A Sign Security Has Gone Too Far

It is not just a typical Saturday morning, it’s a football Saturday morning. In a college town, such as Athens, Ohio fans are full of spirit and the smell of beer hovers over the parking lot as multitudes of students are out tailgate and fill the stands. Griffin Ward can feel the energy and cannot wait to enter the gates and find his seat, even though he plans to stand and cheer the entire game.

Ward also plans to taunt the opposing team, but as he stands and waits in the dreaded long line for his turn to enter through a body scanner, be poked and prodded, and patted down, he remembers a previous disappointment.

“They took away one of my signs once because apparently bringing a ‘Ball-is-not-a-state’ sign to a Ball State football game is considered offensive” he said. “There may be a double standard issue deeply rooted in the security force.”

Venues remain under the constant pressure of not only hosting a game or event, but also to keep their patrons safe and able to enjoy the experience. At Ohio University, “security measures have gone up incrementally for the past five years,” said Assistant Athletic Director Jason Farmer, “from a point that was behind the curve, to be ahead of the curve for venues of our size.”

Fans want and expect security. Venues have to be proactive in dealing with potential threats, but they cannot pass the point of expectation without deserved backlash. According to Ward security’s purpose is “to protect the athletes from the fans and the fans from themselves,” but they have gone too far “when their intervention causes escalation of the issue.”

Ohio University may not be behind the eight ball anymore, but is this security really a protection or just a facade that gives people an illusion of safety with ulterior motives? Ward certainly thinks there are some hidden motives behind current security that goes beyond the realm of protection after his clever sign was taken from him and tossed in the trash. “They didn’t want to risk offending any viewers since it was televised” Ward said.

Security is defined as being free from danger or threat. It should not be a placeholder that wastes time and money. A personal decision on whether language or dress or signs might be offensive should not be at the discretion of the security. Ohio University should take care of matters in this realm personally under their Bullying Policy.

Security has its purpose, but when this purpose is surpassed, fans experiences like Ward’s are in jeopardy. Fans like to have fun at football games, hold signs, and taunt other teams, and do not need security that acts more like a babysitter than a protector. Ward thought his sign was clever, and was confused by the double standard when he states “I was allowed, however, to bring in my Papa-John’s-is-adding-turnovers-to-the-menu-for-his-Alma-Mater sign” Ward says signifying that Papa John’s attended Ball State.

Has OU passed the point of needed security and started to look for other issues? Do you want to attend a football game where every sign is scrutinized because we do not want to hurt anyone’s feelings? Football is a sport where we as fans enjoy competition, taunting, and homegrown traditions. When security starts to push back on every potential annoyance, they are the ones that become the problem.