Case - Controlling Fans at Professional Sporting Events

Every sporting event needs to be concerned about the potential for hooligan-type behavior. The term hooligan is often associated with European football games. Some rowdy fans get out of control and can create chaos for the majority of well-behaved fans. All too often the rowdy hooligan behavior leads to the death of a few fans. Unfortunately, examples of rowdy fan behavior are all too common. For instance, fans were warned to behave properly at the EURO 2012 football tournament.

However, 183 fans of Poland and Russia were arrested when they clashed. Water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets were used to disperse a mob, while fireworks, bottles, and other makeshift missiles were thrown by fans on both sides.61 At a 2007 soccer game in Sicily, a police officer died after being hit by a blunt object as fans fought with police inside and outside Catania's Angelo Massimino Stadium during an Italian league game against local rival Palermo. About 100 people were injured, and Italian soccer authorities postponed an entire round of games and closed down stadiums that didn't satisfy safety regulations. German soccer federation president Theo Zwanziger acknowledged in 2007 that fan violence in Germany had reached a new level. "It's scary," Zwanziger said, "That is a dangerous environment. 

You just have to put a match to the fuse and everything will explode.63 Examples of hooligan-type behavior can be found in other sports. A prime example occurred when athletes and fans interacted during a 2004 game between the NBA Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons. The incident was not a single, short-term tussle. The Pacers and Pistons' fight with fans lasted for a few minutes (a chair, beer, and popcorn were thrown at Pacers players), and the entire affair ended up in a court of law.

As a result, the NBA limited the size of alcoholic drinks to 24 ounces (710 milliliters), placed a limit of two alcoholic drinks per customer, and banned alcohol sales after the third quarter.64 In 2011, four San Francisco Giants baseball fans took a road trip to Los Angeles to watch the Opening Day game between their Giants and the Dodgers. The four Giants fans wore their Giants clothing while they attended the game in L.A.

After the game, they were attacked unprovoked in the parking lot. Giants fan Bryan Stow was seriously injured and ended up permanently disabled and would be unable to return to his work as a paramedic. Event planners determine security objectives before the event, implement the security plan, monitor and control the actual event, and then have a postevent security meeting. You can be proactive and plan for potential problems before they happen. Security considerations include perimeter security around the outside of the civic center, field, or stadium, and training for security personnel. A postevent analysis helps you to better plan future events. The 2013 Super Bowl experienced a power outage for nearly 35 minutes in the second half of the game.

A complete postevent analysis between SMG
which manages the Superdome, the local utility company Entergy Services, and the NFL was conducted to determine the exact reason why the power outage occurred during the biggest sport event of the year.66 Measures to reduce hooliganism at soccer games include providing family enclosures; trying to reduce racist chanting and remarks; promoting cooperation between clubs, police, and media in finding and prosecuting hooligans; and making sure that banned hooligans are not allowed at games. Standing plans can be used to improve efficiency through development of some regular steps and procedures to implement in all events. Fans want a safe environment to watch a game.

When Barry Bonds hit his historic home run to pass Hank Aaron, the resulting scrum to claim the ball looked quite dangerous. However, police personnel were strategically placed around the ballpark to control the situation. Two police officers did help a lucky fan catch the ball, and the only real harm was that his New York Mets shirt was torn. Proactive planning eliminated a potential chaotic situation and instead created a positive moment for all fans.67 For more information on hooliganism, visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/ in_depth/programmes/2002/hooligans/. This website allows you to watch a three-part BBC series devoted to hooligan-type behavior.

Case Questions
Select the best alternative for the following questions. Be able to explain your answers.
1. Event planners gain efficiency primarily from their
a. standing plans
b. single-use plans

2. Protecting the perimeter of an event is a(n)
a. objective
b. policy
c. procedure
d. rule
e. program
f. budget

3. Protecting fans at an event is a(n)
a. objective
b. policy
c. procedure
d. rule
e. program
f. budget

4. When looking for events that can attract an attendance appropriate to maintaining fan safety and that can generate profits for all involved parties, event planners must be careful to stay within their
a. objective
b. policy
c. procedure
d. rule
e. program
f. budget

5. The planning tools that would be most effective in helping event planners to schedule events and security are
a. planning sheets
b. Gantt charts
c. PERT diagrams

6. Event planners are most likely to use which quantitative sales forecasting technique to determine expected attendance?
a. past sales
b. time series

7. Event planners are most likely to use which qualitative sales forecasting technique?
a. sales force composite
b. customer composite
c. operating unit composite
d. survey

8. Time is a competitive advantage for an event planner.
a. true
b. false

9. Time management skills are an important part of an event manager's skill kit.
a. true
b. false

10. Event planners who have a pre-event security strategy will have a good long-term plan.
a. true
b. false

11. What other sporting events do you think would be appropriate for a pre-event security plan? Describe the success (or struggles) a local sporting event had with security.