Football fans who choose to openly root for the road team assume the risk of being verbally abused, but none should ever be subject to assault. Especially when the fan is eight years old.
According to WEWS in Cleveland, the mother of an eight-year-old Jets fan claims that a Browns fan tackled the boy, who wore a Jets jersey to Sunday’s game while the boy and his father were leaving the game.
“A drunken Browns fan tackled him and pulled him out of his dad’s hand. He was on the ground crying,” the boy’s mother said. The boy’s ankle was scraped and bruised.
The boy’s father did not report the incident to police. Instead, the father decided to continue to their car and leave.
The incident occurred outside of the stadium, in a lot owned by the City of Cleveland.
Browns spokesman Neil Gulkis described the incident as “unfortunate and disappointing,” and he said that the Browns are looking into the situation.
At a minimum, we think that Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan should get his twin brother, Rex, to invite the boy to a game in New York.
