Edmonton Elks fan says wearing paper bag led to his ejection from stadium
To bag or not to bag?
Actually, when it comes to the current state of the Edmonton Elks, that isn't the question.
Longtime fan Cameron Jones wants to know why he was kicked out of Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday. Jones said he was holding a paper bag in his hands when he was ordered to leave by Edmonton police.
"I'm like, 'For what reason?' And (the policeman) says, 'Security asked me to have you leave the premises.' He's like, 'If we don't like your white shoes or the way you’re dressed, the premises has the ability to kick you out for no reason.'"
While Jones and his co-workers, with whom he attended the 27-0 Elks loss to the visiting B.C. Lions, were seen on a national broadcast while wearing bags over their heads in the stands, he says he followed stadium rules and did not walk the concourse with his face hidden — unlike two weeks before that, when he said security had no problem with bags at all.
"I walked through the concourse, walked everywhere, people high-fiving me like crazy," he said of his experience walking underneath the stands on July 13, when the Elks lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
But with the Elks now reaching historic new lows — they set the North American professional sports record with their 21st consecutive home loss and sport a record of 0-8 to start the 2023 Canadian Football League season — fan anger and team frustration is likely at an all-time high.
"If I didn't have this in my hand, I wouldn’t have got kicked out," Jones said. "I think somebody at some point said, 'Those guys down there are bad for business.'"
Jones said he called the team four days ago for an explanation but was told it's a City of Edmonton issue, but when he contacted the city, they redirected him back to the Elks.
The city provided CTV News Edmonton with a statement on Thursday that said, "Commonwealth Security is reviewing video footage to see if there is evidence of this alleged incident. They will also be reviewing any after-actions and incident reports to see if there are any documented evictions of people wearing bags."
Either way, Jones says he plans to be back in his paper bag for the Elks' next home game: Thursday, Aug. 10, against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers -- anything, he says, to provoke any kind of change before it's too late.
"If no fans show up — this is for any business — if people don't show up to your business, you don't make money," Jones said. "You lose your team."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Defence rests without Donald Trump taking the witness stand in his New York hush money trial
Donald Trump's lawyers rested their defence Tuesday without the former president taking the witness stand in his New York hush money trial.
Passenger killed, 30 injured as Singapore Airlines flight hits severe turbulence
One passenger was killed and 30 injured after a Singapore Airlines SIAL.SI flight from London hit severe turbulence en route on Tuesday, forcing it to make an emergency landing in Bangkok, officials and the airline said.
Feels like mid-30s in parts of Canada, while other areas expecting snow
Anything is possible this week, as far as Canada's weather is concerned, with forecasts ranging from scorching heat in some parts of the country to rain and snow in others.
Canada's inflation cools to 3-year low of 2.7%, in boost for rate cut bets
Canada's annual inflation rate slowed to a three-year low of 2.7 per cent in April, matching expectations, and core measures continued to ease, data showed on Tuesday, likely boosting chances of a June interest rate cut.
Trump campaign calls 'The Apprentice' 'blatantly false,' director offers to screen it for him
Donald Trump's reelection campaign called 'The Apprentice,' a film about the former U.S. president in the 1980s, 'pure fiction' and vowed legal action following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. But director Ali Abbasi is offering to privately screen the film for Trump.
Nestle to sell $5 pizza, sandwiches in the U.S. for Wegovy, Ozempic users
Nestle NESN.S will market a new, US$5 line of frozen pizzas and protein-enriched pastas in the United States which it says it designed specifically for people taking drugs such as Wegovy or Ozempic for weight loss.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
Independent stores and grocery alternatives see sales boost amid Loblaw boycott
As the month-long boycott of Loblaw-owned stores wears on, small independent food retailers and alternative grocery options say they're seeing a boost in traffic and sales.
London judge rejects Prince Harry's bid to add allegations against Rupert Murdoch in tabloid lawsuit
Prince Harry can't expand his privacy lawsuit against The Sun tabloid publisher to include allegations that Rupert Murdoch and some other executives were part of an effort to conceal and destroy evidence of unlawful information gathering, a London judge ruled Tuesday.