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Sports

Chill Saints Fan Sues for Season Ticket Refund Over Player Protests

This New Orleans Saints fan is definitely getting ripped off by his lawyer.
Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports


After his requests for a refund were rebuffed, a New Orleans Saints fan is now suing the team for the cost of his season tickets and attorney's fees accrued through the course of the litigation. Area businessman Lee Dragna claims his seats have become unusable for him, his family, and potential clients he'd like to schmooze due to player protests during the national anthem. Dragna claims he hasn't used the tickets since the home opener against the New England Patriots.

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The claims in the suit, according to the New Orleans Advocate, are not what you'd expect for this kind of case, however. Dragna isn't claiming that the players are ruining the experience, or rendering his ticket useless by turning the experience into something he would never have paid for in the first place. No, it's not even technically the fault of the few players who choose to protest rampant police brutality nationwide during the playing of the national anthem. It's the people sitting around him, and their vitriolic reactions.

He said the behavior of other fans upset over the protests — cursing, spilling beer — is “borderline dangerous,” though he said does not think the responsibility for that behavior ultimately rests with the fans themselves, but with the owner Tom Benson.

“The Saints created that behavior by condoning it,” he said.

“It’s my thought pattern that they should not be allowed (to protest),” he said. “If you sell tickets to a gaming event for entertainment, you should not be allowed to turn it political.”

Ladies and gentleman of the jury, I know what you're thinking: is it possible this season ticket holder who has sued his favorite football team does not want this gaming event to be turned political because he disagrees with the politics? Your honor, I'd like to have to following marked as "exhibit a" and entered into evidence:

Dragna also made it clear he disagrees with the protests as well.

“I don’t want my kids growing up thinking that those are their heroes … and it’s OK to do that stuff, especially on TV and especially on your job site. That can’t be allowed to happen.”

So now, because this guy is bent out of shape about NFL players protesting police brutality, he's going to drop a whole lot of coin on a wildly frivolous lawsuit that proposes that by virtue of allowing players to express themselves in a peaceful manner, owner Tom Benson has enabled Dragna's seat neighbors to act like boorish dickheads, therefore making it impossible for him to attend the games.

Good luck with that. And good luck especially in not only winning, but in succeeding on your request for the reimbursement of your attorney's fees because, brother, your attorney will be sending a bill.