You know those giant team flags some teams send through the crowd? They usually are as large as an entire section of seats and fans work together to pass the flag around the upper or lower bowl. Such was the scene in Tampa Bay prior to Game 7, except one Detroit Red Wings fan tried to set the flag on fire.
The 35-year-old female fan from Michigan (view her mugshot) reportedly used a lighter and tried to set the 20-by-30 foot flag on fire as it passed over the heads of approximately 200 people. The attempt was mostly unsuccessful, but a small portion of the flag was burnt. Shortly after the game started, the fan was arrested by Tampa Bay police and team security and charged with first-degree arson of an occupied structure.
Chalk this up as straight idiocy. We’re not sure if this fan was trying to make a joke or what the intent was, but she’s lucky the fire didn’t catch or spread as it would’ve resulted in some serious injuries to the Lightning fans beneath the flag.
Here’s a simple message that apparently needs to be repeated to all hockey fans following several ugly playoff incidents: it’s just a game, respect your fellow fan and stop being stupid.
(Photo via Tampa Bay Lightning)
