The Cleveland Browns are apparently still looking for the fan who threw beer on a couple of Tennessee Titans fans.
Originally the club thought it had found its culprit, but there are claims, at least online, that the person they banned wasn't even at the game on Sunday. At issue is whether Eric Smith is the person who threw the beer. If he's not, it's not entirely clear what the Browns are going to do to pinpoint the right person.
Smith talked to the media on Wednesday afternoon. The fan said he received word from the Cleveland Browns that he would not be welcomed back to the stadium in the foreseeable future. Smith claims that he hasn't been at a game in over a decade.
I wasn't there
Smith's claim was not only that he wasn't there Sunday, but also that he hadn't been there for years. This doesn't appear to be a man who is desperate to get to a Cleveland Browns' game anyway. Either that or he's come up with a heck of an alibi to help sell his story.
The Cleveland Browns believe they have identified Smith through camera footage with a red beard and a tattoo on his arm being the culprit.
Interestingly, Smith says he matches that description. He still contends he hasn't been to a game since "I think 2010."
“Maybe they Googled ‘Eric Smith’ and ‘beard’ and ‘Cleveland’ or something,” he told the media earlier this week. “My company has pretty good SEO, so I do come up [in Google searches]. In one of the first pictures, you can see a tattoo on my forearm.”
While the team reportedly has issued a ban, the Cleveland Browns also say they are continuing their investigation. It would seem this means they are at least listening to Smith when he says they've got the wrong man.
Is Smith lying about the Cleveland Browns ban?
One interesting part of the release the team made this week seems to indicate they haven't issued a ban yet.
“While we are continuing to gather information and have been in contact with multiple people as part of that process, we have not explicitly identified the individual involved or taken any formal action of punishment at this time."
So is Smith lying about being told he's not allowed back in the stadium? He mentioned his company in the article. Is it possible he saw similarities between himself and the man on video that has been circulating since Sunday? Is Smith stepping forward to get his name in the papers?
These questions are fueling what has been a bizarre situation from the beginning. It started after Titans' defensive back Logan Ryan posted the video of him getting a face full of beer while asking if anything was going to be done.
The Cleveland Browns have attempted to act quickly to indeed punish the person who did this act. One thing that appears consistent is that neither Eric Smith nor the team believes he's the villain in this story.