Balls in the Stands

Exactly, a statement needs to be made as to how this will be handled from this time forward and it should come from the owner of the Cats which is basically league sanctioned I would say. Like a foul ball in baseball, you lean over the railing in the first row of seats to get a ball, basically it states on the ticket a fan can't do such an act, you get tossed. Ball in the stands, it's whomever gets the ball but you can't go onto the field or lean onto to get a ball. Security didn't know what to do in this case because they didn't know the rules. Seems to me.

Just to clarify what actually happened as i was sitting right next to all of this, The fan was removed after wrestling it back from security. The kid was given a souvenir ball and just before halftime a member of security came up and gave the kid the ball that he originally was given.

The fan was ejected and obviously did not return, but the kid did get both the ball from the store, and the ball from the kick.

Oh wow. I didn’t even know, I was watching the riot over by the Red Zone seating when it happened. Bullsh-t, complete bullsh-t.

Sorry but too many people, including a member of the staff have confirmed the second ball was, and this is an exact quote from an email to someone that inquired, “a panel ball plus a fresh out of the box official CFL game ball” .
It’s a hell of a lot easier to just accept that the kid received a couple free footballs when he originally had none but if a ball was taken off a shelf (I’ll even bold the If ) and presented as the same ball that went into the stands then that’s pretty slimey, but again, IF that’s the way it went that decision would have been made at a level way below top brass so all this thread should be doing is asking that we don’t put fans and staff in danger for the sake of retrieving a 75.00 football.

Also, a policy that affects what could be the highlight of any fans day should at least be enforced uniformly, not only when it’s convenient, and maybe find a way of letting people know the outcome of pursuing errant footballs, or better yet just drop the sometimes policy altogether.

I can't remember what game it was early this year, but I saw the same thing a few times in the West End Zone where a kick ended up bouncing around on top of a corporate tent and rolling down into a waiting kid's arms......he held it up like a huge prize..but, alas, the rent-a-cop came over there like a blood-hound. All the corporate guests were arguing with the guy that it was now the kid's ball and to leave him alone.

The security dude persisted, and to many many boooooos from the crowd, strong-armed the ball off the kid and walked it over and stuck it into some sort of sideline cooler or box near the 55 yard line .

Anyooooooo, I did find it strange that the policy was different and every ball had to be chased down.

(the devil in me says to bring a $10 Wal-Mart ball if you sit in the endzone and should you luck out, hand that one to the rental-cop.....) :twisted: :lol:

Was there not a similar occurrence earlier this year when a couple had their wedding reception/guests during a game at the south side of the stadium, whereas a ball sifted through the endzone and the groom caught the ball, only to have security strip him of it?

Nice wedding gift. :roll:

So, what happens when Stala punts the ball into the stands?

At BC Place, the fans get to keep the ball if it goes into the crowd. Players also toss balls up to the crowd.

Four years ago at old BC Place, my Grandson’s friend caught a ball thrown up by a player. Not one word was said to him by security or team officials. He got to keep it. (In fact they stayed for an hour and a half after the game to get players to sign the ball as they left the Stadium)

Very strange policy in Hamilton.

Ironically I just donated an old ball to the Salvation Army on Friday. If the Ti-Cats hurry they'll probably have time to rip it out of a kids hands right at the shelter.

You know, I was REALLY hoping the league was beyond this... In the 90's we used to joke the league was so pathetic if they ever lost a ball in the stands they wouldn't be able to finish the game. I guess some things never change.

If there is indeed a policy in place I seriously doubt this is the way anyone intended for it to be enforced and the only reason I say 'if' is it just isn't being enforced evenly or sensibly and again, I have to believe that somewhere somebody with more seniority than a security guard was watching pretty much in horror as a ball retrieval turned into chaos.
It does though emphasize a huge breakdown in communication between upper management and the poor shmuck that was just told to get that ball back with no further instructions on procedure or protocol.

I do believe when Stalla or any player kicks a ball into the stands or gives one freely he's expected to, or at least has the expectation that he will have to cover the cost of that ball, maybe the fan sitting there with a ball in his hand should at least be given that same option. If that 75.00 comes from a player or from a fan, it's still giving the team their money back and unless there's a better explanation that does seem to be what this is all over, $75.00.

From [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1956_Grey_Cup[/url]:

The game scorer incorrectly recorded the final score as 51 to 27. Jackie Parker scored a touchdown on the final play, and fans flooded the end zone and one stole the game ball. As most of the game officials had left the field, Edmonton could not convert the touchdown, for lack of a ball. The officials ended the game without the final convert.