I applaud the conference for trying to get the message across that rushing the field is dangerous and can result in injury. However, I'm not sure a $5,000 fine is effective. I laughed at the Miss. State fine for excessive cowbell. Somewhere, Will Ferrell is smiling. http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/10173551/sec-fines-schools-cowbells-rushing-field
Florida has been very strict about this for years. There are enough police there that if people try to get on the field after the game they are led off to jail. I know a big enough push that it would be to much for the police, but I also think that because we have done this for years that it is pretty well clear to Gators to stay off the field.
No doubt that is the safest thing to do is for fans to stay in their seats. One of the worst things fans do is tear down the goal posts...people have been seriously injured. But that said the scene at Auburn after beating Alabama is hard not to love, and we've had a few of those at Notre Dame, not many recently at least with football. We had one with basketball, in that 5 overtime game vs Louisville. But again the joy can go south when somebody is hurt.
one of my favorite threads on the internet was Alabama fans talking about having never rushed the field. Then someone produced an article from the Times-Picayune that showed Bama fans tearing down the goal posts. I laughed. I'm sure Mississippi State fans have prepared a response to these charges, and it goes something like this:
:idea: Many quote Bear Bryant or Lou Holtz as saying, "Act like you've been there before." They were both quoting Vince Lombardi...
I first heard it attributed to Lou Holtz, but I certainly can accept that it originated with Bear Bryant or Vince Lombardi or Paul Brown. All four coaches exemplified class, which is the essence of the message.
The great Lombardi did indeed make that quote. Here is a Paul Brown quote along these same lines. "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less".