Pink and Purple Don't Mix

During the Steelers/Ravens game the weekend before last, I noticed that none of the Ratbirds were wearing anything pink.  The other teams around the league, the Steelers included, were wearing pink-highlighted hats, cleats, towels, chin straps, etc, to auction off later to benefit breast cancer research.  I mentioned in comments on another blog, (I can’t remember which one), that the Ravens obviously hated women.

I later learned that they chose to do the pink thing this past weekend, while they were playing at home and so more players could participate.  That sounded reasonable so I figured I’d give them a pass on the issue.

Now after seeing this item in the paper this morning, I’m back to my original hypothesis that the Ravens hate women.

On September 26th, two women were kicked out of the stadium for kissing in the concessions line.  The stadium security person first accused them of stealing beer, until another policeman verified that they’d bought their goodies.  They had receipts.  Then he said they were “making a scene.”  Later, the official reason changed to that they “stole” a plastic cup that was on the counter, to use as a ketchup receptacle. 

It’s painfully obvious that they were chucked out because they were kissing.  Whether they were actually “making a scene,” I have no idea.  But what are the odds of a heterosexual couple being thrown out of a game for kissing?  Unless they were wearing Steelers jerseys, I’d put the odds at around zero.  Or less.

So now the company line is that it was all about the “stolen” plastic cup.

Right.

The company flack went on to say how Aramark has to track their cups so they know how many they’ve sold, so having their cups “stolen” affects their accounting.

Right. 

Are you fucking kidding me?  What the hell are those big machines with the buttons for?  Can they not figure out how many cups of beer they’ve overcharged their customers for?  What’s next down at the Aramark accounting department, hash marks on a napkin?

I can see where the cup-count can give you a handle on verifying the register, or providing a check on employee “give-aways,” but does one missing plastic cup really warrant the ejecting people from a game that have paid a minimum of $60 apiece for their tickets?

If the cups were that valuable or important, then why were they left on the counter in the first place?  And where was the counter person to say, “Oh no, you can’t use these,”?

It’s plain and simple… This may be the worst cover-story ever.  They were tossed for daring to be a same-sex couple out in public, period.

The Ravens said that they’re satisfied that Aramark and the Security Staff have conducted themselves properly.  I believe them.  Considering that they’re an organization that aggressively looks the other way regarding fan violence in their stands (especially when committed against one not wearing purple), this seems to be more of the same cement-headed provincialism that has always characterized this organization.

The Ravens organization hates women and same-sex couples.  Add it to the list of the other things they hate, which also includes:

*Opposing fans, (who they allow to be harassed, threatened and assaulted, then ejected for their trouble),

*People that want to know who made a tackle against the Ratbirds offense, (because they refuse to announce who makes a tackle against the Ravens), 

*Replays of plays that may not have gone the Ratties’ way. (They never show replays on their huge scoreboards unless it’s a play favorable to the Ratbirds).

It is the position of this blog that same-sex couples are entitled to anything to which mixed-sex couples are entitled. 

And don’t give me that weak shit about “The Children.”  Children at a professional football game in Baltimore hear more gutter profanity by the end of the first quarter than during an encore performance of “The Wire.”  Two girls kissing should be the least of their worries.

I hope and pray that these two women tell the Ratbirds to take their pink chinstraps and pink towels and shove them up their ass, by suing the pants off of this small-minded organization. 

Where’s Gloria Allred when you need her?