Inside Kansas University’s Memorial Stadium before the Jayhawk football team’s season home opener, fans of all ages and sizes played games in the new Fun Zone. Outside, protesters passed out fliers criticizing coach Terry Allen’s handling of alleged player misconduct.
Behind the south bleachers, a moonwalk, inflatable games of basketball and football and temporary tattoos greeted fans. Rick Mullen, KU’s director of promotions, said he was pleased with the turnout at the Fun Zone’s debut.
“It’s an idea we’ve had for a few years. We felt there needed to be a destination for people before the game,” he said. “It opens three hours prior to kickoff. We have fun inflatable games, tailgate food and Jayhawk merchandise.”
Eleven-year-old Olson Kilmer took his turn attempting to throw footballs through open targets at the booth sponsored by UPS. He said he attends all the Jayhawk home games. He was disappointed he failed to hit any of the targets with the pigskin.
“I hit none, but I was close.” Olson said of the Fun Zone, “It’s great.”
He expected to do better at the basketball shoot as he stood in line for that game.
Aside from the sports activities, Fun Zone workers said they gave out more than 300 temporary Jayhawk tattoos to fans in the three hours before the game.
“I think it’s a good idea for kids,” Jayhawk fan Jim Taylor said. “It brings families out earlier and gives kids something to do while parents tailgate on the Hill.”
Despite all the fun inside, some KU students were not pleased with the football team.
Outside the stadium, at each of the entrances, activists distributed handbills asking for the athletics department to crack down on incidents of sexual assault and harassment by and to student athletes.
The protests were spawned by allegations last spring that two KU football players sexually assaulted a KU women’s soccer player at a bar. A recent survey of KU athletes also revealed that a dozen said they had been sexually assaulted, mostly by other athletes.
Sally Puleo of KU Pro-Choice said the handbills reading “Sexual assault is not a KU tradition” received little positive feedback.
“We are trying to raise awareness. We’ve had a fairly negative response so far,” Puleo said. “We’ve gotten lots of comments like, ‘I don’t care.'”
KU student Alexis Bliss received one of the fliers on her way into the game.
The accused football players “should have gotten worse punishment than they got,” she said.
