My e-mail to the TSA...

[WoolyBully]

I believe students have the right to celebrate their school's biggest win in their short history by jumping onto the field.

You may want to revisit this. The reason I say that is that there is a world of difference between a right and a privilege. RayJ is not public property! By purchasing a ticket - via student athletic fee or ticketmaster or the university - you agree to adhere to the rules of behavior set forth by the owner/operator. While your tax dollars may fund it...you don't run it! If you were advised to stay off the field and chose to not adhere to that...you are eligible for the consequences of your actions.

While I agree 100% that the use of force was extreme...I'm just giving you a heads up that the TSA/RayJ can lay down the law as they see fit. However, that does not excuse the behavior of the rent-a-cops from Saturday night. That was these minimum wage wanna be's moment of glory.

[Greg Auman]

hey all. tough to blog on something like this -- when you're dealing with arrests and allegations like this, can't really treat it informally. i was out of town most of the day today, didn't get back into town around 9, so wasn't able to put a full day into this.

not putting a headline on it tomorrow, but we have a story that will mention that at least seven fans were arrested, some on felony charges that include battery on an officer and resisting arrest with violence. trib was on top of the arrests last week, which were comparably pretty petty, so i imagine they'll be on top of this as well.

anybody that wants to offer information about what happened in the north end zone can e-mail me at aumanac1@aol.com. i'll talk with TSA tomorrow about their policies, but i can all but promise you they'll say the safest way not to get tasered is to stay in your seats. once you go on the field, you're trespassing, historic win to celebrate or not.

greg

[puc86]

I'm glad you tossed in that last part because the law does not permit citizens to administer the law and bottom line is a TSA employee is nothing but a common citizen. As I have pointed out before in the past I have had to ask people to leave my property (both personal and business) but I am not within my legal right to choke slam them if they decide not to listen, that is why we have police and while they may not be perfect at least they have been screened, trained and educated.

[MikeG]

I agree with Wooly on this one.

As you are aware, it was a very emotional and extremely important game for our school. I believe students have the right to celebrate their school's biggest win in their short history by jumping onto the field.

Basically-- you make two incorrect assumptions.

1) that they know how important the game is emotionally to anyone (well they must if they knew enough to put security on the field but still)

2) That anyone has the right to go on the field when they feel the need.

The actions of taking people into custody went too far. But you aren't going to get anywhere talking to the TSA imo

[mellobull]

And everyone wonders why we can't fill the stadium!

[Guest]

First... There was no need to run onto the field.  The game was well in hand with 10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.  As evidence, I point out that despite several thousand students still at the game, only a handful attempted to run onto the field.  Unlike previous years, when several hundred jumped the wall.

Second, what kind of idiot looks down at a line of police officers and thinks  about breaking the law??  And what kind of bigger idiot thinks that people who break the law shouldn't be apprehended and punished??

I saw the so-called brutality... and I might agree that it went a bit too far... but at least two of the morons who were tackled tried to punch the POLICE (not the TSA security people).

Finally, puc86, you absolutely DO have the right to forcibly remove people from your property.  You do not have to be a law enforcement officer to do so.  The law allows you to first warn than physically remove tresspassers.  In fact, Florida now allows you to use deadly force when its your home.

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NOTE: Had the game been a repeat of 2003 -- a 2 OT win, I would say that storming the field would be understandable.  They certainly could not have withheld a large number of students/fans -- which means they probably would only have protected the goal posts.