Sacramento State football players have been damaging property, harassing women and participating in violent acts at Stingers Sports Pub, Stingers owner Erick Feil claims.

Feil says that these things have been going on for the last semester and a half, and recently things have gotten out of hand. He has a list of about 10 Sac State football players who have been eighty-sixed from the bar.

On Feb. 9, there was a brawl in the parking lot outside of Stingers at about 2 a.m. Sac State tight end Bobby Brown was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, but the police declined to press charges.

“Bobby Brown was suspended from the team, but on Friday all charges were dropped,” head coach John Volek said. “He was not involved in the act.”

Brown has now had his suspension lifted.

“There were four guys (all football players). Two guys held the guy and the other two beat the (expletive) out of him,” Feil said. “They stripped him and left him in his underwear. They took his coat and everything he had.”

Feil understands that people come to his bar to drink, but he says that the members of the football team act differently than the other Stingers patrons.

“Students like to drink. We all went to school and drank, but these players bring violence. Over the past couple of years, I?ve had problems with them,” Feil said. “They come at the last call and call our women (derogatory terms). They also like to tear up toilets, break glassware and break sinks.”

Volek said that the drinking and problems at bars late at night is not something that is unique to football players.

“The problem is that football players are no different than any other part of campus. If they are over there and overindulge in alcohol, especially if they?re underage, you?re breaking the law,” Volek said. “A lot of students enter college and feel that they can drink as much as they want. It?s a problem across the country.”

A Stingers bartender, who has worked at the bar for six months, said that football players have caused a lot of problems over that time.

“Seventy-five percent of all the problems have been caused by football players,” he said. “They are not all bad guys but there are a few that lose control and cause problems, once they start drinking.”

Feil says that he has tried to explain to Volek what is going on with his players, but Volek won?t listen.

“Volek won?t suspend the players and even if he did, what?s he going to do, suspend them during baseball season?” Feil said. “Volek?s boys cause a lot of problems. He doesn?t want to face the facts; he won?t return my calls. And most of the guys screwing up are seniors.”

Feil described some of the other things that players have been doing to his bar.

“They look to put their heads through the walls, and tear doors off the hinges,” Feil said.

“This has been going on for the last semester and a half. They have injured bouncers and I have spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars fixing things that these guys have broken in the last seven or eight months.”

Volek is not the only problem for Feil, as he also accuses the Sacramento Police and the Sacramento State Police of being lenient on football players.

“The District Attorney won?t go any further,” Feil said, referring to the fact that charges were not pressed against Brown. “I called the Sacramento City Police Department three times and they have no record of this assignment. They crime-scened our whole parking lot off and it?s absurd. They, along with the Sacramento State Police, know the guys doing it. These players wait outside, pick a guy and beat him up.”

Sacramento City Police Watch Commander Sam Vargas said that this is not true, and denied Feil?s claims.

“I don?t know what (Feil?s) talking about. As a matter of policy we don?t condone anyone fighting,” Vargas said. “All we can do is arrest folks. Whether or not they are football players doesn?t matter, they will be arrested. Whether or not the person is prosecuted is up to the D.A.”

Sacramento State Police Investigator John Hamrick also disagreed with Feil?s claims.

“We did respond to the case (Feb. 9). We usually respond and notify the Sacramento Police Department,” Hamrick said. “We treat each case as an individual. Football players or not, it doesn?t matter.”

And if a football player is arrested, Volek will take action.

“If arrested, they will be suspended. I?ll tell them you can be gone,” Volek said. “I expect the problems to cease or they?re going to be gone.”

City Police have told Volek that they would like to meet with the team soon.

“This kind of activity will not be tolerated. Our players are in a fish bowl; they are representing Sac State,” Volek said. “We have to be ambassadors of the University.”

“Volek is a coach and I run a business. Volek does not have to replace all the stuff because people are screwing them up,” Feil said. “I?m not holding any grudges. They (the players) just need to grow up. I mean, they?re of age, and they?re big enough to know what they?re doing. We have guys going off for no reason.”

Feil also brought up the players? treatment of the women.

“We have a lot of sororities around us and stuff. The players harass the women. If I can get females in all the bar seats, my business flourishes,” Feil said. “If not, we?re looking at a sausage party.”

Volek expects the problems to stop and Feil hopes that speaking out will result in the problems ending.