No Balls

[TecnoGenius]

The kid & I usually take one of the little foam Bomber balls they hand out to kids who go onto the field after games.  We like to skip the rush onto the field, by which time they run out of freebies.  It's never been a problem to take them in our bag.

This game we decided to take our freshly-bought blue & gold Bomber full(?)-size ball for the first time.  Got to the bag check at the gate and dude said we can't bring it in.  News to me.  Every time we go down on the field we see tons of guys chucking real / full-size pigskins around.  I'm assuming not all of them just bought them at the Bomber Store?

So they took the ball, but gave me a tag and said I could retrieve it after the game.  What am I going to do, walk 1.5km back to my secret parking spot?  Ok, lesson learned, no biggie.  That's not the story (though did you know this IGF rule?).

After the game when they opened the field they announced on the speakers that no balls are allowed on the field, not even the mini foam ones.  That was shocking.

After we left the field we got our ball.  Staff was very nice.  We asked them about the big / mini balls and the new rule and they said big balls were never allowed.  Again, news to me, but I'd never tried/thought to bring one before.  But they said even mini balls were banned now because two people got hurt at the MTL game.

I'm a bit miffed that a couple of people can ruin the fun for everyone else, and ruin a tradition that's been going on almost as long as IGF has been open.  Ya, ok, taking a full-size ball to the face isn't fun (if that's what happened), but this new rule must mean they complained or even took up legal action.  It's kind of a sad commentary, as anyone who has ever gone down on the field knows you keep your head on a swivel and watch out for runners and balls.  It sort of goes without saying as you trot down onto a football field.

If they must ban full-size balls (even ones you just bought at the Bomber Store that night), ok, I get it.  Those are heavy and can hurt.  But banning the mini foam balls is just stupid.  I could chuck that full speed at my kid's head and he'd just think it was funny.  They can't hurt anyone, let alone having a rainbow toss land on your cranium.

Please let sanity prevail and allow the little balls again.  And keep giving freebies to the kids.  They just love it, and for many kids the foam ball toss on the field is more exciting than watching the game.  If you must, put up a sign at every entry point saying you enter at your own risk, watch for balls.  Put it on the jumbotron.  Hang it from the uprights.  Or, make the visitors-entrance half of the field for ballers and the Bomber half ball-free.

After the panic pause, hopefully they'll think this one through.  I bet more people get hurt tripping down the concrete steps during the game than by a mini football... but we don't ban getting up for a halftime whizz.

[TecnoGenius]

Oh ya, one other thing, kudos to whoever talked with IGF about getting receipts working at every vendor.  I know someone must have, as between the week I complained and the last game they got every single receipt printer working.  I bought from 6(!) different vendors during the game and they all gave me receipts when I asked.  That includes the 2 vendors that said "no receipts possible" for every single game before that... both of whom shall remain nameless.

Thanks for passing that along!  This forum is such a wonderful place.

[bluengold204]

I kind of agree here.  Big balls shouldn?t be allowed those can hurt and do some damage.  The little foam ones big whoop if someone gets hit.

That being said one time during a commercial break I did see one of the red shirt dummies whip one into the crowd and hit a poor kid in the face who instantly started crying? so maybe they hurt more then I?m assuming they would.

[TecnoGenius]

I kind of agree here.  Big balls shouldn?t be allowed those can hurt and do some damage.  The little foam ones big whoop if someone gets hit.

That being said one time during a commercial break I did see one of the red shirt dummies whip one into the crowd and hit a poor kid in the face who instantly started crying? so maybe they hurt more then I?m assuming they would.

If you have little kids, you'll know they start crying more from being startled than from being hurt.

What about the shirt-cannon blasting heavy shirt packets into the crowd?  Surely that's hurt someone at some time.  You cannot protect everyone from a boo-boo at all times without removing all the fun from the other 99.9999%.

Heck, TD scorers regularly chuck the balls who-knows-where in the stands, at far higher velocities than any of the stuff we're talking about.  Are they going to ban TD balls?

I guess these people have also never been to a MLB game... now that's a ball that really hurts.

[TecnoGenius]

That being said one time during a commercial break I did see one of the red shirt dummies whip one into the crowd and hit a poor kid in the face who instantly started crying? so maybe they hurt more then I?m assuming they would.

Did the kid at least get to keep the souvenir? 

[bluengold204]

If you have little kids, you'll know they start crying more from being startled than from being hurt.

What about the shirt-cannon blasting heavy shirt packets into the crowd?  Surely that's hurt someone at some time.  You cannot protect everyone from a boo-boo at all times without removing all the fun from the other 99.9999%.

Heck, TD scorers regularly chuck the balls who-knows-where in the stands, at far higher velocities than any of the stuff we're talking about.  Are they going to ban TD balls?

I guess these people have also never been to a MLB game... now that's a ball that really hurts.

They aren't banned but they do get fined when they throw the ball into the stands.  Or I guess I should clarify in the NFL they do, no clue what the CFL rules are.

[bluengold204]

Did the kid at least get to keep the souvenir? 

Lol I would hope so but I went for a beer shortly after so I don't really remember

[theaardvark]

They aren't banned but they do get fined when they throw the ball into the stands.  Or I guess I should clarify in the NFL they do, no clue what the CFL rules are.

Not sure if they are fined in the CFL, but I think they have to pay for the ball... because, CFL.