While yes, sporting events are the most important, serious endeavor and should be approached only with the utmost in respect and deepest reverence, sometimes things happen. Sometimes you need a nap, even during a game between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. But one fan says the Yankees, ESPN, its announcers and a Major League Baseball organization defamed him by broadcasting his snooze on-air, allegedly calling him “fatty, unintelligent” and “stupid.”

The man is suing Major League Baseball Advanced Media, ESPN New York, the New York Yankees, and ESPN announcers Dan Shulman and John Kruk, in Bronx County Supreme Court, reports Courthouse News. He’s seeking $10 million in damages for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Here’s how it went down: During the April 13 game between the teams at Yankee Stadium, the guy dozed off. That simple action “opened [an] unending verbal crusade against the napping plaintiff,” the complaint states.

With the cameras pointed on him, the announcers allegedly said things about him including “but not limited to ‘stupor, fatty, unintelligent, stupid’ knowing and intending the same to be heard and listened to by millions of people all over the world …”

Not only that, but he claims MLB then kept it up on its site the next day, the complaint says, all because he had a nap attack, which could totally happen to anyone.

“Nothing triggered all these assertions only that the plaintiff briefly slept off while watching the great game something or circumstance any one can easily found them self,” the complaint states, verbatim.

As a result of the photos, commentary and social media attention, the plaintiff claims he was shown in a false light, that his reputation was damaged and it’s no one’s business if he was napping.

A list of some of the things the complaint says were stated about the napper:
“Plaintiff is unintelligent and stupid individual.
“Plaintiff is not worthy to be fan of the New York Yankee.
“Plaintiff is a fatty cow that need two seats at all time and represent symbol of failure.
“Plaintiff is a confused disgusted and socially bankrupt individual.
“Plaintiff is confused individual that neither understands nor knows anything about history and the meaning of rivalry between Red Sox and New York Yankee.
“Plaintiff is so stupid that he cannot differentiate between his house and public place by snoozing throughout the fourth inning of the Yankee game.”

Snoozing Fan Claims ESPN Defamed Him [Courthouse News]

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