A season-ticket holder for the New Orleans Saints has sued the team for a full refund and attorneys’ fees claiming the protest of the national anthem by some players over racial injustice has prevented him and his family from enjoying the games.
Lee Dragna filed the lawsuit on Monday in the 24th judicial district court in Gretna, saying the demonstrations and subsequent negative crowd reaction have undercut the value of the tickets, which he purchased “for his entertainment and intellectual enjoyment and the entertainment and intellectual enjoyment of his family, friends and clients”.
Dragna, 44, said he hasn’t attended a Saints game since 17 September, when he claimed a number of New Orleans players refused to take the field until after the pre-game performance of the Star-Spangled Banner. He alleges many of the fans “booed and cursed at the Saints players” when they finally emerged from the tunnel, passing in front of his seats on the 20-yard line about 25 yards from the field.
The lawsuit cites other games during which Saints players kneeled during the anthem, saying they were “following the lead of Colin Kaepernick by disrespecting the flag, the Anthem; the USA and those who have served and are serving the USA in our military” and that “these actions taken by the Saints football players were in protest of racial inequality and police brutality”.
A team spokesman said Tuesday that the “issue has been turned over to legal counsel and we have no comment”, but a source told ESPN the club is “taking this very seriously, and this fan best have his facts in order.”
The source added: “The Saints will come back at this fan who has brought forth incorrect information in his statement with everything to defend the team, organization and players.”
Saints running back Mark Ingram disputed Dragna’s account on Tuesday, saying New Orleans players only kneeled for the anthem once this season: a Week 3 game on the road in the immediate aftermath of Donald Trump’s bellicose remarks calling on NFL owners to fire players who did not stand for the anthem.
The one time we protested an anthem was an away game. After a team meeting we decided to kneel as one BEFORE the anthem was played and STAND united as one DURING the anthem! Good luck dude ✌🏾 https://t.co/28huwGP0Pu
— Mark Ingram II (@MarkIngram22) December 13, 2017
Dragna, who says he spent about $8,000 on the tickets, alleges the protests engender a “borderline dangerous” atmosphere for which team owner Tom Benson is responsible.
“The Saints created that behavior by condoning it,” he said. “It’s my thought pattern that (players) should not be allowed (to protest). ... If you sell tickets to a gaming event for entertainment, you should not be allowed to turn it political.
“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.”
