Top of the Mornin’: Chiefs fans can still stand at games
By JEFFREY FLANAGAN
The Kansas City Star
Rest easy, Chiefs fans. You may stand during Chiefs games.
There has been a buzz on the Internet recently about a certain item within the Chiefs “Fan Code of Conduct,” which is posted on the team’s Web site. That item had stated that the Arrowhead Stadium staff this season will proactively intervene with fans who are “standing and/or obstructing the view of other fans.”
Of course, that’s not exactly what the Chiefs meant, and upon further review, the language of the policy was changed last week to read “continuous standing and/or obstructing the view of other fans.”
“It was never our intent to try and legislate when fans can stand or not,” Chiefs director of public relations Bob Moore said. “We want fans on their feet and cheering. That’s what Arrowhead is all about, and that’s what has given us a home-field advantage.
“We just want fans to show some common sense and courtesy. Not everyone, especially some of the elderly or the young children, can stand the entire game. Take into consideration the guy sitting behind you.”
Moore said the Chiefs are not the only team posting a fan code of conduct.
“There was a letter sent out by the commissioner to all NFL teams recently,” Moore said. “The commissioner is putting a point of emphasis on fan conduct. And every team has probably tweaked their code of conduct to suit their specific issues.”
Part of the Raiders’ fan code of conduct, for example, states that fans can get kicked out by “refusal to remove or turn inside-out clothing deemed offensive or obscene upon request by stadium personnel.”
Part of the Steelers’ fan code of conduct frowns on “displays of affection not appropriate in a public setting.”
“We also want our fans to know,” Moore said, “that there is a way to text stadium personnel about potential problems. If you’re at a game and you notice someone around you who is being unruly or is using abusive language, you can text stadium personnel to deal with the problem.
“If you’re caught in that situation, this way you won’t have to confront the other individual, or maybe have to leave your children to find some stadium personnel to deal with it. You can just text.”
Frank White’s statue
Frank White got a mention in the Los Angeles Times in a story about how baseball teams love putting statues outside their stadiums.
Referring to his own statue outside Kauffman Stadium, White said, “It’s still hard to believe. Every time I come down the hill and I drive by it, I still get that same humbling experience.
“Sometimes when I come in, if there are (fans) around it, I’ll stop and go and shake their hand and take a picture with them. I think that’s kind of cool.”
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To reach Jeffrey Flanagan call 816-234-4492 or email at jflanagan@kcstar.com
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