More bad news from Levi’s Stadium
From the troubling side of the sport ledgers:
The 49ers might see a shrink in their astronomical profits if they are forced to stop alcohol sales in the second half of home games. The move is being considered after the revolting beating of a Vikings fan that was captured on video.
The 49ers can’t seem to stop the uninterrupted flow of bad news stemming from Levi’s Stadium. The season will end at Levi’s with the Super Bowl, but it started with the ugly brawl that got national attention. If it’s not traffic or sweltering heat, it’s fan thuggery. The 49ers’ brass was convinced that such behavior would vanish with the move from Candlestick Park (and the extreme jump in ticket prices), but there have been a reported 24 police responses to assault since the 49ers moved to Santa Clara.
The perpetrators were arrested and the 49ers pulled one’s season tickets. (One wonders why they don’t take such swift action against their players involved in illegal behavior, but that’s another story.) No decision has been made yet on alcohol sales. More law-enforcement staffing — as opposed to men in yellow jackets — is clearly needed.
Another disturbing story about Levi’s Stadium was reported by KNTV (Channel 11) this week. Pilots have reported that blinding lights from the Levi’s scoreboard — which sits directly in the flight path to San Jose Mineta International — are dangerous. The situation prompted NASA to send alerts to the FAA, the airport and the Stadium Authority about the issue.
Chicago Blackhawks wing Patrick Kane was accused of sexual assault in the offseason. The accuser’s attorney, in a Wednesday news conference, said that a torn envelope that once contained the accuser’s rape kit was dumped on her mother’s doorstep this week in Buffalo. The chain of custody for such evidence is very specific and the implication is that the evidence in the rape kit was tampered with and the case is compromised. However, the county crime lab says all evidence is accounted for, so somebody’s lying.
No word from the NHL on Kane’s status. Kane took the ice for practice Wednesday and was cheered wildly by the fans. It’s not only the NFL, folks.