NY Times: Examining Fans' Rights to Jeer at Games

[bainsey]

Link to Article

[Mark Padgett]

From the story: "But many stadiums and arenas constructed with some public financing, or built on state land or land operated by a municipal authority, could be viewed as public entities. In that setting, a government cannot force citizens to surrender constitutional rights like free speech."

The classrooms at a state university are also "public entities" so, by this logic, there can be no restrictions on what a student who has paid tuition can say in a classroom during a class (such as directing blatant profanity at a teacher), and no restriction on the volume of speech (such as yelling and screaming at a teacher during class).

We also have the constitutional right to bear arms. Does this mean a public school cannot have a restriction on carrying a gun onto school property? Actually, this is an issue here in Oregon right now.

BTW - do we also have the right to arm bears?

OK - here's another one. I once worked with a guy in a retail store and we were required to wear long sleeved shirts. One day, he showed up in a short sleeved shirt. When the manager spoke to him about it, he said he had a constitutional right to "bare arms".

[Adam]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

From the story: "But many stadiums and arenas constructed with some public financing, or built on state land or land operated by a municipal authority, could be viewed as public entities. In that setting, a government cannot force citizens to surrender constitutional rights like free speech."

Abusive speech is not protected speech. And the right to free speech does not mean you have the right to use someone else's property to engage in it; even public property.

Mark, your reference to the 2nd amendment is spot on as well. Try walking into a county court house with your side arm some time. For that matter, try taking your side arm into the same municipal stadium that the Times thinks you should be able to freely express your speech in.

[Bad Zebra]

I'm kinda surprised these two Bozos from NC State haven't filed a lawsuit already...seeing how greatly wronged they were. Sue the venue, the NCAA, Hess...everybody. I'm sure there's a boatload of practicing attorneys that went to NC State and would love a chance to take it out on the officials who are responsible for the downward spiral of their beloved basketball program.

Amazing how this issue won't die.

[Maineac]

Corchiani said. “When I’m getting Twitter messages from Tar Heel fans and Duke fans telling us we did nothing wrong, I know something weird happened.”

Well, there it is. If Duke fans and UNC fans think it's OK, it must be OK. Case closed.

[Rich]

That had to be the dumbest article I've ever seen in the NY Times.

[grunewar]

I believe a Congressional Inquiry is needed!

Let's start some hearings!

[Bad Zebra]

Originally Posted by grunewar

I believe a Congressional Inquiry is needed!

Let's start some hearings!

As much as this is meant to be a joke, how disturbing is it that the ACLU is actually mentioned in the article?

[amusedofficial]

The pontificating from the Times was dismal. They should have done a bit of reporting, rather than just make assumptions based on Twitter and the braying of people tossed from the arena. A good reporter would have asked the question that still begs an answer -- were these clowns interfering with the officials interaction with the table?

Maybe I missed it, and I miss a lot (ask any coach or parent) but I don't see anything approaching a reprimand over anything other than the failure to follow "protocol" in the manner in which the ejection was effected. Sports reporters are notoriously lousy journalists, just watch how they are cowed by coaches and managers in news conferences and are too intimidated to ask follow-up questions.

But I would have expected the Times to have asked the people at the table something more than whether the two "used vulgarity."


Moreover, this nonsense about the whiners being among NC State's "all-time greats" is as irrelevant as irrelevant can be. Doesn't matter if its an all-time great or a mascot, when you gotta go, you gotta go.

[Hugh Refner]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

BTW - do we also have the right to arm bears?

[26 Year Gap]

Originally Posted by GROUPthink

That had to be the dumbest article I've seen in the NY Times yet.

Fixed it for ya.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by GROUPthink

That had to be the dumbest article I've ever seen in the NY Times.

That's saying a LOT.

[Freddy]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

From the story: ". . . government cannot force citizens to surrender constitutional rights like free speech."

True enough, and rightfully so.
But when citizens under that government appeal to their rights as justification for their uncivil wrongs, that's when someone else always has to bear the ill effects. The effects of the resultant chaos is always borne on the civil desiring to maintain what's right.
That ought to give someone some cereal to chew on and spit out.

[rockyroad]

I was in the stands watching some buddies work a tournament game a few years ago (I had the next game) and some bozo started screaming at the crew. Profanities, comments about their mothers and their wives, just totally obnoxious stuff. I got up and moved closer to him and called out to him:

"Hey buddy! Where do you work?"

He looked at me kind of perplexed and said he worked at the local Firestone. So I told him:

"The one on 99th Street? I will be there tomorrow morning at 10:00. I'm going to spend the day screaming at you about how slow you are getting those tires mounted, and what a lousy job you did on that alignment."

He got all red in the face and actually said:

"You can't do that to me!"

When everyone around him started laughing, he got up and walked out. See - these people think that they should be able to say whatever they want to say to officials...but no one can say that kind of stuff to them.

[Multiple Sports]

Rocky Road -

That is one funny story...........