A Louisiana man is suing the Saints for a "refund on his season tickets because some players have disrespected the national anthem before games this season," according to Chad Calder of the NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE. Lee Dragna filed a lawsuit "seeking a refund for the tickets as well as attorney’s fees, claiming the protest by some players against police brutality and racial injustice has prevented him and his family from enjoying the games." Dragna said that he "hasn’t attended a game since the first home game" of this season, when some of the players "did not come out for the singing of the national anthem." Dragna said that the "rowdy, angry reaction of the people around his seats has made the tickets unusable by him and his family, as well as customers he would otherwise give the tickets to." He added that the behavior of some fans "upset by the protests -- cursing, spilling beer -- is 'borderline dangerous.'" He said that the responsibility for that behavior "ultimately rests not with the fans but with owner Tom Benson." Dragna: "The Saints created that behavior by condoning it" (NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE, 12/13). Dragna said that he "would not have bought the tickets if he'd known the players would use the Saints games 'as a platform for protests'" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 12/13). ESPN.com's Mike Triplett noted 10 Saints players "sat on the bench during the national anthem" before their game against the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on Sept. 24. After that week, Saints players "decided to kneel before the anthem in a show of unity, then to all stand together during the anthem." That is what they have done before every game since Week 4, and "no Saints player has ever kneeled during the anthem." Many fans "booed during the first home game when Saints players kneeled before the anthem." There were some "audible boos at the next home game as well." But there has been "no noticeable mass reaction from fans since then" (ESPN.com, 12/12).
