#Browns fan kicked out of seat for standing too much. #neutered #NFL

[TheBestPlayersPlay]

To stand or not to stand: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the crowd to suffer the boredom and passivity of sitting down or to stand up against the wishes of outrageous management, and by opposing, get kicked out. To stand, to sit? No more.

With the help of noted Cleveland Browns fan Bill Shakespeare, we present the star-crossed tale of Rob Stipe, a Dawg Pound fan who dresses up for games in a wig, face paint and shoulder pads and was recently kicked out of his seat at Cleveland Browns Stadium for standing up too much during games.


Stipe, a ticket holder of 25 years, was told by security personnel to sit during the first quarter of Sunday's game when he was standing during a third down. Later in the game, he was standing again and was asked to leave his seat due to a new rule that immediately boots second-offenders.


Stipe insists his standing isn't excessive. Adam Wright of The Chronicle-Telegram explains:
According to Stipe, "excessive standing" has become a bit of a no-no at Cleveland Browns Stadium over the last few seasons. Last year, he was also scolded for the offense and three sheriff's deputies were sent to meet him outside the bathroom to tell him to use his seat more.
"We do not stand all the time," the 35-year-old explained, referring to the as many as 12 friends and family who share season tickets. "We stand on first down, we stand at the beginning of this game, we stand at kickoff. We stand. We are standers, but we're also courteous to other people. If somebody says, 'Hey man, will you sit down?' Sure, I will love to sit down for you. No problem."


A Browns official told the newspaper that the standing rule is enforced only if other fans complain and that security personnel aren't scanning the crowd for standers. Stipe, who said he always honors requests to sit, admitted later in the story that he'd prefer everyone to stand.


"I hate the people who sit down at a game," he said. "It's not that I try to stand and [expletive] everyone off. I want everyone to stand so that when we're on national TV we don't look like lumps on a log."


National TV? We're talking about the Browns here, right?


Look, I sympathize with Stipe. I much prefer standing to sitting while at games; it makes me feel like I'm into the game more. It also looks much better on television. But the decision to stand or sit is a collective one made by the crowd. If the people behind you aren't standing and aren't taking cues from you to stand, you're a jerk if you keep doing it. Stipe tells a sob story, but I'm guessing his one-sided account leaves out some key details about the extent of his standing, the annoyance of the crowd behind him or his reaction to security personnel. If his version is the complete truth, this is a preposterous miscarriage of ticket-holder justice. More likely than not, he wasn't booted for standing as much as he was for refusing to sit.

And we wonder why no team in the league fears coming to CBS. I have heard MANY stories like Stipes since the Gestapo moved to Cleveland in '99.

If you want to sit on your fat ass the entire game, stay at home and watch.

[SoCalBrownsFan]

What a fooking joke.....what's next....being kicked out for being too loud????

[next2nothing]

I get the whole "we wanna make sure everyone can see the game" angle they're catering to... but when the hell did it become a problem for a fan to stand and cheer his/her team during a game?

[Sez.EJ]

I have sat behind someone who stood the whole time.. was obnoxious.. It sucked.. I doubt we are getting the whole story here.. You have to really be a jerk to get kicked out for standing.. They will not throw you out for a first warning.. It has to be on the 2nd or more offense.. AND someone HAS to complain about you.. So.. Maybe..just maybe.. the guy was really being a jerk.. then again.. maybe not.

But once he was warned for the first offense.... it's on him after that.

[TheBestPlayersPlay]

They have signs blanketed all over the stadium asking fans to anonymously text if anyone is bothering them. People can complain in anonymity, and do so regularly. It's not tough at all to get kicked out of CBS if you have a bunch of nancies sitting behind you who don't like standing up and screaming their lungs out to cheer on their team.

End zone seating especially should allow for non stop standing, and be 18+. The stadium itself is a joke and doesn't lend to intimidating the opposing team, but the fans are even worse. The storied fans of pre-move are gone and dead ...or neutered.

I used to think Raider fan was a wannabe Brown fan with the "Black Hole", but now I can't even put us at the level of wannabe.

I'll stop ranting about it now ...but it irritates me to no end.

[Alo]

Originally Posted by TheBestPlayersPlay

And we wonder why no team in the league fears coming to CBS. I have heard MANY stories like Stipes since the Gestapo moved to Cleveland in '99.

Ugh.

Anyway, I agree that this is pretty ridiculous.

[Masters]

This guys story that he was simply thrown own for twice standing lost all believability with "Last year, he was also scolded for the offense and three sheriff's deputies were sent to meet him outside the bathroom to tell him to use his seat more." You really think 3 sheriff deputies tracked him down at the mens room simply for standing? As Tom Jackson would say, "Come on man!"

Then this guy goes on to say "I hate the people who sit down at a game,". I find it highly doubtfull someone who feels so strongly about people who sit (I mean he just said hate people who do), politely sits when asked and then remains seated there for more than 30 seconds.

Oh, and to top it off I hear he was on the radio today giving his story and now he says he was only warned by officials (Browns security and Tenable security) 3 or 4 times before he was ejected.

My guess, this guy was being a jackass far beyond just "standing up" and cheering, and was likely rightfully ejected. Sorry but if they were being that strict at the stadium you'd be hearing stories like this all the time.

Sorry people that paid for a ticket for a SEAT and think they have the right to stand all they want (there is a time and place to stand and cheer, look around you, if it's you a handful of people actually standing and yelling it's likely not the time in the game to be doing it) are the same people who think it's okay to talk loudly to the person next to them, get texts, or talk on the phone in theater.

[TheBestPlayersPlay]

I know people personally that have been kicked out of games for standing, for g, and for inadvertently spilling beer on the person in front of them.

As far as bringing your 4,5,6,7 yr old to the game. That's what the family section is for.

[hoorta]

Originally Posted by TheBestPlayersPlay

I know people personally that have been kicked out of games for standing, for g, and for inadvertently spilling beer on the person in front of them.

As far as bringing your 4,5,6,7 yr old to the game. That's what the family section is for.

Standing section is last row, upper deck.

OK, maybe the folks behind this guy were being pricks, or you ever consider they were 90 year olds with a heart condition? Guy was warned numerous times to sit his ass down (by authorities) and refused.

BTW,I've seen people kicked out of my section- and IMO, you have to be a total a-hole to get the boot. Now spilling beer- was that a whole 16 ouncer? If you're that loaded, maybe you should get kicked out.

Now I may be getting old, but I paid my money to watch the game, and not look at your fright wig or ass for 4 hours. Ya, it's not tennis or church but standing doesn't make you some kind of "macho" fan.

[hammertime]

there are always a-holes at a game and beleive me, only a sampling get tossed.

i'm sure there has been a few times when it was overboard by security but in general, if your not not playing by their rules then you have grounds to be dismissed from the stadium.

It's always wise to cheer WITH the folks around you and make nice before things go bad. (unless there steelers fans)

[Enigmatic Evil]

This is ridiculous.

Standing up... TWICE? It's a fucking football game. If the team scores a TD or there's a big play, I'm going to stand up, I'm going to yell and cheer, and then I'm going to get kicked out. If you're doing it ALL the time, and there's no reason to. Maybe that's the line they're drawing but more, and more, this is like the "No Fun League"

[Vegasdogg]

I do not think the guy was kicked out for standing. You have to be some kind of a-hole to get yourself removed from an NFL game and I am pretty sure that was the case here as well.