The Jaguars and EverBank Field operator SMG spent yesterday "investigating the behavior of several fans late in the team's win" over the Seahawks on Sunday, according to a front-page piece by Ryan O'Halloran of the FLORIDA TIMES-UNION. The team, SMG and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office have "reviewed video footage and interviewed fans and staff who were in the vicinity and said four individuals threw five objects from the stands" at Seahawks players, one of whom responded by trying to enter the stands: "Plastic cups with ice and liquid, a bag of popcorn and a plastic bottle." If the individual is a season-ticket holder, they will "have their privileges 'revoked indefinitely.'" If they had "purchased single-game tickets, they will lose the option to purchase tickets indefinitely." The sheriff's office said that "no arrests were made at the game." Meanwhile, Sunday's announced attendance of 64,431 was the "largest of the year for the Jaguars" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 12/12). In Jacksonville, Gene Frenette writes "nobody is focusing on the football team taking over sole possession of first place in the AFC South." All the headlines and "click baits are about bad behavior." The Jaguars "deserved to have a favorable NFL spotlight shining on them for the way they played." But the "disgraceful ending to a compelling game ... is getting all the attention" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 12/12). Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said that he told his players yesterday that the actions were "not acceptable and he thinks the message got through." Carroll: "Everybody is remorseful. We don’t want to play like that. We don’t want to look like that, ever" (SEATTLE TIMES, 12/12). ESPN's Pablo Torre said fans throwing trash at players is "truly something that the sport should not allow/tolerate in any sense." Torre: "You also don't want to reward or incentivize fans to try and bait players" ("Highly Questionable," ESPN, 12/11).
