230
I work in California at a theatre and we have the same policy. According to my boss, we need the policy because if there is a fire, the fire department needs to know how many people are in the building. I’m pretty sure he’s full of shit, but that’s one theory.
Also, if you think your life sucks, try telling a parent that they have to pay $40 for their 6-month old. No lady, I didn’t make the policy and I am not trying to ruin your child’s birthday.
September 8, 2006 at 7:33 pm
Matt Moore
DookieStyle: “How can a man be properly foul-mouthed in public with all these misbehavin’ kids distracting him?!”
September 8, 2006 at 8:07 pm
the mighty mjd
I hate to sound like a pussy, but I may have been a little misguided and hasty on this… as I often am. I still maintain my preference not to sit around a young child at a game, particularly a baby, but… I’ll certainly grant that an actual parent will have a very different perspective on the issue, one that I didn’t even bother to consider.
And just for the record, I think this issue is completely seperate from taking a child on a plane, or the metro, or to the grocery store. Those things are, in a lot of cases, necessary for parents… and also done in a completely different atmosphere. The parent and the child aren’t somewhere where everyone else goes to have a good time. I’ve never gotten mad about a screaming baby in the store or anywhere else… it’s not like the parent is happy about the situation, either, but it may not be avoidable. Those things happen.
A poorly-behaved child or a crying baby (as are most of the ones I’ve seen at sporting events) can make a game less enjoyable for everyone around them. No one wants to hear the crying, or see or smell a diaper get changed, or listen to a child being constantly reprimanded. These things happen. I’m still recommending the babysitter, and I still don’t have any problem with the Kansas policy.
September 9, 2006 at 12:50 am
Edward
I’m not bitter, I just don’t think children should have carte blanche to attend grown up events. I include things other than sporting events in this; I don’t want to see infants at weddings, night clubs, or the running of the bulls at Pamplona either.
And I take issue with the ‘If I pay for my tickets, I can do what I want’ attitude as well. I have a very well behaved labrador; could I bring him to a game? He doesn’t bark or growl, and will sit quietly in his seat, hoping a squirrel will come by so he can stare at it meaningfully. I’d guarantee you he’d cause less disruption (and have a better time) than most (probably any) infants. All he needs to be happy is half a hot dog, a nacho or two, and to hear his name every so often. But no one would complain about banning dogs from most games.
Maybe like for dogs there should be a ‘Take Your Baby to the Game’ night. I’d be fine with that. I would definitely stay home that day though.
I’d also be happy if there were ‘family friendly’ areas of the stadium, like many baseball stadia do.
I don’t think this is somuch a money spinner as a way of banning small children without banning small children.
September 9, 2006 at 3:23 am
Moonshine Mike
parents changing diapers around drunk Kansas Men? What’s the over on several hammered coeds grabbing and flinging those diapers down towards the field? yea, it’s kansas.
September 9, 2006 at 10:00 am
Mr. Bojangles
There’s a fun, lively crowd, and then there are those fuckhead fans who flail around and shout inane, foul shit constantly, like they’d rather be the center of attention than the fucking game. Based on the above comments, I can’t tell who’s who. But getting excited and enjoying the game does not equate to rampant use of profanity and spilling your beer everywhere like a tweaked out frat boy. Are you guys truly defending this as ‘the way real fans are’? Give to Jerry’s Kids if you want to support mental retardation. At least the babies have an excuse for their behavior.
Back in Philly in particular, the Eagles fans would treat the stadium like they just walked into Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. I half expect Tina Turner to come out with her hoopty earrings to announce the cage match before the game, the behavior is so heinous. I decided to watch the games at home, or at my favorite sports pub with a few friends, rather than deal with that bullshit. Sadly, I’ve since moved to Oakland, where the fans even dress the part of post-apocalyptic warriors. Fuck me.
September 9, 2006 at 11:03 am
DookieStyle
Lemme clarify…
I don’t sit there and go “fuck fuck fuck.” But if Charlie Batch fumbles a snap, and I happen to yell fuck, I don’t want someone turning around and saying, “could you please watch your language…my 4 year old is here.”
Don’t like it…don’t bring your four year old.
And as for grocery stores…I don’t cuss in them. But if a child is running around crazy, not behaving, and they happen to be running towards me not paying attention? I’m not getting out of the way.
September 9, 2006 at 11:32 am
Babs
You rock, mjd.
I was in a bit of a blue funk – I needed that.
September 9, 2006 at 4:12 pm
Chad
I took my 18-month-old son to his first major league baseball game this summer. Sure, he didn’t watch the game, but he loved the crowd, did the wave whenever it passed (about five seconds too late) and generally entertained the people around us with his cuteness. And he never cried once. Now tell me – would you rather sit next to a kid like that or some drunken moron who spills his beer on you and curses out the pitcher every five minutes?
I understand that people don’t want kids everywhere, and I respect that. I don’t enjoy it when my little guy wails either, and I try not to subject others to it unnecessarily. But if you’re That Guy who thinks it’s your right to get hammered and swear like a Quentin Tarantino character just because you paid your $40 or whatever, you have no business telling me to keep my kids home until they learn how to “act right in public.”
September 9, 2006 at 5:11 pm
spaceno34
I can actually see both sides -
I’m a parent (She’s 12 now) and have taken my daughter to a hockey game when she was 3. She didn’t cry or care about the game but just watched the mascot. Yes, I did pay for a seat for her.
Sadly I don’t have a problem with the policy. If the game is so important for my child to be there, than I pay for her. I’m not a fan of the drunken guy cursing up a storm anywhere. But, you know that guy is going to be there. You know it’s going to go on. So as parent, you need to decide if you want your child around that.
I don’t understand parents that take there 2 year old to an R rated movie, or to a play, or to a ton of places a child shouldn’t be. As a parent, you can’t control over people you have to worry about your own actions.
They are going to be exposed to cursing. Hell, my ex curses in front of my daughter. But, my daughter decided on her own not to curse as she got older.
So while I agree that going to a football, baseball game is a good bonding for parent/child, it’s also an enviroment of idiots alot of the time. They have the right to curse and your child does have the right to cry.
September 9, 2006 at 10:26 pm
Mark
After reading more of these comments, I gotta say that I’m liking my “the better place to bond is at home in front of the TV” argument more and more.
September 10, 2006 at 11:55 am
Spulture
Honestly, I don’t undestand why they ever give kids a discount. Maybe that makes sense at amusement parks, and I’m guessing that they’ve done some research for movies and it’s in their best interest. But what does that do for me, the cynical adult who wants to enjoy a night out complete with cocktails, profanity, and nobody crying except my date when I tell her to get her own damn beer?
September 10, 2006 at 3:36 pm
RyanBeingManny
Chad, you have to stop your kid from doing the wave. Bad habbits start young and are tough to break.
September 10, 2006 at 6:22 pm