Jets games: men at a Gate D pedestrian ramp chant to women to expose their breasts.

At Jets Game, a Halftime Ritual of Harassment
Gabriele Stabile for The New York Times

In what has become a ritual at Jets home games, men at a Gate D pedestrian ramp chant to women to expose their breasts. More Photos >

By DAVID PICKER
Published: November 20, 2007
At halftime of the Jets’ home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, several hundred men lined one of Giants Stadium’s two pedestrian ramps at Gate D. Three deep in some areas, they whistled and jumped up and down. Then they began an obscenity-laced chant, demanding that the few women in the gathering expose their breasts.

When one woman appeared to be on the verge of obliging, the hooting and hollering intensified. But then she walked away, and plastic beer bottles and spit went flying. Boos swept through the crowd of unsatisfied men.

Marco Hoffner, an 18-year-old from Lacey Township, N.J., was expecting to see more. Not from the Jets — they pulled off a big upset over the Steelers. He wanted more from the alternative halftime show that, according to many fans, has been a staple at Jets home games for years.

“Very disappointed, because we’re used to seeing a lot,” Hoffner said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/20/sports/football/20fans.html?em&ex=1195794000&en=10054cdcf920bb08&ei=5087%0A

That sums it up. Are these "men" living at home with Mamma?

Evidently there are plenty of women obliging. I don't quite see the thrill in flashing a bunch of sweaty, drunken Jets fans, but if it makes them feel better about themselves, so be it, I suppose. Another fine example of how crass our girls-gone-wild society has become.

place at a public sporting event, with scores of children around.

Hell, I wouldn't want my 69-year old mother 'exposed' to that -- flashing and screaming obscenities.

$100 for a ticket, $20 for parking, $7 for crappy beer -- I'll stay home in the comfort of my living room and watch on the teevee. (There's a MasterCard commercial in there somewhere...)

Completely agree.

I try to explain this to my teenage daughter. There are simply times when a group of young men will whip themselves up into a frenzy. When it happens, intellectual persuasion is not going to help. The ONLY option is retreat.

My gender. Pretty stupid most of the time.

I think the stadium owners should tell the guards and /or police to clear those people out of there. There's no point letting them stay and do that. It is MOB behavior.

Unfortunately, what stuffs a stadium full of screaming fans is likewise mob behavior, though admittedly it's a less negative form of it.

The problem occurs when idiots in the crowd forget that, despite being a mob of obsessed sports-voyeurs, they're still required to behave like human beings, as they have done in this case.

When I first read this story, I was shocked. It was ... threatening in many respects.

There's nothing stupid about our gender.




A great many of the people who are of the same gender are pretty stupid most of the time, however...

I'm willing to admit that I MYSELF am pretty stupid most of the time.

Perhaps you and your male friends are just smarter than me. :-)

But I don't blame it on my gender--I blame it on myself! :hi:

I blame our gender and its broad socialization. Don't get me wrong -- I love being a guy. But it's good to remind oneself what we are capable of.

But my clinging to the delusion of self-determination requires that I blame myself for at least some of it...

SPORTS as we're seeing it in America these days isn't the stuff that "builds character."

I've obviously seen too much television news today.

Since when it is acceptable to harass women that way? What is wrong with these pathetic excuses for men? I think if I went there, my middle finger would be dislocated from being upraised constantly. Arrest them.

Apparently this has been going on for awhile. It was only when at this past weekend's game when a female Steeler fan felt harassed that this story got publicized. I've been watching it build all week. I say it's past time for Giant's stadium to crack down on these cretins.

I guess compared to some soccer fans in England and elsewhere NFL fans are tame, but IMHO there are too many instances where some NFL fans are or were out of control. Jets fans, Philly, Oakland, Cleveland, and in some instances Steeler's fans especially at night games. Easiest fix is putting the precious season tickets at stake for bad behaviour.

Just a suggestion.

Ban them from football games....LOL

That other guy over there first.

Then you.

They all run together in a horrible, monotonous, sameness.

I hate to say it but it's true.

It's not as if anyone is forced to oblige.

Not that they may be worth looking at ---

But . . . just askin' . .. ????

the crowds at Daytona International Speedway engage in quite a bi of it. I suppose it depends on where one goes. New Orleans is sort of notorious at certain times of the year, too, from what I hear. I don't think I'd feel like I just HAD to, though.

Had to put a dig in there, huh? Feel better about yours now?

I'm unfamiliar with Dayton or NO ---
however, the Jets situation is obviously threatening to females ---

A dig?

Feel better about my what now?

I'm pointing out reality to you --- while you seem to think that maybe what happens in Daytona or NO
makes this acceptable --- ???

If there is violence if someone doesn't oblige, then yes there is at least some amount of forcing involved.

i'm sick of people excusing behavior like this by chiding others to "lighten up" ... i don't need to lighten up, i have a great sense of humor about things that are actually funny!

even without the spitting and bottle throwing, how many women oblige out of fear and embarrassment? and the ones that oblige willingly have problems if you ask me.

But I guess it is just part of our strange narcissistic and exhibitionist culture - being the center of attention is the goal, positive or negative doesn't matter, neither does the audience.

I've pretty much ignored MySpace over the years, but have been tuning in lately.

Today I:

Slept in.
Blew off class.
Ate a ham sandwich.
Went to class.
Took a nap.
Worked out.
Got drunk.
Cut myself.
Got laid.
Went to bed.
The end.

All with graphic pics to back it up. It's pitiful, and even more pitiful that I'm so fascinated by the narcissism and exhibitionism! Don't these kids/20-somethings have parents?! Families? Employers? It depresses the hell out of me to see what many 16-year old girls are posting.

and she is a corporate lawyer in her thirties - the page is mostly pictures of her in her car wearing nothing but a yellow bra and with young men who might be 18.

Would you trust the judgement of an ADULT who would do that? Would you pay $400 an hour for it?

I never considered myself to be a prude, but in our modern world of internet and public exhibitionism and senators having kinky bathroom sex maybe the standards of society are just passing me by.

I got uncomfortable when my girlfriend posted vacation photos of us and another couple on the internet.

Perhaps the standards are passing me by as well. Or perhaps I engaged in certain behavior(s), but didn't feel the need to post pics, ad nauseam, of said behavior to the internets. What jumps out at me via the social networking sites is the need for CONSTANT validation: Here are 100 pics--tell me how pretty/buff/HOTT I am! *hugs* *you are special!* And the sad thing is, that much of the validation comes from complete strangers, which is a whole 'nuther subject...

that's a big point --- self-esteem --- in females protecting themselves vs getting used.

It seems so very sad if a woman has to reduce herself to flashing drunk white trash to feel as though she is being appreciated or even aknowledged and it becomes "when I do this, I am the center of attention and I like it." So much of self esteem is tied up in the need to believe you are sexually desirable.

Of course there are men who will act this way, and women who will oblige. Who cares? it's a breast for crying out loud, It's not really that deviant or disgusting. I was at a rock festival in Louisiana in 1973 where a thousand people spent 7 days naked covered with mud and have movies to prove it. I wold bet most of those that did that survived, get a life.

A woman should be able to attend a 'family' sporting event without being surrounded by a drunken mob demanding to see her non-deviant, non-disgusting breasts. See #25.

disrespected --- and no one reacts ---

In fact, a few sad females will try to respond!!!

This isn't "men" who act this way --- this is an organized mob ---
and they're being given the freedom to behave in this surly way towards females ---

No one is intervening --- it's "free speech" --- !!!!

Really?

As far as breasts, that's also important ---
because no one is more threatened when breasts become the primary property of breast feeding babies than males.

THIS message is that breasts must remain primarily sexual ---

This is an organized mob making demands on individual females passing by ---
this is not a "festival" of willing attendees --

And THIS is also physical --- there has been groping -- at least!!

it's not the breast that's deviant or disgusting, it's women putting up with guys harassing them, swearing at them, spitting, throwing bottles, etc. at a football game while security stands idly by.

and being spat at and having bottles thrown at you if you don't.

on her way to the restroom. They surrounded her and tried to force her to raise her top. Her husband was able to pull her out of the crush and both had things thrown at them and were spit on. Strange thing to do at a football game.

But that's no excuse for that behavior.

I get drunk sometimes too but I wouldn't assault a woman like that even when I was drunk.

That DUer needs to read your post.

at Mardi Gras too.

But when Mom, Dad, Cody and Kaylee pile into the station wagon for a family football outing, I imagine they don't expect a drunken mob screaming obscenities and demanding that women flash them. Or maybe they do ... last pro game I went to was the Deadskins about 5 years ago.

I'm quite sure that Jets fans know what they're getting into when they go to the stadium. But even if that were not the case, whether or not the behavior is "expected" doesn't mean the behavior is acceptable. If it's bad at a Jets game, it's bad at Mardi Gras.

Personally, while I find it both stupid and boring, I don't have a real problem with drunken assholes trying to get women to flash their boobs, nor do I have a problem with women willing to do it. As long as they don't get physical, there's no harm done, as far as I'm concerned. It's just another symptom of our sexually stunted society.

drunken assholes trying to get women to flash their tits at a pro football game, then I'll stay stunted. It's low class and a perfect example of how crass our society has become.

There's a time and place for everything, so I'm sticking with my point. If I head to a strip club, I expect drunken men to be slobbering over T&A. If I head to Mardi Gras, I expect it at well (I may not like it, but I accept it). But if I take children to a 'family' football game, I shouldn't have to explain why a woman is being surrounded by drunken, aggressive males demanding to see her breasts. The major issue with this particular story is that, if the info in post #25 is true, it did get physical. And what you've omitted is that harm can be much more than physical...

...there wouldn't BE men boorishly yelling at women to flash their boobs. It's the idea that sex and body parts are "naughty" that fuels this childish behavior.

I've never been harassed for not exposing myself at Mardi Gras. And on Bourbon Street, both genders show plenty of flesh. It's stupid and fun. However it's also strictly for adults.

On the other hand, a football game isn't a place for exposing yourself and the harassment shouldn't be condoned. I'm sorry ,but if women who don't comply are routinely spit on then it is already out of control. I have the right to walk in a stadium without being spit on or harassed.

You should not be harrassed because you refuse to comply with some asshole yelling to see your breasts. I just don't think the yelling is, in and of itself, harrassment. Of course, were I a woman, I might feel differently.

While I agree in theory that one should be able to go to a ballpark without seeing the kind of behavior exhibited on Bourbon St, it's been many a year since that was truly the case (depending on the stadium, of course). Some stadiums have "family sections" that are policed more strictly for trouble-makers, drunks, and even foul language. However, I doubt that any part of Giants stadium can be considered "family friendly".

and thinking it is news to people.

I don't live anywhere near NY and I had no idea anything like this happens at NFL games. It certainly doesn't happen here at Chiefs games.

You go to a football game to watch a football game. You go to Bourbon Street in NO for Mardi Gras to watch public nudity.

:saracasm:

I am a former jersey yute. ;)

1. The apes hootin' and hollerin' and throwing beer bottles. Internet porn is free, guys.

2. The women who oblige them for a cheap ego boost. You don't want that kind of approval, gals.