NFL Stadium Vandalized by Unknown Driver

By Brian Jones

An NFL stadium was vandalized earlier this week. According to ESPN, an unknown individual drove circles around the turf at FirstEnergy Stadium, the home of the Cleveland Browns. News 5 Cleveland captured footage of the tire marks that span almost half the field, and Browns have notified the police about the incident. According to reports, the individual may have jumped the fan and used a golf cart to damage the field. 

"Based on our internal evaluation, there was some superficial damage to the playing field that our grounds maintenance team is currently working to repair," the Browns said in a statement. "We take great pride in the strong reviews and reputation of our stadium's playing surface, have been in touch with the NFL on the matter and are confident after repair our field will be ready for Sunday's game."  

On Thursday, police released new details about the incident. According to Fox 8 in Cleveland, a security manager told police he saw a person get out of a red vehicle before allegedly climbing a fence and entering the stadium. The person walked through the seating bowl area and through the doc area where open a box and took two scarves. The security guard then saw the person get into a silver Ford F-150 truck and drive it in circles in the grass on the field. 

The Browns, who are 3-7 on the year, are scheduled to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. This will likely be the final game before quarterback Deshaun Watson returns to the lineup for the first time this season. Watson, who was acquired by the Browns during the offseason, is suspended for the first 11 games of the season for his sexual assault and sexual misconduct allegations. Jacoby Brissett has been the starting quarterback for the Browns and has thrown for 2,398 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions in 10 starts this year. 

"I signed up for this, I knew what I was getting myself into," Brissett said this week, per the Akron Beacon Journal. "I knew this wasn't going to be an easy task. I didn't sign up for easy, I wasn't brought here for easy. And I knew I was the right person for it, and I still believe that I am. I think I've shown that. So, yeah, excited for this one."  

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

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