A devious New England Patriots fan was caught trying to sneak into the team’s locker room wearing a stolen security guard jacket after they won Super Bowl LIII Sunday night.
Several reporters and bystanders captured video of the middle-aged man, who was wearing a Tom Brady jersey under the stolen red S.A.F.E. jacket. In the videos, security guards apprehended the man outside the locker room.
Videos by PopCulture.com
It’s unclear exactly how the man obtained the jacket, although several of those who shared video of the moment said he had stolen it.
A Pats fan stole a S.A.F.E. Security jacket and almost got into the Patriots locker room. #SBLIII pic.twitter.com/RAFH9jHcSs
— Sheena Quick (@Sheena_Marie3) February 4, 2019
“Why you got the jacket?” an actual security guard can be heard asking him.
“She gave it to me,” the man responded, vaguely.
“Who gave it to you?” the guard asked. “Who gave it to you? Who?”
An event official asked to see identification, while other S.A.F.E. personnel confiscated the jacket and made sure the man couldn’t leave their presence.
Some witnesses said the man was arrested, but it’s unclear if he was or not. The Atlanta Voice reported that the man was escorted out of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
It’s also unclear what the man’s intentions were. At Super Bowl LII last year, Brady’s game jersey was stolen after the game by a member of the international media, according to the NFL. It was eventually found by law enforcement officials and returned.
The Brady-led Patriots pulled out a 13-3 victory against the Los Angeles Rams in the lowest scoring Super Bowl in NFL history. Fans complained on social media of the lackluster offensive performances from both teams at halftime, when the score was 3-0.
Many fans had the same tepid feelings about the Pepsi Halftime Show, which was headlined by Maroon 5 and featured supporting acts from Travis Scott, Big Boi and even Spongebob Squarepants and company.
But the performance drew criticism before the band even took the stage, as critics of the NFL called on the group to skip the gig because of the ongoing controversy with former quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick remains a free agent after kneeling during the national anthem throughout the 2016 season to protest police brutality and racial injustice.
What may have only fueled the fire surrounding the halftime show controversy, the NFL announced in the week leading up to the Super Bowl that Maroon 5 would not take part in a press conference before the game, as performers typically do.
During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Levine said he and the rest of the band took the Kaepernick controversy into question when agreeing to play.
“You know, I think when you look back on every Super Bowl halftime show, it is this insatiable urge to hate a little bit,” he added. “I am not in the right profession if I can’t handle a bit of controversy. It is what it is. We would like to move on from it and speak through the music.”
Maroon 5 and Scott both separately donated $500,000 to charities: Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Dream Corps, respectively.
“I back anyone who takes a stand for what they believe in. I know being an artist that it’s in my power to inspire. So before confirming the Super Bowl Halftime performance, I made sure to partner with the NFL on this important donation,” Scott said in a statement early last month. “I am proud to support Dream Corps. and the work they do that will hopefully inspire and promote change.”
