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For decades, drunk guys at sporting events have decided that it would be a good idea to take their drunk-guy asses onto the field and run around. For decades, TV networks have refused to broadcast those images.

Why is that? I mean, I know why — the networks don’t want to encourage similar behavior. But why do they care? And why do they think that people who see drunk guys run on the field will suddenly aspire to go to a game, get drunk, and run around on the field?

On Monday night, it happened again. And while Sean McDonough and Jon Gruden had no qualms about discussing it, ESPN refused to show it.

Meanwhile, every fan in attendance had the ability to record the incident with their phones and post it on social media. And some did.

So maybe the time has come for the networks to revisit an outdated policy that never made much sense and broadcast the game authentically, showing the fans at home everything that 60,000 or so fans can not only see but also individually broadcast. Maybe seeing the images of the drunk guy getting leveled by security won’t encourage more to do the same; maybe indisputable visual evidence of the outcome will be a deterrent.

Regardless, there’s no reason to shield the at-home audience from it.