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Fans at Steelers-Broncos Game Make Awful Jersey Decision

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Fans make terrible jersey choices all the time, whether in an effort to be funny or ironic or just maybe to get others talking. But few rise to occasion of downright offensive.

But such was the case at yesterday’s Steelers-Broncos game.

Two fans were spotted in the crowd wearing Ravens and Patriots jerseys.

“What’s so bad about that?” you may ask. Fans wear jerseys of teams who aren’t playing in the game all the time. And no, there’s nothing inherently wrong with wearing a jersey to a game that is not of that of one of the two teams playing.

But take a closer look at the jerseys.

See the problem?

In case you didn’t…here’s the tweet showing the “fans” at the game:

And if that doesn’t disgust you, maybe you haven’t heard about Ray Rice and/or Aaron Hernandez.

It’s not like either fan wore either jersey by accident either. I could maybe see a random Rice jersey at a Ravens game (or a Hernandez jersey at a Pats game) — perhaps that could be excused because the jersey was a gift, or bought at the discount rack at T.J. Maxx, and the wearer was simply unaware of the history of either player. Nay, this was premeditated. The Internet was rightfully disgusted upon seeing the photo.

There are some things in life that you just don’t do — like dressing up as Hitler for Hallowe’en. I gotta think this falls into this same category. One of the replies to that tweet pretty much summed it up:

Disgusting.

I get that security probably didn’t see the full jerseys (and NOB) when the fans entered the stadium, and I’m not sure if the two in question were asked to leave. But clearly the fans knew exactly what they were doing when they walked into the game.

This whole incident should be embarassing for the NFL as well as security. I don’t normally comment on what fans wear in the stands, but this one crossed the line. This wasn’t funny or edgy or clever. It was just the wrong thing to do.

Your thoughts?

 
  
 
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Comments (72)

    Truly revolting and disgusting. I’ll bet they thought they were being edgy but failed miserably. Having said that, I can’t imagine they would be kicked out of the game for their jersey choices in this case.

    While the picture makes for great Internet fodder, this is an overreaction, with regards to being removed by security. It should be noted that Ray Rice was honored by the Ravens as a Legend of the Game last year. That’s its own debate for another time, but the fact that his former team has officially accepted him now that he’s paid his dues vindicates a fan from being “removed by security” for wearing his jersey.

    I think this is just right. I find their behavior gross, but not at expulsion-level. This is the sort of scenario we created social scorn and stigma for.

    I think NetFlix monetizing an Aaron Hernandez film is far worse than this. A documentary, sure. But a movie….that’s egregious profiteering.

    Eh, yeah it’s dumb but not nearly worth getting this worked up over. Too many things to actually be mad about in this world, this is classic example of where it’s better to just move along.

    I don’t see how this is a Uni Watch story. You didn’t really add anything to the tweet. I avoid that cesspool already.

    I have to agree. The people who wore those jerseys knew what they were doing, and were looking for attention like this. It’s best to ignore it, and let these “fans” fade into irrelevance.

    Nope. There were plenty of Hernandez jerseys around prior to his true lothesome self being revealed to Pats fans. He was a dynamic offensive player that engendered widespread support before the truth fully emerged.

    Geez, who cares about a couple of fans’ jerseys? This is supposed to be a fun site to check out every morning. This kind of content is disappointing and uninteresting.

    Why would security remove them from the game? This may be in poor taste, and an attempt to get your photo shared all over the internet, but there is no reason to remove them from the game or ask them to not wear those jerseys. As others have noted the Ravens even honored Ray Rice at a game last year. So clearly as far as the NFL is concerned Rice’s behavior is nothing to be ashamed about.
    Fact is the NFL is a league with some high profile players that have committed some very awful crimes, and often get by with a very different level of consequences compared to the average person. If fans want to point out the absurdity of this when they go to games, it is their right. There was a high profile running back who played for a different purple team, who committed a different kind of violent crime. Nobody seems to care if you wear his jersey.

    This is the type of post that Paul would run. It’s one of the things that I like better about the new leadership of this site. It has been about uniform news only or at least common, fun stories. No more unrelated riffs, social comments, e-begging and snarky comments. That has been very refreshing. The fans choice of jerseys was probably in poor taste, but as Paul would say, “let’s move on.”

    Absolutely. The site had grown tiresome, predictably political, and was becoming a caricature of itself under the former regime. I hope this isn’t the first glimpse of meeting the new boss, same as the old boss. I’m going to give him a mulligan on this one; hopefully this is the last of the manufactured rage for a while… If not forever.

    Having bad or no taste is not a crime. Unless they were provoking other fans trying to make an issue out of it, they are free to be assholes.

    Probably the worst thing you can do to people like this is NOT engage because it is attention that they crave.

    As others have said, let’s move on.

    About 15 years ago when I used to go to a dive bar to watch the NFL almost every Sunday, there was a Steelers fan who wore 2 different non-Steelers jerseys – Michael Vick and OJ Simpson. Needless to see the guy was a complete toolbag.

    What they did is lame, and while I don’t necessarily think this article is an overreaction, it’s definitely what they were looking for. Why give it to them?

    Wow. If we can’t agree that wearing those jerseys is a despicable attack on ANY sense of decency, we have really fallen as a people. I am stunned at the collective shoulder shrugs that are on display here! Sick.

    What most of the comments seem to be centering around is stop giving people like this the attention that they seem to desperately crave.

    People are allowed to offend and be offensive. It is not a collective shoulder shrug, it is a simple acknowledgment of that fact.

    Yeah this is really the key. People do things like this to get a rise out of others. The thing they want most is for people to write columns like this, to trend on Twitter (still need “I Still Call It Twitter” t-shirts btw) and the like. This post is giving them what they want. If people just ignored them, they’d lose interest.

    Here is where the shoulder shrug is a problem:
    I talked to a good friend of mine, who is a police officer.
    His words, not mine:
    “The problem is, you have young adults (16,17,18), who are committing murders, and asking when they can go home. Young people, are truly raised today, to think that any thing they do, including murder, is a shoulder shrug, and no big deal.”
    My point is, judging by the mindset, if you think that these jerseys, are the worst things these two have done, congrats!
    You are part of the problem.

    Good post, Phil! It’s particularly gross in light of the newest wave of Deshaun Watson’s abuse allegations. So maybe that context is what these fans were acting upon, and why it hits so poorly. Deshaun’s first and now second wave of allegations really highlight again the poor response by the League and society to violence against women. If the man is a money-maker for the team and exciting, he gets a pass. As well discussed in this article from Andscape; link

    That’s a good point, there’s a guy who shows up to almost every Cleveland game wearing the jersey of that POS Watson. He’s never been escorted out by security, they even let him out on to the field.

    I agree. It’s embarrassing to see so many Watson jerseys. People should be embarrassed to wear a jersey like that. At best it’s a poor attempt at humor but it reads more like a red flag to me

    Maybe their last names are actually Rice and Hernandez? Regardless, why do we give a damn what people wear to a game? Pretty low bar to get outraged over.

    We can’t dress up as Hitler on Halloween, but we can call a presidential candidate Hitler, to the point they try to kill him. Twice.

    Honest question: do you suffer from reading comprehension problems?

    Anyway, this post might actually be worse than most of the sanctimonious performative “please please please take me seriously because I’m a journalist who drops F-bombs” posting that Paul did. A dumb edgy joke stunt like this deserves to be ignored, not to have pearls clutched over it. If we’re going to be treated to outrage bait-taking, then let’s also get legitimate daring and interesting and feature an article defending Native-themed sports imagery or something. That seems like a good trade-off to me at least.

    You must have replied to the wrong comment because the one you replied to was a reply to an off-topic comment that had nothing to do with the post. I also think the post was over the top, even if the underlying conduct was indeed gross.

    My point was only to make clear that it’s weird that supporters of a presidential candidate keep shooting at him, or trying to. Perhaps you could use some help with reading comprehension.

    I believe his VP called him that 8 years ago. Apparently it is ok to change your mind about tips and taxes and stuff.

    Want to talk about gross? I own a throwback creamsicle Buccaneers #82 “WINSLOW”, that I picked up at TJ Maxx for $9.99 in 2012, and no, I’ve never worn it.

    That being said, this post is really silly and petty and feels like it belongs on some barstool blog.

    I didn’t know who Ray Rice is until I looked it up. It’s not funny or clever but the idea that they should be asked to leave over a joke that was in very poor taste is pretty silly. I haven’t been to an NFL game in a decade or so, but I assume tickets are very expensive. As long as they aren’t hurting anyone, too intoxicated, or interfering with the game, I think for a ticket you have a right to be an unclever bore.

    Sorry, but he was among the best RBs in the NFL until he was shit-canned for domestic violence. How in the world had you not heard of him? Even if you didn’t know him as a player, the story about his assault of his then-girlfriend was national news for a while.

    I really don’t follow the NFL like, at all. I know Mahomes, Kelce, Daniel Jones & Saquon Barkley (because I’m ostensibly a Giants fan). Beyond that it’s all retired guys from the 90s then Brady & Gronk.

    The name did sound familiar immediately but I couldnt place him so I had to look up exactly what he did.

    Rice is still a revered individual in New Rochelle, and runs an annual football camp headquartered at the high school. I see it as being a Lawrence Taylor-type of situation.

    In 2015, I attended a Rams-Vikings game in Minneapolis and saw something similar to this. A guy was wearing a purple Vikings #42 Darren Sharper jersey. I called out to the guy that it was time to get another jersey, doing so a couple of times.

    This was a few months after Sharper had been sentenced to prison for rape and while he faced trial for additional charges. Because Sharper had played for the Vikes, it got considerable local news coverage and was all over the national sports media. There was no reasonable way the guy didn’t know.

    My ex went to college with Darren Sharper and at one point had his jersey. Stopped wearing it years ago, and you know why.

    It may be disgusting, but no one has the right to ask them to leave. That’s a little over-dramatic. And again, it’s super gross of them, but censorship isn’t the answer you oversensitive folks.

    Of course the venue has the right to eject them. Why wouldn’t they?

    I wouldn’t agree with that decision if they made it, but it’s silly to imagine they couldn’t if they wanted to.

    i’m surprised and disappointed at the comments that conveniently use this article to crap on paul’s era of the site now that he’s not longer editor in chief

    Same. Looks like a lot of the old-timers have left and we’ve been flooded with some new recruits from Rumble or something.

    Actually bought a Randy Moss throwback jersey after he got traded in 2010. Was going to wear it to a ballgame in June 2013 but realized Aaron Hernandez just got brought up on murder charges. Eventually I trashed the Moss #81 jersey.

    That’s a deeply weird reaction. Most NE fans associate #81 with either Moss or Francis. And I assume the jersey said Moss on the back, so why not wear it?

    I had to check twice and make sure this was actually a post on UniWatch. Garbage content that adds no value, and boy is it ridiculous that you suggest they should’ve been tossed out of the game by stadium security over this. Making posts like this are a sign you should go to more live sporting events and interact with people outside this very specialized bubble, and spend less time typing about them.

    Agree with Nick. It’s a free country. People can wear what they want. This has nothing to do with uniforms.

    You didn’t have to read it. And yet here you both are, whining about free internet on the content that nobody made you look at.

    I don’t think this is worthy of a post and bringing further attention to bad taste by fans who are obviously begging for attention.

    Eh. Not worth an entire post, IMO. Two fans acting like idiots. Otherwise known as a typical NFL Sunday.

    This post was almost as ill advised as the jerseys those people chose to wear. Must we be outraged about everything?

    I’m also very surprised and disappointed at the cheap shots being taken at Paul now that he no longer runs the blog. Where were all of you malcontents when he was here every day to take these issues with his content up with you?

    request of a loyal reader: please make no posts like this. as others mention, ti’s what is expected of barstool/gossip/meme type sites

    It took me awhile to compose a reply to this situation, because it seems not to have a precedent. If the NFL and its partners issued the jerseys, you do not have a leg to stand on if their presence offends you; it’s canonical and has the backing of the league. It may be in bad taste but that is unenforceable as it falls under protected free speech. In other words, it’s a bad hill to die on.

    “Free speech” has nothing to do with this. The spectators are entitled to wear the jerseys, and the venue would have been entitled to throw them out if they saw fit to do so. I think wearing those jerseys is pretty gross, but I wouldn’t agree with their ejection. As I said above, this is what social pressure is for.

    But “free speech” is irrelevant unless someone advocated they be arrested, which I’ve not seen.

    Bad taste is not a crime. It is probably better for these 2 tools to sit there, looking foolish. Throwing someone out for wearing a shirt in questionable taste is an invitation for slippery slopes. These are in bad taste, sure; what about the guy who wants to be That Guy wearing a #69 jersey with “LETS” as the NOB? Do we toss him too? How about a Cowboys jersey at an Eagles game? There are different degrees of wrong but how far apart they are is subject to interpretation. I got harassed at Busch Stadium III for wearing a shirt that had the word “SUCKS” on it (actually font related!), to the point that I had to buy another shirt. And I thought it was ridiculous.
    The poor taste speaks for itself, I don’t think tossing or arresting them is going to have the effect you would want, and I certainly am not going to get worked up about it and give them the attention they want.

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