NFL Team Apologizes To Woman Told To Remove Hat
The Arizona Cardinals have issued an apology to Susan Rosener, a fan and season ticket holder, after a security staffer mistakenly told her to remove her "Make America Great Again" hat before entering State Farm Stadium. The incident occurred at Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, where the Cardinals triumphed with a commanding 41-10 victory.
The Cardinals confirmed they had reached out to Rosener to clarify that the incident was a misunderstanding. In a statement to Fox News Digital, the team explained that while their policy prohibits political signage, flags, and displays, it does not extend to personal items like hats.
"In an isolated incident at Sunday's game, a stadium security member misunderstood a policy on prohibited items,” the team said, adding that they will work to provide more clarity to stadium personnel moving forward.
Rosener described the situation as confusing and frustrating. According to her, a stadium staffer stopped her as she and her husband made their way to their seats, telling her that she had to remove the MAGA hat because it was deemed "political."
Rosener initially questioned the directive but ultimately complied, saying she didn’t want to jeopardize her season tickets. The incident gained wider attention when Turning Point Action's Alyssa Goncales shared the story on X, along with claims that others had been similarly asked to remove MAGA hats.
A friend of friend went to the @AZCardinals game yesterday in her very tasteful black Make America Great Again hat. As she goes to enter the stadium a female security guard proceeds to stop her and tell her she can’t enter the stadium with her hat.
The security guard then… pic.twitter.com/5nLeYTKUgI
— Alyssa Goncales (@AlyssaGoncales) September 16, 2024
The Cardinals acknowledged the situation, stating they had only received one formal complaint but promised to investigate any other possible incidents. The team emphasized that this type of enforcement has never occurred in the stadium’s 18-year history, assuring fans that “political hats or shirts” are not on the list of prohibited items for entering the stadium.
Rosener’s situation is not without precedent. Over the past few years, similar incidents have taken place at sporting events. In 2021, conservative influencer Dion Cini was ejected from several MLB stadiums for displaying pro-Trump banners, eventually leading to his ban from MLB games. Cini commented on Rosener’s incident, expressing frustration with what he sees as the current state of the country, saying he would never remove his MAGA hat without force.
The incident has sparked reactions from political figures, including Republican Kari Lake, who called on Arizona Cardinals fans to wear MAGA hats to all home games in support of Rosener. With Arizona being a critical battleground state in upcoming elections, the situation has only added fuel to ongoing political discussions.
Concerns about voting and election integrity in Arizona are already front and center, with questions surrounding the citizenship status of over 100,000 registered voters, adding further tension to an already heated political climate.