One Cleveland Browns fan had to learn the hard way that fans also can be penalized for excessive celebration.
Rob Stipe, a 35-year-old season-ticket holder in the Browns' famous Dawg Pound, told The Elyria Chronicle-Telegram that he was removed from the stadium during Sunday's comeback victory over the Miami Dolphins for "excessive standing."
Stipe said a stadium employee asked him to leave during the third quarter for standing during a television timeout. Stipe stood during the first quarter and received a warning.
Team employees told Stipe that a policy had been enacted to remove anyone who stood after receiving a warning. Fans may only stand during third and fourth downs and during game stoppages, the team's head of security informed Stipe last year.
"I hate the people who sit down at a game," said Stipe, who received a warning in the third quarter Sunday. "It's not that I try to stand and (expletive) everyone off. I want everyone to stand so that when we're on national TV, we don't look like lumps on a log."
Stipe told the newspaper that he's seeking a meeting with Browns president Mike Holmgren to discuss the incident.
