The jerk store called

[dream_017]

CINCINNATI -- Most of the people who called the Cincinnati Bengals' new hot line for reporting unruly fans just wanted to see if it worked -- or hung up.

About 100 calls had come in to the hot line, 381-JERK, by the end of halftime at the Bengals' preseason game Sunday against the Washington Redskins. The team set up the hot line to allow fans to report excessive foul language, fights and other bad behavior in the stands.

Hamilton County sheriff's deputies were dispatched to handle rowdy fans at least once because of a call to the hot line, said Bob Bedinghaus, the team's director of development for Paul Brown Stadium.

One security guard manned the hot line's sole telephone during the game. The line doesn't have call waiting or voicemail, so some fans might have gotten a busy signal.

Bedinghaus said that's likely to cause complaints, "but we're not going to put 25 people down there to answer phone calls." If the line is busy, fans can ask a security guard or police officer for help.

A call to the hot line alerts security to check out the complaint on camera, then in person if action is warranted. According to Bedinghaus, the team has 38 cameras in the stadium.

"It was a great tool to call attention to something we're trying to address: unruly fans," he said.

Bedinghaus said the team probably will review the hot line's effectiveness after the second home game of the regular season, on Oct. 1 against the New England Patriots.

"If 90 percent of the calls we're getting are prank calls," he said, "we need to re-evaluate this."
[/url]

I haven't seen any post on this. I don't see this working too well

[DrSpackle]

Women in Cincy will be using this as their phony phone number and give it out to men they want to get rid of.

[bklik]

Id definitly be tempted to call this number if I was drunk at a game and saw an advertised number to report drunk people.

[Sixxgunn]

....and they're running out of you!


Oh yeah, this thing is going to be a prank-fest waiting to happen. I can see it now, Pittsburgh is in town and some guy is wearing a Big Ben jersey...ring! This jerk is wearing an opposing players jersey, toss him out! What do you mean you can't? He also said Carson Palmer is a little girl that can't take a hit! Oh yeah, he said yo mama is fat!

[stomperrob]

Actually it's a good idea - nothing worse than sitting by some rude obnoxious drunk when you're trying to watch an otherwise enjoyable game. I know they've done it in Calgary at NHL and CFL games and even gone as far as kicking out season ticket holders and refunding their season tickets and letting someone else have them who know how to act like adults. Nothing wrong with having a few drinks at a game but I can't stand those fans who only go there to get drunk and act like goofs and don't really care about the game. It's doubly annoying when you take your kids to the game.

[andus]

It's about time the government started protecting us from foul language and alcohol at sporting events. I myself raise my own children to dial 911 if Daddy ever gets angry at Mommy or makes them do their homework. As for the surveillance cameras, I feel much safer knowing that all the fans around me must temper their enthusiasm and be on their best behavior for fear of being pounced upon by a sheriff's deputy. In fact, why stop there? I feel cameras should be placed in all stadium restrooms to ensure that everyone wash their hands afterward, under penalty of law. After all, it's things like government surveillance and whistle-blowing neighbors that made America great in the first place. Let's keep it up, and hopefully someday we'll all be living in Disneyland.

[stomperrob]

It was done by the team not the government, and the team has every right to decide who it wants to have as fans. If you like sitting with obnoxious drunks you'll have to go elsewhere it seems. And who said anything about banning enthusiastic fans - you render your point moot when you exagerate to the point of being ridiculous.

[TheDeepBomb]

I listened to 700 WLW and the main reason why there weren't a lot of reports of jerks was because 99% of the fanbase at the game there were Bengal fans. Who are you going to pick a fight with? The guy agreeing with you that Cincy rocks?

Now if Cleveland or Pittsburgh were there the jerk calls would go up expotentially. I think it's a great idea.

[Paladyr]

Wow I live in cincy and hadn't even heard about this! Sweet! I know it's going to be abused during the pitt game or something. They are just going to call the line to f' with us. Hey pitt, why don't you go roll over another QB's leg to win the AFC!!!!! Jerks!

[steelerfan513]

its a good idea, but i doubt it will work b/c of all the prank phone calls taking up the line.

Women in Cincy will be using this as their phony phone number and give it out to men they want to get rid of.