Another point: if everybody stands then that might just be acceptable. But if you are sat in an athletics stadium and watching the high jump when, say, the 1500 is going on and just as the person you are watching starts their run up some idiot in front stands up and whoops and hollers because someone has made an exciting break then you would be seriously pissed off.
Remember, athletics is different from soccer and the SuperBowl. There the full concentration is on a small part of the field. In athletics, as I am sure you are aware, different things go on at different times. I know someone who missed the Mike Powell world record in Tokyo because he went to the toilet. And I would have been pissed off if someone had stood in front of me to cheer on some runners while Powell as on the runway.
I did stand up for Michael Johnson it Atlanta but it was for 19.32 and it was after he had run. I did not consider if courteous to stand when he was in the home straight even though I was in the press seats and I would probably not have blocked somebody's view.
You seem to acknowledge that point by saying "after the equaliser." After is fine, during should be banned.
I once had an extremely big Australian stand in front of me when some Australian swimmer was about to touch first in a Commonwealth Games final, as I was watching a British girl who was likely to get silver. I had my phone in my hand because I was on absolute deadline. They kept the paper waiting so I could say "June Croft got silver/ bronze or whatever' and I couldn't see. I asked him to sit and he declined, telling me to go back to where I had come from.
So when I'd finished my report I explained to him what the problem had been and he told me to "f... off" again. So I called security and an even bigger Australian threw him out. Again, the obxoious Aussie was from the generation that thinks they are allowed to go with their own particular flow never mind anyone else.
Randall Northam
On 14 Aug 2004, at 23:20, Eckmann, Drew wrote:
And if the people behind you when you are cheering and standing when
you are so motivated cannot stand and have their view blocked that
doesn't bother you? In the UK we call people like you the 'me
generation.'
Randall Northam
Before they riot and kill people, are all of the English football/soccer fans sitting down for the matches? Are those behind them apt to complain. There's something called 'go with the flow' which is more often than not quite easy to recognize. If something exciting is happening or is about to happen(Four together at the bell lap)it is totally appropriate to stand and cheer. If you're sitting behind, get up. I don't know anyone who goes to any kind of sporting event (tennis, maybe)who expects to sit for the entire proceeding. Are fans at the World Cup soccer final threatened with arrest if they stand after the equaliser? How about a heavyweight title fight when the champ is in trouble in the 6th round? Michael Johnson runs 43.18, stay in your seat, right? If you were watching the U.S. Super Bowl and your team scored the go-ahead points late in the game would you expect those in front of you to stay seated? Don't think so. Why should track be different? "They said sit down, I stood up" -Bruce Springsteen /Drew
