Security personnel went on a pre-emptive strike Sunday, walking the plaza around Paul Brown Stadium to stop people with prohibited items before they reached the gate.

        It worked — sometimes.

        Still, large boxes set up outside gates were filled to overflowing by umbrellas — with no guarantee they'd be there when the owners returned after the game.

        These are the new NFL-wide rules, prompted by heightened security concerns after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11: No umbrellas, no coolers except small, soft-pack versions, and no bags or backpacks too large to fit under seats.

        Private security was bolstered Sunday by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department and the Cincinnati police and fire departments.

        “Most people have been pretty good,” Eric Brown, managing director for stadium security, said as workers monitored a bank of nine roving security camera screens in security headquarters.

        “Until our country becomes a little more secure,” he said, “we're just going to have to do it this way.”

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