Instead, the longtime fan said he was “escorted out of the stadium by two big security guards” just moments after the game began due to his choice of headwear.
For today’s game, Begley, who is 70, wore a Blue Jays hoodie and a red ballcap with the slogan, “Canada is not for sale.”
“We have spoken with the fan to apologize,” (Blue Jays) spokesperson Andrea Goldstein wrote in an email.
“Our staff made a mistake, and we have addressed the issue to ensure it does not happen again.”
“no Political Statements”
How in the fuck is that political?
It’s patriotism. That’s like throwing someone out because they have a Canada flag on their shirt.
Dissing Trump while in Canada is not political. Dissing Trudeau or PP while in Canada is definitely political. But foreign politicians are fair game.
I disagree, I think it definitely is a political statement.
However, kicking someone out for “politics” at a sports game, where you need to stand for national anthems and 75% of the time they’ll make you “honour” some random veteran is ironic and pretty disgusting.
I don’t think anyone should be bothered by political clothing at a baseball game unless said politics are actively hateful, which “Canada is not for sale” is quite obviously not.
It was a bright red hat with several lines of white text on it in serif font. From afar it probably appeared to be a “Make America Great Again” hat. Which is definitely political. The mistake was likely a staffer or someone else not looking at it closely enough and reporting it to security.
If that’s the case, then no the mistake was security being literally three feet in front of them and not reading the hat.
If they did, and still decided to drag him out, my point still stands.
Security personnel might not have been fully privy to the reason why a fan needs to be ejected.
At least when I’ve been at events and things get to the point where a guard comes up and says “You need to leave,” there’s no backtalk that’s going to get them to change their mind. Your only option at that point is to take it up with management later, as this person has done.
Lol, you think they can read …
owww noooo da amewicans gonna get twiggered becuz day saw da mean hatty-watty.
God, if this was about keeping a good face with the MLB and American viewers, then the team leadership has no fucking spine.
I was going to assume it’s because they thought it was a MAGA hat. Then read the article.
Yeah that’s pretty fucking stupid.
They didn’t even have to read the article, just the hat.
Unless attitudes at the MLB have changed in recent years, I remember them being less favorable to Canadian teams on a normal day. Americans have a larger population of baseball fans and that’s where the money is, I fully believe team management would not want to seem antagonistic.
I could see someone seeing that hat and assuming it’s a MAGA hat, and kicking the guy out – and the security guards “just doing their jobs”.
It still sucks, and i’m glad they said sorry
Wow if this was an American team the guy would be banned for life, sued for speaking out, and dragged by the media based on lies they spread about him
The world has lost its fucking mind
Paragraph fom the article:
A short time later, however, he said he was approached by an usher who politely told him that the hat he was wearing is in contravention of their “rule against political statements.”
A rule like this is so vauge and open to interpretation. Honestly anything could be turned political if you wanted it to. Wearing a American hat belive it or not thrown out.
Boycott Rogers and Switch to Freedom!
I thought you were being ironic since Rogers owned Freedom, but checking the Wikipedia page it looks like Freedom was sold to Québecor when Rogers acquired Shaw.
A lot of people make that mistake because the deal was later altered. Thank goodness Rogers doesn’t own Freedom as we would be paying out of the nose due to less competition.
I’m considering Banfield
The smaller the telecom the better! We need much more competition in this market!
I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad rule in general – it would avoid raising divisive issues and triggering conflicts during what is supposed to be a family-friendly and enjoyable event for all. But enforcing it in this case was hella stupid and contrary to the spirit of the rule’s own (presumed) intent.
I viscerally despise this kind of meek sterile attitude. But then again, I come from Europe where sports arenas are still public spaces, in the millenia old Roman tradition of the Hippodrome.
Shouldn’t have happened, but I’m glad it turned out the way it did.
