UPDATE 9/11, 1:45 p.m. ET: According to WKYC, the Cleveland Browns banned the wrong man from FirstEnergy Stadium, for alleagedly throwing a bear on the Titans' Logan Ryan. Eric Smith, who is a local DJ in Cleveland, told the network that he wasn't even at the game in question.
UPDATE 9/10, 5:45 p.m. ET: The Cleveland Browns issued a statement regarding the fab who threw a beer at Logan Ryan.
The Browns believe they have identified the fan, and plan on banning him from the stadium.
See original story below.
While it's often encouraged for fans to interact with athletes, some sports lovers of every league have crossed the line and done things that have demeaned the players. This was the case during the Titans' season opener when a Browns fan decided to splash his beer on members of the Tennessee defense.
Heading into the season, the Browns were surrounded with hype following multiple offensive acquisitions including the addition of superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Yet the Titans defense ruined their debut by holding the Browns star-studded offense to just 13 points. During their 30-point loss, Baker Mayfield threw one of his three interceptions to Malcolm Butler who turned the errored pass into a 38-yard pick-six. Butler and a few teammates celebrated this score by jumping onto the barrier. This prompted one Browns fan to splash the players with his beer.
One of Butler's teammates who helped him celebrate his pick-six was Logan Ryan. He too was subjected to the unwanted Bug Light shower. Ryan wasn't happy with the fan's conduct and was vocal about seeing this behavior punished.
"They can pour beer on us because we’re just athletes right?" Ryan said in a tweet that tagged the Titans, Browns, NFL, and NFL Players Association. "We’re just entertainment & since they purchased a ticket they can act how they want?"
The NFL isn't the only sports league that has a problem with unruly fans. NBA stars have been subjected to unwarranted behavior by fans on multiple occasion. One of the biggest examples of this came during the NBA Finals when a Golden State Warriors minority owner, Mark Stevens, pushed the Raptors' Kyle Lowry. Stevens was eventually fined $500,000 and banned from games for a year. It seems like Ryan wants the NFL to give the Browns fan a comparable consequence.
