By Dave Holcomb
More controversy surrounds the Milwaukee Brewers as security guards at Miller Park asked a fan to leave Thursday’s game because of the jersey she was wearing. A woman taped the letters “F” and “D” over “B” and “N” on her Ryan Braun jersey, so the name read “Fraud”.
“A lot of fans complimented me on the jersey,” the Brewer fan, Karen Eidem, said in a telephone interview. “It was all meant in good fun. It wasn’t meant to be derogatory.”
The security guards clearly did not get the humor as they told Eidem the shirt violated the fan code of conduct. In order to stay at the game, Eidem turned her shirt inside out.
But if one takes a closer look at the code, it clearly states clothing and body art simply cannot be profane or offensive. It is an absolutely atrocity that Eidem was asked to leave the game.
As Americans, doesn’t freedom of speech mean anything anymore? Of course, there are lots of exceptions to free speech especially when buying/attending things like baseball games, but the line can be a bit gray since, well, the line isn’t clearly defined.
Baseball tickets don’t come with terms and conditions. For heaven’s sake, the Sim’s Vacation Expansion Pack has a terms and conditions page, but not baseball tickets. Not that anyone read them before building their virtual houses anyway.
On the other hand, of course, fans can’t wear whatever they want to a stadium. Imagine a Yankee game turning into a Nazi Rally. That would only be funny if George Costanza was mistaken as O’Brien and had to give a speech.
But a Ryan Fraud jersey? That’s not offensive enough to warrant escorting someone out of the stadium. Besides, Eidem said herself other fans liked it.
Luckily, the Brewers did not find the jersey worthy of escorting Eidem out of the stadium either. WTMJ Radio reports the team issued a statement saying security should not have done what they did. The Brewers also offered Eidem another game ticket.
“In this case, the fan absolutely should have been able to wear the jersey without any intervention by our staff,” the Brewers organization said. “We welcome the opportunity for fans to express their opinions. The only circumstances that would warrant us intervening is if someone were to display a message or item that would be considered offensive to other fans.”
“This is not a case where that line was crossed, and we’re sorry for the inconvenience to her.”
Fans won’t be able to convince me the team didn’t do this partially to avoid a public relations nightmare. After losing their best player for the season to maybe the biggest sports drug scandal in recent memory, just give the woman a free game. The last place Brewers could use some fans anyway.
But at least the team did the right thing and corrected their mistake. There is a lot to be said for that.
Major League Baseball suspended Brewers Outfielder Ryan Braun on Monday for using performance-enhancing drugs. Braun will miss the remaining 65 games of the season.
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