Throwing Tradition Out The Window

[AUChizad]

I saw this kid get ejected. Thought it was bullshit.

http://theplainsman.com/bookmark/15522293

Throwing tradition out the window
by Nick Bowman / OPINIONS EDITOR The Auburn Plainsman
3 hrs 42 mins ago

Throwing a football out of Jordan-Hare could get you more than time on the JumboTron.

The football semi-tradition entails students catching footballs from the field goals and extra points scored by the opposing team and throwing them from the stadium.

Unlucky or conspicuous fans will find themselves escorted from the stadium by Auburn police.

The first ejection occurred during Utah State.

“If that type of behavior occurred, as a minimum the person would be escorted from the stadium,” said Captain Tom Stofer of the Auburn police. “But, we could take other action.”

That other action is an arrest on a charge of theft of property. No arrests have been made in relation to the practice, but students are still annoyed by the possibility of punishment.

“It’s just a football,” said Adam Lucy, freshman in biomedical sciences. “It’s just kind of a waste of time for them. It’s not like they need it.”

Kirk Sampson with athletic media relations says that police have discretion in the stadium to carry out the policies in place.

The Auburn Fan Guide lays out the law on throwing anything from Jordan-Hare.

“Do not throw objects, including cups and ice, from the stands or any other area of the stadium. Anyone caught throwing objects will be subject to ejection from the stadium and/or arrest.”

Others feel the University should do more to keep students out of trouble than enforce policies.

“If the University doesn’t want students to toss footballs out of the stadium after field goals and extra points, there should be nets behind the goal posts,” said Brandon Frye, graduate student in materials engineering. “Throwing students out of a game for participating in a tradition after they’ve been pressured by the student section and displayed on the JumboTron doesn’t make much sense.”

Stofer said that although police could charge a fan with theft of property, it’s unlikely they would.

“We have a lot of good fans, and they’ll do what they need to do and return the ball to the field,” Stofer said.
 

[JR4AU]

“It’s just a football,” said Adam Lucy, freshman in biomedical sciences. “It’s just kind of a waste of time for them. It’s not like they need it.”

This was a really shitty statement to make by an Auburn student.   

[JR4AU]

And another....

“If the University doesn’t want students to toss footballs out of the stadium after field goals and extra points, there should be nets behind the goal posts,” said Brandon Frye, graduate student in materials engineering. “Throwing students out of a game for participating in a tradition after they’ve been pressured by the student section and displayed on the JumboTron doesn’t make much sense.”

 

[JR4AU]

I saw this kid get ejected. Thought it was bullshit.

http://theplainsman.com/bookmark/15522293

Shitty to eject him?  Probably, but the thought processes displayed by the student's quoted is disturbing. 

[Townhallsavoy]

I remember when this bullshit started. 

Sorry, but I'm glad they're getting ejected. 

There's nothing profitable from throwing a football out of the stadium.  It could seriously injure someone on the ground, and it causes a nuisance to the game and wastes money. 

Besides a few laughs from the student section, what's the point of it?

[Kaos]

I remember when this bullshit started. 

Sorry, but I'm glad they're getting ejected. 

There's nothing profitable from throwing a football out of the stadium.  It could seriously injure someone on the ground, and it causes a nuisance to the game and wastes money. 

Besides a few laughs from the student section, what's the point of it?

Biggest cheer of the day from my daughter was when a ball went out.  She thought it was hilarious. 

What's the point of fans at Wrigley throwing home run balls back?  It's what they do.

And nobody could be injured by one tossed out.  You should know the layout.  It's not hitting the street, it's landing in that open area behind the fence.  Nobody is in there during games. 

Time for an old man story...

Was at the GA Tech game in the early 80s.  Sitting in the end zone, front row.   AU led 31-7 at the half and nearly got beat. 

Errant Auburn pass into the endzone hit the ground and hopped right into my hands.  Split second hesitation with that beautiful half-stripe ball and Auburn brand in my hands.  Then I decided to run for it.  My friend and I did the Cal-Stanford remake running from security and tossing the ball back and forth with the idea of getting out of the stadium somehow and... well... the plan didn't go much farther than getting out of the stadium.  Guess we thought it was like the border to a foreign country and if we could just get out they wouldn't follow. 

We didn't get out.  Cops walled us in short of the exit.  Took the ball away and we got to leave. 

Couple of years later I was leaving Tuscaloosa after an Auburn had beaten the Tide in basketball.  Walking up the hill toward Druid City Hospital I see something bounding down the street.  Three somethings.  I dodge traffic and grab them.  Three brand new leather basketballs with AU branded in them.  Fell out of an equipment truck?  I dunno.  I played with those balls (insert joke here) for years.  Wore them down to nubs. 

[AUJarhead]

At the 1996 Iron Bowl at Legion Field, I was in the Auburn block which at the time were just metal bleachers, directly behind the goal posts...  that the Alabama kicker was warming up on.  Every time we caught a ball, we would drop it under the bleachers.  An Alabama assistant would cuss us out, crawl under the bleachers, get the ball, and they would warm up again.  After about 5 times crawling under the bleachers, they just left an assistant under them to get the balls.  At which point we began kicking cokes on him, but at least we threw the balls back to the kicker.

[AUChizad]

Biggest cheer of the day from my daughter was when a ball went out.  She thought it was hilarious. 

What's the point of fans at Wrigley throwing home run balls back?  It's what they do.

And nobody could be injured by one tossed out.  You should know the layout.  It's not hitting the street, it's landing in that open area behind the fence.  Nobody is in there during games.

^ Gets it.

Even if people were back there, really? I'd like to see the mythbusters drop a football from 50 feet or whatever and drop it onto someone. It can't hurt worse than a paintball.

It's just a "what's the harm in it" kind of thing for me.

It's like the wave, except it costs the university a whopping like $10 for the football. I'm sure they can't be paying much more than that since they're buying them in bulk.

[Townhallsavoy]

Don't we make the claim that we're the fanbase with class?  That we aren't the uneducated, redneck assholes of the state? 

It's a classless, pointless "tradition" that serves nothing.  It doesn't contribute to the competition of the game nor does it instill a sense of pride in the fans. 

[Kaos]

^ Gets it.

Even if people were back there, really? I'd like to see the mythbusters drop a football from 50 feet or whatever and drop it onto someone. It can't hurt worse than a paintball.

It's just a "what's the harm in it" kind of thing for me.

It's like the wave, except it costs the university a whopping like $10 for the football. I'm sure they can't be paying much more than that since they're buying them in bulk.

Their equipment guy goes back there and picks it up anyway.  I've been back there when one came over.  Hit the pavement behind the press room.  One of their guys was already there and grabbed it. 

I think it's funny.  I like it.  If I was in the student section I'd throw it out, too.  If they don't like it, they can just not score.  Suits me.  Don't kick your dirty balls into my stadium. 

[JR4AU]

^ Gets it.

Even if people were back there, really? I'd like to see the mythbusters drop a football from 50 feet or whatever and drop it onto someone. It can't hurt worse than a paintball.

It's just a "what's the harm in it" kind of thing for me.

It's like the wave, except it costs the university a whopping like $10 for the football. I'm sure they can't be paying much more than that since they're buying them in bulk.

It's ok to relieve the opposing team of their property because they can afford it?  Cool!

[Kaos]

It's ok to relieve the opposing team of their property because they can afford it?  Cool!

I steal their shit all the time. 

[Snaggletiger]

If there's someone back there ready to retrieve it...and telling people they may want to duck....no big woop.

[dallaswareagle]

It's ok to relieve the opposing team of their property because they can afford it?  Cool!

We stole bama’s dignity (of what they have) last year.

[AUChizad]

I'm shocked at the general tightbuttholery of this group over this "issue".

Also shocked that the only other one with unclenched sphincter is Kaos...

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

I'm shocked at the general tightbuttholery of this group over this "issue".

Also shocked that the only other one with unclenched sphincter is Kaos...

Agreed.  The ONLY time I cringed at something almost doing a Peter Pan over the back wall, was a goal post after the 1997 Iron Bowl. 

[wreckingball]

I saw some genius in the student section throwing the ball back after we made the field goal during the Miss St. game. I'm not sure some of these kids get the point.

[Snaggletiger]

I'm shocked at the general tightbuttholery of this group over this "issue".

Also shocked that the only other one with unclenched sphincter is Kaos...

I beg your pardon.  My ass lips are flapping in the breeze like Elton John's.

[djsimp]

I beg your pardon.  My ass lips are flapping in the breeze like Elton John's.

Get over here buttercup. Uncle Dan wants you to sit in his lap.

[Buzz Killington]

I'm shocked at the general tightbuttholery of this group over this "issue".

Also shocked that the only other one with unclenched sphincter is Kaos...

Don't get them started on the subject of lung cancer.