Beer-throwing Patriots fan charged
New England also sends “letter of disinvite” after patron doused KC’s Hill
The New England Patriots identified a fan who threw a beer at Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill Sunday night.
Both the Patriots and the Foxborough Police Department took action Monday.
First, the Patriots released a statement saying that the fan “will be sent a letter of disinvite to all future events at Gillette Stadium.” The Patriots also said the matter had been turned over to local law enforcement.
Later Monday, ESPN reported that Foxborough police have charged the fan with disorderly conduct and throwing an object at a sporting event.
Numerous New England fans let Hill have it with both barrels after he scored the game-tying touchdown late in Sunday’s wild game in New England, a 43-40 Patriots win.
After one fan threw beer in Hill’s face as his cruising speed carried him out of the end zone and into the padding covering the stands, other fans with end zone seats flipped him off.
Hill’s 75-yard touchdown catch came with just more than three minutes left in the game, finishing off a lightning quick Kansas City “drive” consuming 12 seconds and only that one play. The speed of that drive wound up helping New England, allowing Tom Brady to eat up the remaining time with run plays and a 39-yard pass to Rob Gronkowski that put the Patriots in field goal range. Stephen Gostkowski’s game-winning kick, from 28 yards, capped a frenetic 30-point fourth quarter, with the Patriots handing the Chiefs their first loss of the season.
But before that came Hill’s touchdown, and the hostile end zone greeting from Patriots fans.
That ugly display was caught by NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” cameras, and it quickly captured social media conversation.
“Now if he smacked ... one of you clowns you would be all over social media crying ready to sue him!” former NFL running back Reggie Bush tweeted. “Fans need to chill before somebody get hurt! You don’t have to like the opposing team but you need to show respect or don’t go!”
Nate Burleson, the former NFL wide receiver, had a similar thought.
“What’s sad is if [Hill] hit one of them, he’d be in the wrong,” he tweeted. “This tweet is not to encourage NFL players to respond aggressively to unruly idiots but more of a message to FANS ... You’re not at the zoo watching animals so show some respect!”
Hill, who caught seven passes for 142 yards and three touchdowns, said he was unbothered by the chilly reception.
“My coach [Andy Reid] told me, ‘Don’t get emotional. Don’t get mad about it because it comes with the territory,’” he said afterward, according to NESN. “I’m not mad at all.”
Others noted that Hill had already been given a single-digit salute two weeks ago during a Monday night game in Denver.
Football fans, of course, haven’t cornered the market on this kind of behavior. Red Sox reliever Craig Kimbrel was almost hit with a beer can as he exited the bullpen at Yankee Stadium during the American League Division Series last week.