George E. Norcross III, a major powerbroker for the Democratic Party in New Jersey, says that he is considering a lawsuit against the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL after he was ejected from Lincoln Financial Field for displaying banners of the American and Israeli flags outside his luxury box during Sunday’s game.
A banner that was a mixture of the American flag and Israeli flag hung over the railing of Norcross’s box during the Eagles game against the Dallas Cowboys. Stadium security entered the box at some point and eventually escorted the businessman out, taking the flag with them. He was reportedly taken to the security office and then eventually ejected.
“Yesterday, I was forcibly removed and assaulted by the non-police security staff of Lincoln Financial Field and the Eagles/NFL for refusing to remove a 3′ x5′ American and Israeli flag I’d hung off the box I was sitting in,” Norcross said afterward in a statement. “As a longtime passionate fan and season ticket holder, I have watched the Eagles/NFL make clear and strong statements on numerous important civil justice issues and ethnic and world conflicts, including supporting the people of Ukraine, so as a strong supporter of Israel – a country which was viciously attacked by the terrorist group Hamas less than a month ago – I thought it was an important statement to make.”
Lincoln Financial Field has rules against non-event related signs and banners in the stadium and reserves the right to take them down and confiscate them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DAO4M396g8
“It remains unclear why the Eagles/NFL believe that the US-Israeli flag should be deemed ‘obscene or indecent’ or otherwise inappropriate — which is what I was cited for — and should therefore be ripped down despite both issuing public statements strongly supporting Israel following the October 7th attacks,” said Norcross. “But as I consider whether to file suit against the Philadelphia Eagles, the NFL and the security company which yanked me out of the box and paraded me in front of thousands of fans, I urge other supporters of Israel to make their feelings known to the team and the NFL just as they have to universities like Penn and Harvard.”
Norcross went on to threaten legal action and defend Israel’s actions in the ongoing conflict against Hamas.
[NJ Globe]
