# The couch \[coach\] and the \[state\] trooper \[after college football games\] **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 9, 2013, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863 "2013-12-09T01:40:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/1 "2013-12-09T01:40:48Z")
When collage football games are finished and players and couches are leaving the field, why is the head couch escorted by a local state trooper? ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/2 "2013-12-09T01:44:02Z")
The trooper has probably had too many donuts and is looking to take a nap ASAP. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/3 "2013-12-09T01:44:40Z")
I don’t watch football, but are you sure this is what happens? ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/4 "2013-12-09T01:45:50Z")
Collage football games are notorious for sticking all kinds of disparate elements together. Ever since the Chesterfield massacre, couches have been kept safe by local law enforcement. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/5 "2013-12-09T01:47:59Z")
I’ve never seen any furniture (other than the goalposts) on a football field! ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/6 "2013-12-09T01:48:00Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > **Collage** football games are notorious for sticking all kinds of disparate elements together. Ever since the Chesterfield massacre, **couches** have been kept safe by local law enforcement. Collage? Couch? what planet are you from and wth are you watching? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/7 "2013-12-09T01:49:37Z")
The safety of the coach could be at risk if, for example, the visiting team badly beats the home team. The throwing of objects and spitting on players and coaches as they head for the locker room will be discouraged if there is a police presence. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/8 "2013-12-09T01:51:44Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > The safety of the coach could be at risk if, for example, the visiting team badly beats the home team. > > The throwing of objects and spitting on players and coaches as they head for the locker room will be discouraged if there is a police presence. Seems a better answer than the other ones sofa. I thought it might have something to do if other poeple decided to chaise him, but wasn’t sure. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/9 "2013-12-09T01:59:20Z")
Since I believe this is more about sports than furniture, let’s move this over to the Game Room. Title edited to make subject clearer. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/10 "2013-12-09T02:27:33Z")
This thread is sofa king silly. mmm ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/11 "2013-12-09T02:38:53Z")
To feed the head coach’s ego. It makes him feel important. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/12 "2013-12-09T02:44:59Z")
Apparently there was an Alabama fan who shot their fellow Alabama fan friend because said friend wasn’t distraught enough at the loss to Auburn. As long as there are passionate, armed, and stupid college football fans out there, coach protection will be there. Don’t forget many of these coaches are government employees, often the highest paid ones. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/13 "2013-12-09T19:54:36Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > I’ve never seen any furniture (other than the goalposts) on a football field! Not ON the field, but the high school I work at used to have an auction where the winner got to watch the game sitting on a couch placed on the pole vault runway. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/14 "2013-12-09T20:34:12Z")
Serious answer? It’s so the trooper can clear a path for the coach, especially as most college games end with the two coaches shaking hands. (They do it in basketball as well, but in basketball, both benches are on the same side of the court - this is because substitutes have to report to the official scorer - so it’s a lot easier for the coaches to get together, shake hands, and then head back to their locker rooms.) ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/15 "2013-12-09T20:37:12Z")
Note that this is only really applicable to major programs. Games at my school (FBS only but in a mid-major conference) only have campus police for crowd control. They also show up on the field after the game, but that’s because we allow fans onto the field immediately after the game to hang around. There may occasionally be one near the head coaches but only if it looks like the press might be overwhelming. The crazy press of media and random people after games at major programs? I could see needing heavier police presence there just to get football staff off the field safely. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2013, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/16 "2013-12-09T23:01:53Z")
(excuse my divan in here) We’re not as bad as insane soccer countries, but there _are_ many instances of fans running onto the field after college football games and the ensuing crush of people could help conceal fans with bad intent. So it doesn’t seem unreasonable that security is provided for those potentially at risk. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2013, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/17 "2013-12-10T01:10:09Z")
For the winning coach it has to be the Comfy Chair, right? Or is that for the losing coach? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2013, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-couch-coach-and-the-state-trooper-after-college-football-games/675863/18 "2013-12-10T01:31:17Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > (excuse my divan in here) We’re not as bad as insane soccer countries, but there _are_ many instances of fans running onto the field after college football games and the ensuing crush of people could help conceal fans with bad intent. So it doesn’t seem unreasonable that security is provided for those potentially at risk. Things can get pretty bad. [Not your usual ESPN headline: "Referee beheaded after killing player" - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=695765)