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Cleveland Browns: Explaining everything about ‘Bottlegate’

By Joel W. Cade

Cleveland Browns quarterback Tim Couch (L) listens as Browns head coach Butch Davis (C) argues with officials after a first-down catch by the Browns was reversed and the ball given to the Jacksonville Jaguars with 48 seconds left in the game. The call prompted fans to flood the field with beer bottles and debris until officials called the game, but later brought both teams back to play the remaining 48 seconds on 16 December, 2001, at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, OH. Jacksonville defeated Cleveland 15-10. AFP PHOTO/David MAXWELLAFP (Photo by DAVID MAXWELL / AFP) (Photo by DAVID MAXWELL/AFP via Getty Images)
Cleveland Browns quarterback Tim Couch (L) listens as Browns head coach Butch Davis (C) argues with officials after a first-down catch by the Browns was reversed and the ball given to the Jacksonville Jaguars with 48 seconds left in the game. The call prompted fans to flood the field with beer bottles and debris until officials called the game, but later brought both teams back to play the remaining 48 seconds on 16 December, 2001, at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, OH. Jacksonville defeated Cleveland 15-10. AFP PHOTO/David MAXWELLAFP (Photo by DAVID MAXWELL / AFP) (Photo by DAVID MAXWELL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Apr 28, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announces Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning as the nineteenth overall pick to the New Orleans Saints during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft at the NFL Draft Theater. Mandatory Credit: Gary Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announces Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning as the nineteenth overall pick to the New Orleans Saints during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft at the NFL Draft Theater. Mandatory Credit: Gary Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

The Aftermath

Bottlegate changed the way the NFL distributed alcohol at NFL games. The Bottlegate incident was used as justification to label Browns fans as rowdy and unruly. Bottlegate was used by opposing NFL head coaches to admonish their own fans. It was even used in 2018 by the New Orleans Saints in a lawsuit against the NFL.

Bottlegate has a long and lasting legacy. Ever wonder why vendors take bottle caps off the beer you buy at the stadium? Yes, Bottlegate. The rationale is that beer will fly out of the bottle when thrown thereby making them less dangerous as projectiles.

Ever wonder why aluminum bottles are sold a First Energy Stadium? Yes, Bottlegate. Aluminum bottles eventually replaced their plastic brethren at sports venues. The rationale is that aluminum bottles are lighter than plastic and glass. They also cannot be thrown at for any length or range making them a safer option for sports events.

Why can you only buy two beers at one time? Yes, Bottlegate. The rationale is obvious, over-served fans throw things on the field. Thus, stadiums now limit the number of alcoholic drinks that can be bought at one time.

In 2019, the New Orleans Saints used Bottlegate as a precedent to prove that the NFL commissioner has the power to overrule decisions by officials on the field. The Saints pointed to then-commissioner Paul Tagliabue calling Terry McAulay to remind him that he does not have the authority to act as a one-man gang and do whatever he pleases whenever he pleases regardless of the NFL rules.

Tagliabue told McAulay to get the teams back out there and finish the game.

And finish the game they did. Bottlegate was one of the craziest events in Browns history. I am sad I was not there to see the events live. (And maybe even throw a bottle).

light. More. Browns land their own Aaron Donald in 2023 mock draft

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