This certainly isn't a sports story you hear everyday.
Back in late November 2009, Kansas City Chiefs fan Joseph Ensign went to the Chiefs-Chargers game at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA, and watched Kansas City get whomped 43-14. Mirroring the sentiment of probably most Chiefs fans at the time, Ensign proceeded to "salute" the Qualcomm crowd with a single finger. Long story short, he was tackled by the private security guards of the Chargers' "home" stadium and was acquitted of battery charges:
On Monday, 33-year-old Jason Ensign of San Diego was acquitted on battery charges stemming from a scuffle with stadium security guards after he 'flipped off' Chargers fans while leaving early from a November, 2009 game that his favorite team, the visiting Chiefs, was losing badly.
NBC San Diego caught up with attorney Mary Frances Provos who said, "They're going to have to rethink how they handle these private security guards at Padres games, at Qualcomm Stadium, at any sporting event. Because they can't evict someone for exercising their free speech rights."
Here's the judge's reasoning in the ruling:
The trial judge, Gale Kaneshiro, ruled that Jason Ensign was invoking his free speech right with his middle-finger salute to Chargers fans, and had a right to defend himself from the private security officers who tackled him.
Should we cheer this Chiefs fan? Jeer him? I have say you gotta love a legitimate case of free speech being defended within the context of being a jackass sports fan.