One on One: Blogger Doug Cross Polices Sports Fans' Bad Behavior

Paul Steinbach Headshot

Ood 607 Ab He's seen it at every level of sport - from the so-called "Malice at the Palace" to a football field attack on a friend's 15-year-old son by an opponent's father right in their hometown of Framingham, Mass. - and he's seen enough. Doug Cross wants to put a dent in sports fans' bad behavior. His year-old web site, goodfans.com, chronicles the all-too-regular occurrences of verbal abuse and physical violence that accompany sporting events these days, and in April he authored his first blog entry, "What Kind of Sports Fans Are We?" The site also pitches $14.95 T-shirts that bear the slogan "GoodFans® Make Good Sports" to individuals and entire organizations as a way for people to take a silent, but principled stand against the inappropriate actions of their peers. Paul Steinbach asked Cross to spread the good word.

Q: Bloggers have characterized you as everything from a shameless profit-monger to part of an overreaching "fan police." How do you react? A: I'm not looking to get rich on this. I'm just a sports fan who sees an issue. I'm looking to put a portion of whatever I make back into programs that teach and encourage good fan behavior and sportsmanship, and I've been trying to tap into recreation departments around the country that are grappling with these issues. They're seeing that the core values that make sports fun and rewarding for kids are being compromised, and so they're spending money on programs that teach sportsmanship to parents. There's plenty of need out there for this type of thing.

Log in to view the full article
Page 1 of 466
Next Page
AB Show 2025 in San Diego
AB Show is a solution-focused event for athletics, fitness, recreation and military professionals.
Nov. 5-8, 2025
Learn More
AB Show 2025
Buyer's Guide
Information on more than 3,000 companies, sorted by category. Listings are updated daily.
Learn More
Buyer's Guide