Traveling 3 ½ hours for the past two plus years to see the Iowa Barnstormers play Arena Football has been some of the most exciting games for us. We have met so many wonderful fans that have become close friends. The players have become family as well and their family, our extended family. It is such a neat experience and feeling to know that you have so many people that care about you, about the players of the game, and truly know how to experience the sport. They are passionate, ringing their cow bells, standing on their feet, and being that 9^th man that every team dreams of having to support them. Until now...

 

My intent for writing an article for Iowa was to show them the same respect and love that I have started showing the Kansas City Command. Unfortunately, due to many miscommunications, the love we have for the team was shattered by a concern for the fans. Barnstomers ticket holders now have a code of conduct. Thanks to this political politeness, the Iowa Barnstormers are losing their super fan base. The code of conduct calls for orderly behavior (that's a given), no swearing (another given), and to sit in your seat during the game.

 

Really????

 

When I asked the general manager, John Petit, why the code of conduct was put in place, he said that there has always been a code of conduct for Arena Football. The only code for fans that I know of is the Fans Bill of Rights. Petit continued, “we want to make sure every fan has a good time and can see the game.” The intent of the code of conduct was not to make every fan sit the whole time. Exciting plays, of course, they will stand. Fourth downs are another opportunity. But “a fan should not stand the whole time.”

 

I find it more difficult to see the exciting play when a fan stands abruptly than when the fan has stood the whole time. I sit at games, enjoy the game, not really golf-clapping but enjoying the sport, usually taking pictures. Imagine telling the die hard Oakland Raider fans to sit. The black hole would not stand for it. Even though the Chiefs have implemented a policy for fans to sit, the super fans have not been asked to do so”, according to Ty Rowton, Kansas City Chiefs Superfan. Not one of them has been asked to sit down during the game.

 

A comment was also made by Petit that a person would not stand during a movie. What movie would you want to stand in the middle of and cheer? Do you shout at movies? Do you cheer for real people, in real time at movies? This is a sporting event, not a movie. High schools and colleges around the nation allow standing for their fans. Sometimes it is in the end zone only. Why would they do that? Because red zone coverage is some of the hardest to cover. Currently, the Philadelphia Soul, Utah Blaze, Spokane Shock, Arizona Rattlers and Iowa Barnstormers have the best defense; ranging from 86.4 to 90.9% in the redzone. Teams that have quieter arenas due to fan support or just quiet fans are much worse off. Jacksonville Sharks and the Cleveland Gladiators are hurting with 67.7% and 69.7%. Fans yell, shout, scream, and throw the opposing team off-sides during red zone coverage.

 

Several players have responded to the question, does noise in the arena really make a difference? The majority admitted, maybe not for them, but several of their teammates have been thrown offsides due to not hearing the snap counts of the tight end count. The hardest arenas to play in, as an opposing team, are the loudest arenas. Chris Cook, former Kansas City Brigade player, said that “back in the day, Colorado was so hard to hear anything. It drew everyone offsides.” But the energy level is great. The players love the packed arenas, it's like going back and playing college ball.

 

All of this is in an attempt to create a family friendly atmosphere and control the perceived drunk and rowdy fans. Making sure that the single ticket holders have a good time and don't have to worry about others standing, is essential to getting more season ticket holders. Petit admitted that he had “sold four more tickets thanks to the complaints that the standing policy was being enforced.” While the long time season ticket holders, die hard, traveling, fans of the game, are being told to sit down and support your team politely. They are told by ticket representatives that they are not expendable but they are only 40 people and if they have to lose 40, it's only 40. According to Petit, Which would you cater to, “the 8000 or the 100?”

 

Office staff running the Barnstormers have apparently not heard of the rule of 3. For every one person that you tell something to, they will repeat it to three more people and so on. How does a team expect to bring in die hard fans if they put restrictions on the support of the players? Players are on the field, raising the noise level, encouraging fans to get on their feet. The loudest area of the arena, by far, is the barnyard end-zone. Every die hard fan, the 40 or 100, depending on who is talking, have cow bells in hand, some bought, or made, especially for the game. They scream, clap, and encourage the crowd to make noise. Isn't that what home field advantage is supposed to be about? Supporting your team, to the level your players want you to, not the level the ownership wants.

 

Iowa is trying to get more people in the door, the families that have children so that their children grow up and want to continue to support the team. Every one in the group of 40 have children that support this team already. Their children have their cowbells, scream to the tops of their lungs, and give the team what ownership wants; fans that will be back year after year. Ten year olds that know the game, tell their friends about the game, and bring their friends to their birthday parties, held at the game. Family and children are a great way to extend your fan base, but it does not and should not be done by silencing or changing the experience of the die hard fans. It is because of those die hard fans that the children want to have their picture taken with the masked men, they want to sit where they sit, and they want to be like them.

 

What does being like them mean? They are passionate not drunk and rowdy. Drunk and rowdy fans would need escorted off the premises, fight, yell and scream at opposing players, and require police assistance. Although Wells Fargo Arena personnel believe this could occur from the many security they keep nearby, not once in the past three years has a fight started in the end zone, a fan have to be escorted out, or anything other than standing and cheering, been done. Wells Fargo arena security was contacted for a statement and the phone call was not returned. Passionate fans follow the team around, support the players, give birthday cards, presents for the player's children, and let the players know that wherever they play, they are still welcome at the tailgate, anytime.

 

You will find a role model for your child. Iowa man is educated, has two children that attend the games, a good job, and is the president of the fan club. Slasher travels from Kansas City for each game he attends, has a masters in school counseling and bachelors in psychology. He works for a prominent local information technology company, has three children that attend the games, supports the Arena Football league by traveling to various arenas, making 24 games this year, and is the president of the Kansas City fan club. These fans are educated, with bachelors and masters degrees, have good paying jobs, support their families, and show the league that marketing is not about the advertisement but about the referrals. Ask any business out there where the majority of their customers come from, it's the referrals. The rule of three has more power than any marketing ploy could come up with.

 

Bart Newton, a Barnstormer fan sharing frustration of the issues, stated “The lack of enthusiasm is what killed them the first time they were in town. If fans want to sip wine and sit in leather chairs, get a box.” Several fans belonging to the fan club stated they may have to relinquish their season tickets and drive to Kansas City, where they let you stand. Other fans are looking into supporting IFL instead.

 

Fans come from all over to experience an Iowa game. The excitement of the crowd, the cowbells all over the arena, give the players that home field advantage. Fans come back because of that excitement that is built. Half-way through this week's game, fans left. True, the Barnstormers were being blown out, but the fans stopped encouraging. The end-zone 40 were told to sit on the fourth down defensive play. The fans were muzzled and the energy stopped.

 

Average Attendance Around the League

(Based on reported attendance records)

 

 Whether it be from reputation, a third consecutive season, or fluke attendance, the Iowa Barnstormers are sixth in the league in attendance. As also shown above, the difference between sixth and seventh in average attendance is 40. What a difference 40 people can make. It is an excuse, not a reason, to be politically polite and make sure that the ownerships' reputation is a clean one.

 

Ownership and office staff know where the fans stand on this issue. Petit stated that they would be meeting with security personnel of the arena to make sure they understand the intent of the code of conduct, which was admittedly enforced over-zealously. Petit also contacted the president of the fan club and Slasher to explain that steps are being taken to clarify the policy with arena staff. The team ownership and office staff seem to want things to change. I hope it does work out for them and for the fans. Iowa can contribute so much to Arena Football. Jeff Lamberti has always been wonderful to talk with. Hopefully, by the next game, the circumstances of this game will be behind them and the fans can be fans.

Sharon began writing for ArenaFan.com in 2011. Currently living in Kansas City, Missouri, Sharon works for an online university, married to "Slasher" and mother of 3 children. She has been an Arena Football fan for the past five years, traveling to various arenas across the country supporting her team. She holds an MBA from Grantham University in Kansas City and Bachelor of Business Management from Kaplan University.