THURSDAY'S THUMBS: What a rush! Fan celebration costs $100,000

It's Thursday and another chance to fire off a few up or down thumbs about some of the news developments in our neck of the woods and elsewhere:

Fine with the fine

OK, so out of respect for an abundance of caution in protecting students, athletes and other fans, we'll give a thumbs up to the SEC for its policies that led to the University of Arkansas Athletics Department receiving a $100,000 fine because exuberant Hog fans rushed onto the field of Razorback Stadium last Saturday. Arkansas had just beaten the Texas Longhorns, half of a longtime Southwest Conference rivalry that still lingers in the hearts of both programs. We're sure fans of the UA program believe the celebration was "worth every penny," as many said on social media. From the SEC's perspective, there needs to be a serious effort to protect everyone involved from the occasional overzealous fan reaction. Our only beef (sorry, Texas) with the SEC's policy is that the fine never resets: It's $50,000 for the first offense, $100,000 for the second and up to $250,000 for the third and beyond. Arkansas' first offense was seven years ago following a game against LSU. It doesn't seem quite right that an infraction 10, 15 or 20 years after another should be considered some sort of institutional disregard for people's safety. Athletics Director Hunter Yurachek handled the situation beautifully, recognizing that trying to stop the churned-up crowd from flowing onto the field was more, not less, likely to produce some injuries or conflicts. He wisely also took steps to protect Texas athletes as the losing team left the field of competition. Most fans simply wanted to celebrate, but get enough fans of any school together, add a dash of adult beverages, and sooner or later a fan will make a bad decision. Arkansas fans may love to "sports hate" the Longhorns, but in the spirit of healthy competition and occasional ribbing. Congratulations to the vast majority of Razorback fans who fulfilled their roles nicely without being jerks about it.

Reject revisionism

Supporters of former President Trump are said to be planning a "Justice for J6" rally outside the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 18. Hey, it's the United States, so let 'em gather and demonstrate. But let's also recognize they're making a concerted effort to whitewash recent history, ridiculously asserting that people charged for their actions in the Jan. 6 attack are political prisoners "who reasonably believed they had permission" to enter the Capitol. Like Charles Manson and his family were just house guests of Sharon Tate, we suppose. The sad fact is the Jan. 6 "truthers" expect people to believe their revision of recent history, just like some people want to buy into the false narrative that the Civil War wasn't about the preservation of slavery. We're not saying any of these folks need to suddenly become Democrats or love President Biden. Just base their political positions on reality, that's all.

A Title IX reset

It's great to see the University of Arkansas has hired a new Title IX coordinator in Shanita Pettaway. Title IX is, of course, the federal law designed to protect people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. Like a lot of educational institutions, the UA has a bit of a rocky history with its duties relative to Title IX, despite considerable efforts. It is a vitally important but tough job, because allegations of Title IX violations aren't always clear cut. Students have pressed the UA to improve its response to incidents that might violate Title IX. At the center of these concerns is pressure to develop a process that respects those involved and the rights they have. Hopefully, Pettaway's arrival will help achieve a process that everyone can at least feel is dedicated to fairness.

Fan-cat-stic news

One of our readers wonders if others have noticed fewer cats and kittens astray in Northwest Arkansas. "Did you know there are five programs helping to reduce the cat population in NWA?" he asks. "Did you know there is a nonprofit that spays and neuters up to 70 animals a day?" So he offers an upturned digit to Spay Arkansas in Springdale, Mew Cat Rescue in Bentonville, Fabulous Felines NWA of Bentonville, Best Friends Animal Society in Bentonville and Good Shepherd Humane Society in Eureka Springs for all the work they do.