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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, November 26, 2002

Aloha Stadium revising rules to prevent brawls

Discussion: What did you think of the UH-Cincinnati game and the fracas that followed?

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

New security measures will be implemented at Aloha Stadium in an attempt to avoid an on-field brawl like the one that drew national attention after Hawai'i's 20-19 football victory over Cincinnati.

UH supporters with on-field credentials will be barred from going near the visiting team's sideline, and security will be beefed up near the tunnel leading to the visitors' locker room, school and stadium officials announced yesterday.

The changes come following criticism from Cincinnati athletic director Bob Goin, who called UH's game management "irresponsible," and national newscasts that aired video of the brawl.

Stadium officials also will meet with police and security representatives today to discuss an earlier cutoff point for beer sales, which continue through the third quarter of UH football games.

"We don't condone that type of behavior from our fans nor from our student athletes. I think it was one of those games where the emotion was there for both sides," said Herman Frazier, UH athletic director.

The 24th-ranked Warriors host No. 14 Alabama on Saturday in a nationally televised game, for which Frazier said "we will make sure there will be a nice environment to play in."

On Sunday, Goin criticized "game management" that he said created a hostile environment leading to the brawl between the teams.

As Bearcat players walked toward the locker room afterward, they were pelted with plastic soda bottles, balled-up newspapers, food and paper plates thrown from the stands. A police officer used pepper spray to drive back some fans who were throwing items and leaning over the railing directly above the locker room entrance.

On the UC Web site, Goin said: "This is the worst game management operation that I have encountered during my career in intercollegiate athletics. To give unrestricted access to the sideline area to as many boosters that were present (that) evening is irresponsible. We were subjected to a barrage of verbal abuse from these individuals all evening long that I believe is way outside the bounds of what I consider good sportsmanship."

Aloha Stadium manager Eddie Hayashi said he would increase security in the area near the visitors' locker room. Until Saturday, he said, there had never been a problem in that area for a college or high school football game.

"The only time we had a problem was with the Pro Bowl," Hayashi said. "The players would throw their gloves (to the fans), and then we had a mad rush. People would fight for souvenirs. (The fans) wouldn't throw anything."

Frazier said he would look into the number of spectators receiving sideline passes. "But I don't really think it's broken," he said.

According to UH officials, each team receives 40 sideline passes, as do some corporate sponsors. UH President Evan Dobelle often brings guests for brief on-field visits.

There is no NCAA rule limiting the number of sideline passes.

"There's probably a little more traffic than I think we should have, but that's people coming and going," Frazier said. "Our chancellor goes down there. Our president goes down there. From that standpoint of view, that's something this university has done in the past."

Frazier already has cut back on the number of field passes this season.

"Those are things we'll take a look at," he said.

Hayashi said there were about 100 police officers and security workers the night of the brawl. He requests 40 to 50 police officers for each UH game, he said, but such special duty is voluntary, so "sometimes 10 to 12 don't sign up." Vacancies are filled with private security guards.

The police and security guards are supposed to be watching the crowd "so no one comes on the field," Hayashi said.

"I think our security did a good job by containing people in the stands," he said, noting that the stadium's policy of removing caps from bottled beverages prevented "people from getting hurt."

Meanwhile, Frazier said he was annoyed that Goin did not speak with any UH official before making his criticism public.

Frazier said he tried to meet with Goin during and after the game, without success.

"I was on the field at halftime. I was behind his bench at the end of the second quarter. I talked to his football coach at the end of the game. I talked to my football coach. I talked to the police. I even talked to student-athletes from Cincinnati, as well as student-

athletes from the University of Hawai'i," Frazier said. "What else can you do?"

Frazier said he had spoken with UH officials yesterday and "my commissioner (Karl Benson of the Western Athletic Conference) before I placed a call into Bob. Obviously, when I got on the phone, Bob wasn't there."

At his weekly news conference yesterday, UH coach June Jones denounced Goin's claims that "this game was taken away from us by the officials and our kids were cheated out of a victory."

Said Jones: "They're lucky we didn't catch the ball three times (on wide-open plays), or it would have been another 70-10 game. We would have blown them out. They're lucky they got out 20-19. That's the way I look at it."

Jones also charged that the discrepancies in penalties — Cincinnati was assessed 14 to UH's two — were the Bearcats' doing.

"When you're undisciplined, you lose games," he said. "They were undisciplined. They came out of the locker room talking to our players, jawing with them. ... Before they got off the bus, they got what they deserved. They weren't able to close out Ohio State the same way. I don't have any problem. In fact, I hope they come over here and play us again."

Paul Labenne, head referee for Saturday's game, said WAC rules prohibited him from commenting.

Schools had to deal with violence at football games around the country this weekend. Three fans were injured and police used pepper spray on others at a North Carolina State game; Ohio State fans threw chunks of sod at police, who responded with pepper spray; fans bombarded visiting players at Washington State with thrown bottles; and scores of fans were led off in handcuffs after rushing the field during Cal's victory over Stanford.