Season ticket holder, James Young says the night started out great as he and a friend took in the Flames-Flyers matchup March 19.
Young brought his Flames flag, rolled up, on a collapsible pole, ready to wave it when his team scored. Something he had done once before.
"I had an extender so I put it up, I waved it a few times, you know, everyone was cheering. As soon as you wave it a few times, you put it back down, you roll it back up, you sit down, and it's all before they drop the puck."
But after a second goal in the third period, Young says an usher told him not to wave the fully extended flag - measuring about six to eight feet.
Young says he agreed. He asked if he could still wave it, in a collapsed form — about three to four feet in length. He was told yes.
Young says after a third goal by the Flames, the head usher came by. Again Young says they talked and agreed he could wave it, if it was not fully extended.
But then Young says things changed after the fourth goal.
This time security asked for the flag. Young refused to hand it over. Young asked if there had been a complaint to which he was told, no, it's just Saddledome policy.
Security then escorted him out to the top of the stairwell. And after refusing to hand over his flag again, Young says three security guards pushed him to the ground.
They then pried the pole away from Young, but not before tearing a tendon in his finger, a ligament in his thumb, ripping his pants, cuffing him, and breaking his collapsible pole.
"It was surreal, it was, it was ludicrous, over a flag. Sure they have the policy, but you go to any game in the Saddledome, whether it's the Flames, Hitmen, the Roughknecks, all owned by the same company, you will see flags every game," said Young.
Calgary police then stepped in but Young says he wasn't arrested or charged with anything.
Just because they at first told him waving it at the shorter length was OK doesn't mean they can't later change their mind and say, no, that's not working either. So you put it away and enjoy the game.
And just let the flag go. Pretty sure it'd be returned at the door.
I tend to take these one sided stories with a few dozen grains if salt. And "Calgary police then stepped in but Young says he wasn't arrested or charged with anything." Well was security charged with anything? I doubt it.
What are the chances that this flag makes it through waivers unclaimed?
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You think security or police are just jonesing for an altercation? They've got enough to deal with, if they're manhandling you, you obviously did some dumb sh*t to deserve it.
This James Young guy is an idiot, and I take minor consolation in the fact whenever anyone googles him, this is all they will see. Good luck on job hunts James.
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I thought it might be that guy that was waving those two huge flags last night. I remember seeing that on TV and thinking I'd sure hate to be sitting behind that guy.
I don't know that I believe there wasn't more to it, him screaming "it's my property like a typical drunk fan resisting, is lame. You bought a ticket you agreed to their terms
I look at it this way, if I was in the same situation I would still have my flag and my fingers intact.
While it may be that security had some wrong doing, -I cant see any-, just from the video alone I can verify the flag bearer definitely did make some mistakes.
Flames fan roughed up for "waiving flag" (a month ago)
