Nice Article in ISU Newspaper...More publicity like this is

[BridgeportHeather]

Do you feel safe?

By Eric Meister 

 

"Do you feel safe coming to watch a game at Comiskey Park?"

 

"Yes, of course I do."

 

That was the exchange that I heard outside of Comiskey Park Friday night between a news reporter and a fan coming to enjoy the game. 

 

For some reason, the media decided that because two idiots jumped out on the field last Thursday night, going to Comiskey to watch a baseball game was unsafe. 

 

Well, here is some news for you: Comiskey Park is probably the safest park in baseball to watch a game. 

 

In 2000, when the situation occurred at Wrigley Field with the fan stealing the hat off of Chad Kreuter's head, it blew up with the fans because at the time the Cubs employed only a fraction of the security force that the White Sox do.

 

For those of you who don't know, all of the security guards at Comiskey Park are off-duty police officers. In the 1970's Comiskey Park was one of the rowdiest venues in sports. You only need to look at Disco Demolition Night to know this. When the new ownership took control soon after the 70s were over, they wanted to make sure that coming to the ballpark would be a safe experience, and this was one of the measures that they took. 

 

Also, there is an equal amount, if not more security at Comiskey than any other ballpark in baseball. And if you still don't feel safe with off-duty police officers, there is uniformed police officers on-duty within the ballpark to help out if anything really major happens.

 

But nothing really major happens because security is doing their job. Take Thursday night for example. 

 

Did anyone suffer major harm? No, no one in the situation was badly hurt. Kansas City Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa suffered a few cuts, but that was it. Even the idiots that ran on the field suffered a few cuts and bruises from the players that ran onto the field protecting their coach. 

 

Was the situation taken care of in the fastest time possible? Yes. When everyone was taken off the pile the bottom four people were Gamboa, the two idiots, and a security guard. The rest of security was there in a matter of seconds and would have been on top of them if a dugout full of athletes would not have gotten there before they did. 

 

So, obviously security was doing their job that night. 

 

On Monday, September 16th, a situation occurred at FedEx Field in Washington D.C. that also questioned the policies of security. After a fight broke out, security used pepper spray in order to suppress a fight that occurred behind the visitor's bench. Something like that would never occur at Comiskey and many other sporting venues because they are not authorized to carry pepper spray. And even though the security guards at Comiskey are off-duty police officers, they can't even carry their guns. 

 

The security at Comiskey is forced to stop situations by using their numbers rather than weapons. By doing this, situations won't occur where the casual fan won't be put into any unnecessary harm by coming to the event. 

 

The question that is now being asked is can anything else be done so that a situation like this will never occur again? I would say probably not. 

 

The only thing that an organization can do in a situation like this is to be reactive, not proactive. As the situation occurs, there are enough people in the vicinity that are capable of taking care of the situation with the least amount of harm, exactly what happened at the game on Thursday night. 

 

When fans come to see a game, they want to sit as close as possible without having an obstructed view of the game. 

 

That means that it is not feasible to have security sit at the bottom of every aisle waiting for another situation like this. The only other option available is to dig a moat, fill it with water, and put up an electric fence around the field.

 

They won't do that and I'm glad because I know I feel safe at the ballpark, and at least one other person does too.

 

This article was on the back page of the Daily Vidette, the campus newspaper here at Illinois State University. I think more publicity like this is needed!

[LDF]

an outstanding post, people keep forgetting all the cops outside the park and the surrounding area. its real safe.

[SI1020]

The area around Wrigley Field (1/2 mile radius) actually has a higher crime rate than a similar area around Comiskey. Tell that to Jay Moronottti and others that trash the Sox in favor of their beloved Wrigley. Go see as many Sox games as you can afford, have a beer, cheer for our guys boo the other team (especially if it's the Cubs) and have a great time. Do it for me, I usually get back to Chi once a year or so.

[CubKilla]

Originally posted by SI1020

The area around Wrigley Field (1/2 mile radius) actually has a higher crime rate than a similar area around Comiskey. Tell that to Jay Moronottti and others that trash the Sox in favor of their beloved Wrigley. Go see as many Sox games as you can afford, have a beer, cheer for our guys boo the other team (especially if it's the Cubs) and have a great time. Do it for me, I usually get back to Chi once a year or so.

 

If Moronotti had to write a fact-based article on the White Sox, besides the team, he'd find he has nothing bad to write about. So he makes s*** up just to prove his point. Moronotti is an idiot. I refuse to read his crap anymore..... unless it's an article written by him trashing his beloved sCrUBS.

[Chisoxfn]

Thank goodness I don't have to read all this biased stuff everyday in the paper. I just get to read about the Dodgers and Angels, who may I add could pull another huge huge choke if they don't win today, cause their final 3 are against the Mariners.

[CubKilla]

Originally posted by Chisoxfn

Thank goodness I don't have to read all this biased stuff everyday in the paper.  I just get to read about the Dodgers and Angels, who may I add could pull another huge huge choke if they don't win today, cause their final 3 are against the Mariners.

 

Aren't that Angels automatically in with the BoSox loss last night?

[Chisoxfn]

Nope, the Mariners aren't eliminated yet. They need a M's loss or one more Angel win.

[CubKilla]

Originally posted by Chisoxfn

Nope, the Mariners aren't eliminated yet.  They need a M's loss or one more Angel win.

 

Just goes to show you how much I pay attention to the other teams in baseball when my team is out of it.

[Guest hotsoxchick1]

great article heather... you should send off a copy to that moron mariotti....maybe he can finally learn something??