Report: Falcons made mother of Cardinals player cover team gear
Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Jonathan Cooper's mother, Velma, was forced to take off her Cardinals hat and cover up her son's jersey by the Atlanta Falcons after Sunday's game, The Arizona Republic's Dan Bickley reports.
Velma Cooper, who was in a wheelchair, was told she couldn't wear the Cardinals memorabilia while waiting to meet her son after the game, per Falcons team policy.
Bickley reports Cooper complied with the request after unsuccessfully trying to persuade the Falcons to reconsider the policy.
"I told them at least [the jersey] had a bird on it," Velma Cooper said. "And it's kind of the same color."
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Jonathan Cooper said he heard about the incident and that it was done to other people, too.
“They made everyone do it,” Jonathan Cooper said. “They said that area is for the Falcons family only.”
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Bickley added that Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks have been criticized for their policy of not allowing patrons in the Batter’s Box Suite behind home plate to wear opposing teams’ gear. Their reason is that it doesn’t look good on TV.
The Cardinals lost 29-18 on Sunday to the Falcons to fall to 9-3 on the season. They host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at 4:05 p.m.
