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BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 29: The helmet of a Cleveland Browns player rests behind the bench during the first half of the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium on September 29, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 29: The helmet of a Cleveland Browns player rests behind the bench during the first half of the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium on September 29, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Eric Smith Sues Browns, Says He Was Misidentified for Pouring Beer on Logan Ryan

Joseph Zucker
Oct 15, 2019

The Cleveland Browns are facing a lawsuit from the man they incorrectly identified as pouring beer on Tennessee Titans cornerback Logan Ryan in Week 1 of the NFL season, according to ESPN's Jake Trotter.

Eric Smith alleges the Browns banned him from FirstEnergy Stadium despite the fact he wasn't at the stadium when the team opened the 2019 season with a 43-13 defeat to the Titans. His lawyer is asking the team toย make a public retraction and pay financial damages.ย 

In the fourth quarter of the game, Malcolm Butler returned a Baker Mayfield interception 38 yards for at touchdown. Ryan celebrated by briefly jumping into the Dawg Pound, at which point a fan in a Mayfield jersey poured beer in his direction.

After the game, Ryanย referenced the situationย on Twitter and tagged the official accounts for the Browns, Titans, NFL and NFL Players Association: "They can pour beer on us because we're just athletes right? We're just entertainment & since they purchased a ticket they can act how they want?"

The NFLPAย repliedย it had "contacted league security to address the matter."

The Brownsย announcedย Sept. 10 they were planning to ban the fan in question indefinitely and that they thought they had properly identified the culprit.

Smith toldย Cleveland Scene'sย Vince Grzegorekย he received a call fromย Bob Sivik, the Browns' vice president of ticket sales and service. Sivik claimed the team had used security footageย to match his tattoos to those on the man in the Mayfield jersey and added an Eric Smith had purchased a ticket to the game.

Grzegorek cast doubt on the methodology the Browns used, countering neither metric made it abundantly clear Smith was the fan in question.

According to Trotter, the Browns have privately apologized to Smith.ย 

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