Patriots fans arrange protest stunt at NFL headquarters

The NFL's corporate headquarters got some unwanted visitors on Tuesday after the league handed down its punishments to the Patriots

Alex Putterman and Jake Fischer | May 12, 2015

Patriots fans arrange protest stunt at NFL headquarters /

The NFL's corporate headquarters got some unwanted visitors on Tuesday.

A group from the Barstool Sports website was arrested for trespassing Tuesday afternoon after it invaded the lobby of the NFL's Manhattan office in full Patriots regalia, handcuffing themselves together and sitting down on the floor.

Before taking their protest to the lobby, the group of four stood outside wearing Tom Brady jerseys and other Patriots apparel, with signs reading "FREE BRADY," "FIRE GOODELL" and "THEY HATE US CAUSE THEY AIN'T US." On Monday, the league fined the Patriots $1 million, took away two draft picks and suspended Brady four games as punishment for deflating footballs before the AFC Championship Game against the Colts.

Police and security milled about as the protestors shouted anti-Roger Goodell epithets and declared, "This is how dictatorships start!" About 200 people looked on as police moved the group out of the center of the lobby and toward the door, where they cut off the original handcuffs and replaced them with police shackles.

NYPD officers then led the group outside and into a police van.

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The @barstoolsports protest has been escorted to the door, still hand-cuffed together pic.twitter.com/2OEyqljfdZ
— Alex Putterman (@AlexPutterman) May 12, 2015

#Patriots fans taken to Central Booking in New York City. They will be kept overnight for their stunt in #NFL lobby. pic.twitter.com/lrZVRbLqKQ
— Lisa Kraus Edwards (@LAKEdwards) May 12, 2015

Published May 12, 2015

ALEX PUTTERMAN AND JAKE FISCHER

Jake Fischer has covered the NBA for Sports Illustrated since May 2015. He is a graduate of Northeastern University and a "just-outside-of" Philadelphia native.