NFL Bans Purses, Bags At All Games

ABC News: The National Football League has announced a major rule change that has sparked a controversy, even though football season has yet to begin. That’s because the new rule has nothing to do with players or the field. This rule is about the fans, particularly women, and it is not going over well, ABC News has learned. The NFL’s new policy sets limits on the size and type of bags that can be brought into stadiums. Starting this preseason, women will no longer be allowed to carry standard-size purses into games. A small clutch no larger than a person’s hand is OK. A large freezer bag passes, too. But anything else must be made of a clear material, such as plastic, and must not be larger than 12 x 6 x 12. The NFL is selling its own version of the newly acceptable bag, although the league stresses that the branded version is not a requirement. Some female fans have expressed outrage, saying they would rather stay home than be inconvenienced. Others were concerned about having their privacy violated by the clear bags. “I don’t want everyone to see what’s in my purse,” said Cheyenne McMurray, an Indianapolis Colts fan who was enjoying a Saturday afternoon at a sports bar in downtown Washington, D.C. “They’re still going to have to search the plastic bag. It’s just going to make everyone more upset.” “I don’t like this at all,” she said of the rule change.