Bills Mafia Throwing Snowballs: NFL Needs New Fans Penalty Rule
Maybe the NFL should change its rule about being able to penalize the home team for its fans' misbehavior.
No, not the "rule'' that would've punished the Buffalo Bills with a 15-yard penalty for Bills Mafia snowball-throwing ...
But rather, the absence of such a rule.
“There is no rule that addresses penalties being assessed to a team based on their fans’ actions,” ESPN officiating analyst John said via the Buffalo News.
Wait. What?
In last weekend's Bills' 32-29 win over the Miami Dolphins, fans at Orchard Park enjoyed the winter wonderland a bit too much, tossing snowballs onto the field ... and, it is argued, in the direction of Dolphins players.
During this mess - and let's make no mistake, Buffalo, this was a potentially dangerous mess - the referees took to the Highmark Stadium PA system and announced to fans at that throwing snowballs could result in a 15-yard penalty against the home team.
But ... there's no such rule?
The report states that the only real option available to the refs was to stop the game (which they did indeed do) at which time they could seek assistance from stadium security to deal with the "perps.''
We've seen it argued that there were no real safety concerns here, a nutty take that we'd advise be reviewed by quizzing anyone who has seen trash thrown at NFL and NBA games, or anyone who has been hit by frozen dog biscuits (Cleveland) or by snowballs with rocks and batteries tucked into frozen snowballs.
If the NFL really doesn't have a rule that keeps in check the throwing of anything onto the playing field, it ought to create one. ... for the safety of the opposing team, the home team, and any fan in the stands who happens to get hurt by an errant throw.
And the NFL should create that new rule immediately.
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