Philly Eagles fan fined by Minnesota for his Super Bowl antics
Philadelphia Eagles fans who traveled to Minneapolis to watch their team win Super Bowl LII were expected to bring home plenty of souvenirs from their memorable trip.
One fan took home a souvenir he wasn’t entitled to, and now he’s going to pay to have it replaced.
SMG, the firm that manages U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, said an Eagles fan who stole a seat from the venue after Sunday’s Super Bowl has agreed to pay $125 to have the seat replaced.
In exchange for paying to have the seat replaced, the fan — who has not been identified — will not face any criminal charges.
Video of the man carrying a purple seat in the stadium’s coat check generated more than 190,000 views on Facebook by Wednesday afternoon.
Marcus Certa, who also attended the game and was traveling through Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, took a photo of the fan with the seat strapped to his carry-on suitcase.
Really?!? Guy wearing Eagles gear seen on social media taking a broken stadium seat home from Super Bowl. #notcool 📷:@ZakFick pic.twitter.com/Qy9HToWZU3
— Chris O'Connell (@CoconnellFox29) February 7, 2018
“I was first in shock because I couldn’t believe that someone actually stole a seat,” Certa told ABC News. “The stadium was surrounded by fencing. You had to go through narrow corridors. I couldn’t believe he got it outside.”
Zak Fick, a South Dakota native who also attended the game, saw other Eagles fans destroying seats after the victory.
Here are my photos of the seats that were kicked out by Eagles fans after they won the Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com/aUPW4OjZUl
— Zak (@ZakFick) February 6, 2018
“I heard a snap and turned around and saw one guy trying to lift the seat and another kicking it,” Zak told ABC News. “The seats were probably cheap but it doesn’t matter the amount. You’re destroying property that is not yours.”
SMG officials said three seats were damaged and have since been repaired.
“Representatives from SMG have been in contact with one of the responsible individuals, who has agreed to reimburse SMG for replacement and installation costs,” the firm said in a statement. “No further action will be taken against the individual.”
Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority spokeswoman Jennifer Hathaway said the stadium keeps extra seats on hand, so the estimated cost to replace it, including labor, is $125.
“The fan was exuberant and excited and he pulled the chair out,” she said. “This is someone forcibly removing an item that isn’t supposed to be removed.”
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