Aloha Stadium relatively free of fan misbehavior
By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer
Aloha Stadium manager Eddie Hayashi said fan misbehavior happens sometimes during the Pro Bowl, but not so much recently at University of Hawai'i football games.
"This past year, it was pretty good," Hayashi said. "We didn't have too many fights, but at the Pro Bowl usually we have fights. It's not where we can't control it. Maybe at the Pro Bowl we get five or six fights."
Hayashi said rowdy behavior can usually be traced to alcohol abuse and "people drinking in the hot sun."
To prevent fan misbehavior, Hayashi said the stadium has implemented several measures, including stopping alcohol sales after the third quarter and earlier if necessary, limiting tailgating to 3 1/2 hours, teaching stadium employees on how to deal with alcohol issues and misbehavior, staffing about 75 police officers, and having S.W.A.T. on-call for the Pro Bowl.
Aloha Stadium has had scattered instances of fan misbehavior, including one against Brigham Young in 1996 and another last season against Cincinnati.
On Nov. 16, 1996, UH starting quarterback Glenn Freitas and redshirt running back Quincy Jacobs went into the stands during a melee in BYU's 45-14 victory over Hawai'i.
The fights were reported on ESPN and in several newspapers across the country, including USA Today and the Los Angeles Times.
For punishment, then-head coach Fred vonAppen required Freitas and Jacobs to work an unspecified amount of community service.
On Nov. 23 last year, an on-field fight between Hawai'i and Cincinnati led UH fans to pelt Cincinnati players with debris on their way to the locker room after the game.
At one point, police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd in the stands. In the aftermath, Cincinnati athletic director Bob Goin claimed UH officials allowed unrestricted sideline access to UH boosters, who verbally assaulted Cincinnati players.
As a result of that incident, new security measures were implemented that included barring UH supporters with on-field credentials from going near the visiting team's sideline, and beefing up security near the tunnel leading to the visitors' locker room.
