Bengal Fan Given The Dead Brat Bounce

[HairOnFire]

T-shirt gets Bengals fan in trouble

Daugherty: Bengals and team security need to remember fans count

By Paul Daugherty • November 30, 2010

For three years, a lifelong Bengals fan who wants to be known only as Chris has sat in Section 122 at Paul Brown Stadium, just above the tunnel used by the visiting team, occasionally showing his frustration with the Bengals by waving a T-shirt.

Black tee, white letters, printed by a guy who sits in the row in front of him:

FIRE BOB BRATKOWSKI

Is this wrong?

The sentiment is not unique among Bengals fans. Bratkowski’s the offensive coordinator. The offense hasn’t been great. To many, the shirt states the obvious.

Think of it as the football equivalent of Save The Planet.

Chris and his father Tom have displayed their shirts several times in the last three years. “A way we get rid of our frustration,’’ Tom explains. Until two Sundays ago, it was OK. The offense would go three-plays-and-out by running Ced Benson off tackle right and left and Carson Palmer misfiring on 3rd-and-5. Chris and Tom would mark the occasion by displaying their shirts.

Acceptable behavior. Predictable, even. Like the team’s play calling.

Until two Sundays ago.

That’s when three people employed by Tenable, the Bengals security outfit, decided that Chris and his tee shirt had to go. According to Chris, Tom and four witnesses from Section 122 with whom I spoke, the exchange went like this:

Security: “You’re outta here.”

Chris: “Why?’’

Security: “You’ve been warned three times.”

Chris: “What law did I break?”

Security: “I’m having you arrested.:”

Tom: “Come on, Chris, let’s just go.”

And so they left, with about five minutes left in a loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Tenable’s Director of Security Operations Nick Whitecotton said Chris left of his own accord. Whitecotton said the message on the shirt wasn’t why Chris was asked to leave. “He was waving it in people’s faces,’’ Whitecotton said, “and he was warned the next time (he waved the tee) he would have to go.”

Chris admits to being warned, and he admits to ignoring the warnings. He denies he was in any way abusive, disruptive or profane. He says he hadn’t been drinking. All assertions backed up by others in Section 122.

“It was disturbing,’’ said Mike Geis, a 12-year Bengals season-ticketholder. “Chris wasn’t drinking, he wasn’t getting obnoxious. He just held the shirt up. He has been showing it for years.”

Added Geis’ brother, Doug, “It wasn’t obscene, it wasn’t offensive.’’

Whitecotton said Chris was not thrown out. Had he been, a written record of the incident would have been filed; none was. It’s semantics, say the fans in Section 122: “One way or the other, they were leaving,” said Doug Geis. “Either on their own or the security people were escorting them out.”

It doesn’t matter much what you think of the sentiment on the shirt, or even which side of the He Said-He Said debate you’re on. Liberally interpreted, the Bengals’ Fan Code of Conduct does suggest that the team was within its rights to toss the guy.

“Failing to comply with instructions from ushers, parking attendants, security or law enforcement … may result in being ejected from the stadium’’ it says, in part.”

The bigger issue is, “Why?”

Nobody has suggested Chris’ shirt was “obscene, indecent or offensive.” The Bengals offense on occasion merits that description. Not the shirt.

Chris maintains he wasn’t “unruly or disruptive.’’ He wasn’t doing anything “illegal’’ or using “foul or abusive language or gestures.’’ Nor was he “standing, sitting or loitering in the aisles” or “standing on seats or chairs.”

And so on. Any of the above indiscretions would be reason for the security folks to request his departure. He didn’t display any of them, not according to Chris himself, and four witnesses.

“They wouldn’t explain anything,’’ Chris said. “We weren’t being verbally abusive or anything like that. We hadn’t even started chanting ‘Fire Brat!’ yet.”

Is this a big deal?

Technically, no. For what it says about a team and the way it is perceived to treat its fans? Definitely.

The Bengals say they knew nothing about it. On Tuesday, team spokesman Jack Brennan said, “We understand the emotions of our fans. They’re allowed to wear anything they want on a T-shirt as long as its not obscene or disruptive.”

Nick Whitecotton says his people don’t usually consult with team officials when considering a fan ejection. Whitecotton said Tenable acted “entirely unilaterally” in Chris’ case.

OK, but they work for the Bengals.

Here’s why it matters. Here’s a lesson the club has fumbled on numerous occasions over years of mostly losing:

Fans count.

Read more here: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20101130/COL03/311300097/1007/SPT02/Did-shirt-get-Bengals-fan-in-trouble-

Edited December 3, 2010 by HoosierCat
Let's all help B24 not get sued. See more here: http://forums.bengalszone.com/topic/21994-posting-of-full-articles/

[BengalPimp]

Somebody track that "Chris" guy down, and get him to start posting here........

[AGrizzlyBaer]

I read that earlier today, and you know what it really doesnt surprise me at all. This team treats fans worse then almost any other team.

[jjakq27]

Here's the update from Lance's blog this afternoon:

Fire Bratkowski t-shirt update

Here is the latest from an email conversation I had with Chris, the Bengals season ticket holder involed in the "Fire Brat" t-shirt controversy:

He got a call from Bill Connelly (Bengals Business Manger) this afternoon. Chris says Bill was "very pleasant".

His tickets are not being revoked over this. "The Bengals apologized (without completely saying Tenable was wrong because of the he said/he said nature of the story) The Bengals told me I could display the shirt as long as it was not obscene (and confirmed Fire Bratkowski was not obscene) and I did not threaten people or wave it in people's faces or appear unsafe."

Chris also told me he was never verbally warned during the game for displaying the T-shirt.

"If someone had come to my section and verbally warned me not to display the shirt and told me why I would have gladly put the shirt away. Instead they sent a three person Blue Coat search party looking for the shirt. Once found they grabbed the shirt told me I had been warned three times and asked to leave (but later the guard returned the shirt remarkably)."

[COB]

Will Daughtery ever be right about anything?

[jjakq27]

A couple of weeks back they took a sign from a guy near us that said "Give Me A Team I Can Be Proud Of". The kid didn't put up much of a fight but he wasn't happy. I say they just shot the messenger. Kinda sad.

[HairOnFire]

Somebody track that "Chris" guy down, and get him to start posting here........

Perhaps he could post using the name of Martyr McFly?

[Scottishbengal]

So, are Bengalszone going to sell "Fire Brat Hire Chris" T-shirts ???

I believe one was seen a few years ago by a Spainish postie delivering a Bengals shirt

[derekshank]

This is proof that Mike Brown isn't the brilliant businessman that people claim he is.

He refuses to fire Brat while he is still under contract, and that simply makes him a fiscal conservative. A truly brilliant businessman would sell the "Fire Brat" shirts in the Pro-Shop. And fans would be removed only if their shirts were not the NFL licensed "Fire Brat" shirts.

[COB]

This is proof that Mike Brown isn't the brilliant businessman that people claim he is.

Not a brilliant businessman? I was in the pro shop at PBS during the Bills game, and below is a picture of the pop machine in there. As you can see, Mike puts an out of order sign on the machine during games so you have to buy pop for five bucks or whatever from their vendors.

Jerry Jones, eat your f**king heart out.

[COB]

PS - The sign is laminated so they can use it over and over, thus saving on paper. Mike's business acumen is diabolical.

[Kazkal]

This is proof that Mike Brown isn't the brilliant businessman that people claim he is.

Not a brilliant businessman? I was in the pro shop at PBS during the Bills game, and below is a picture of the pop machine in there. As you can see, Mike puts an out of order sign on the machine during games so you have to buy pop for five bucks or whatever from their vendors.

Jerry Jones, eat your f**king heart out.

you try ignoring the sign and buying a pop? I figure the mike Brown thing would be to use no sign but leave a empty machine to eat peoples money who will then be forced to buy from the vendors.

[jjakq27]

For what it's worth, there were a group of people wearing the "Fire Bratkowski" t-shirts at the game. At one point I think they were on the big screen and the crowd reacted loudly when they saw them. In the end, I don't think any one bothered them or asked them to leave.

[COB]

In the end, I don't think any one bothered them or asked them to leave.

SSHHHHH! Paul Daugherty is attempting to potray stadium personnel as jackbooted thugs, and your glimpse into reality can only interfere with that. Paul is in his glory this season, so don't mess it up for him with anything trivial, like truth.