AN ACR MD80 CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS THAT MEMBERS OF A SPORTS TEAM WHO WERE DRINKING BEFORE BOARDING WERE ABUSIVE AND THREATENING TO THE ATTENDANTS AND OTHER PAX. SHE FOUND THE FLC NOT VERY HELPFUL.

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PAX CAME ON DRINKING BEERS; AGENT BOARDING THE FLT DIDN'T TELL THEM THE RULES. THERE WERE ABOUT 30 DRINKING SPORTS PLAYERS. MOST OF THESE PLAYERS/PAX WERE EXTREMELY BIG. I WAS IN THE AFT GALLEY PREPARING FOR THE SVC AND WASN'T AWARE OF THE PROFANITY AND OBNOXIOUS BEHAVIOR UNTIL THE DOOR WAS CLOSED AND A PAX TOLD ME AND THEN ANOTHER CABIN ATTENDANT (POS #5). POS #4 CABIN ATTENDANT SAID; 'WELL WE JUST WON'T SERVE THEM ALCOHOL.' I THEN LEARNED OF OVER 5 PAX COMPLAINING THEIR (F/F/F WORDS) WHEN THEY WERE BOARDING. THEY WERE TOLD TO BE QUIET. SINCE THEY HAD CALMED DOWN THEY WEREN'T REMOVED. THE CAPT WAS AWARE OF THIS PROB BY CABIN ATTENDANT #1 AT BOARDING; BUT HE NEVER ASSESSED THE SIT (CONTRARY TO HIS BRIEFING). I TOLD ALL THESE PAX WHO WERE SITTING GROUPED THROUGHOUT THE PLANE THEY WOULD NOT BE SERVED ALCOHOL AND DID THEY HAVE A PROB WITH THAT. ONLY TWO GAVE ME A HARD TIME AND QUESTIONED ME ON THE MATTER. IT WAS THE SAME TWO PAX THAT CAUSED PROBS IN FLT. AS SOON AS THE PLANE TOOK AIR ONE WAS UP YELLING IN MY FACE AND ARGUING. I TOLD THE CAPT OR FO IF THERE WAS ANY MORE DISTURBANCE WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE FLT MET. THE CAPT OR FO NEVER OFFERED TO ASSIST IN THE MATTER. TOWARDS DSCNT THE OTHER PAX WHO KNEW OF THE SEVERITY OF THE SIT (AND HE HAD EVEN WARNED HIS FRIEND) THAT ANY MORE DISTURBANCE THE FLT WOULD BE MET; STARTED ARGUING AND I SHOWED IN THE ONBOARD COMPANY MAGAZINE WHAT THE FAA REG WAS -- STILL ARGUING WITH MY DECISION. HE PUSHED THE MAGAZINE AWAY; SAID; 'THIS DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH ME AND I DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT.' 2 PAX WERE WITNESSES TO THE DISTURBANCE AND IN FACT AGREED THAT THEY HAD HEARD THEM COMPLY THAT THEY WERE IN AGREEMENT OF 'NO ALCOHOL SERVED TO THEM' AND THEY WOULD BE FINE. I EXPLAINED TO THE TWO THAT THEY COULD BE REMOVED AND WE WOULD GO BACK TO THE GATE; BUT THEY SAID; 'NO-NO PROB.' AS SOON AS WE WERE AIRBORNE AND THE FASTEN BELT WAS STILL ON; I HAD THE PROB WITH ONE AND LATER THE PROB ON DSCNT WITH THE OTHER. I VIEW THIS WHOLE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE AGENT HAD NOT BOARDED THEM; BEEN MORE OBSERVANT AND SPOKEN WITH THE CAPT. THE CAPT SHOULD HAVE COME OUT OF THE COCKPIT AND ASSESSED THE SIT PRIOR TO DEP AND MADE THE DETERMINATION WHO COULD OR COULD NOT FLY.