Greg Gall (football fan)
Greg Gall is a fan of the Cincinnati Bengals who, during an October 30, 2005 game between the Bengals and the Green Bay Packers at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, ran onto the field and stole the football out of the hands of Packers quarterback Brett Favre.
Gall managed to Elude many security guards before being tackled and subdued. He was charged with criminal trespassing, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct while intoxicated. He was released from the Hamilton County Justice Center on his own recognizance that evening and pleaded not guilty to the charges the following morning.
Gall, a resident of the Cincinnati suburb of Mount Washington and 1998 graduate of the University of Cincinnati, expressed remorse over his actions and took responsibility for them. He cleared three friends who attended the game with him of conspiring to commit the act. "Nobody egged me on. They didn't know I was going to do this.
"It's not fun... it was unwanted glory," said Gall, 31. "I apologize if I, in any way, interfered with the game. That wasn't my intention... This is not something I'm proud of."
Gall was also arrested in 1995 for assault after smashing a beer bottle over Another Man's head.
The incident has led to heightened security awareness at National Football League games. The Bengals, who had been balking at the NFL's directives to frisk fans from the waist up before entering the stadium, have since complied. It has also prompted Wisconsin state legislator Bill Seitz to seek harsher punishments for fans who trespass at sports events. Rep. Seitz' proposed legislation would increase jail time to six months and the monetary fine to $1,000.
Outcome of Gall's trial
Although Hamilton County prosecutor Joe Deters had earlier written a letter to Hamilton County Municipal Judge David Stockdale asking for a 30-day jail sentence (which was received with overwhelmingly negative response by residents), Gall was spared imprisonment (due to extremely limited jail space), but was fined $250 and must perform 230 hours of community service. Moreover, Gall is barred from entering both Paul Brown Stadium as well as the nearby Great American Ball Park, the home field of the Major League Baseball Cincinnati Reds for 14 months. In exchange for the guilty plea, a charge of resisting arrest was dropped.