Know Your Rights: A Sports Fan's Guide to the First Amendment

Realize that the writing done here is not done by someone with a legal degree and that you should consult your states' rights and a legal professional in the event of an actual legal dispute.

There seems to be a severe lack of understanding about our First Amendment rights as fans.  For the majority of us, there is always a level of apprehension about what types of behaviors are legally permissible when we attend games.  What can legally get you kicked out of a stadium and when should you stand your ground?

Our own lack of knowledge is compounded by the fact that per mar and stadium security are almost never trained in First Amendment legal issues and their enforcement of rules tends to actually infringe on fans' First Amendment rights.  Based on legal precedent (stare decisis) most stadium conduct codes are constitutionally vague and overbroad and in some cases infringe on the fans right to freedom of speech.

Post Spring Bowl Picks

Every week I will be putting up an updated bowl prediction out there. It will include all the BCS and Big Ten bowls. Every few weeks I will include all of the bowls. The selection order for the BCS is:

1) National Championship

2) National Championship

3) Bowl that lost a representative to the first NC pick

4) Bowl that lost a representative to the second NC pick

5) Fiesta Bowl

6) Sugar Bowl

7) Orange Bowl

An Early Look at the B1G

With the NFL Draft ending this past weekend we have a full four months without football.  Here are some early observations on the upcoming Big Ten season and a brief look at each team to look over while you wait for August.  Please note that the number of wins represents a reasonable best and worst case scenario, the real number of wins is anywhere between and including those two numbers.  I will do full previews of each team later this summer.
Leaders Division
The Leaders is clearly the weaker of the two Big Ten divisions on paper coming into this fall.  Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Illinois each look like they will be taking a substantial step back from where they were last season, Indiana and Purdue haven't gone to bowl games since 2007, and Penn State remains a huge question mark.  This division could be very messy when all is said and done in 2011.