Chiefs fan fined $500 for shining laser at Tom Brady

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The Chiefs fan who shined a laser in the face of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady during the AFC Championship Game has been fined.

Dwyan Morgan was given a $500 fine from a judge after pleading guilty to disturbing the peace, TMZ.com reports.

A green light flashed across Brady’s face during the Patriots-Chiefs game in January. Laser pointers can cause eye injuries and could easily distract a player during a game, but Brady did not appear to notice it.

The Chiefs used the video and witness accounts to identify the 64-year-old Morgan as the fan who had the laser pointer, and the team banned him from Arrowhead Stadium for life.

That was not the first time such an incident has occurred at an NFL game. During a 2014 Bills-Lions game in Detroit, Buffalo players complained that a Lions fan had been shining a laser pointer at them. The fan was found and eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct, paid a $235 fine and was sentenced to 80 hours of community service. That fan was a guest of a season ticket holder, and the Lions revoked his season tickets.

79 responses to “Chiefs fan fined $500 for shining laser at Tom Brady

  1. Lasers can damage the eyes and can blind a person. I hope the punishments escalate, because the actions can destroy careers. There are gambling implications as well.

    One thing some might not like to hear. To my mind, if this had happened at Gilette Stadium, it would be front page, talking head news used as “more evidence of (trumped up) cheating.” Since it happened at Arrowhead to Brady, it’s “Oh, it was just some misguided fan,” even though it happened during the AFC Championship Game. Double standard.

  2. …once again, The Greatest NFL Player of All Time is subjected to flat out injustice, and used the event to Rise to the Next Level.

    #someretirewhenguilty

  3. A 64-year-old ‘kid’. Some people never grow up.

    I would have given a harsher penalty, myself, like firing squad.

    “But how can you give such a harsh penalty for something that was so little of an offence?”

    If it was that little, he shouldn’t have done it, and acted like an adult.

    FIRE!!

  4. Not harsh enough in my opinion. Fans need to stop getting themselves involved in the games. Good on the Chiefs for the lifetime ban though. That’s pretty classy.

  5. A laser can cause permanent eye damage.
    How about at least 48 hours in a jail cell.

  6. “I would have given a harsher penalty, myself, like firing squad.”

    This doesn’t make you sound tough.

  7. I love how the cheating scandals are so deep into the heads of all Pats fans. They know their program is dirty. It’s fun to watch them jump through all the mental hoops justifying it. People can convince themselves of anything I guess.

  8. I can only imagine the uproar if someone in Foxboro shined a laser at Mahomes.

    It would have been the lead story on all the major news shows, and people in here would still be talking about it.

  9. Jail time would have been appropriate! Lifetime ban for all family members! Only a matter of time till a laser idiot blinds someone! When one is caught there needs to be more of deterrence!

  10. what a joke! 64 YEARS OLD?! Lighten up Francis!

    The kid that threw beer on Tyreek Hill, regardless of our feelings about him personally, was BANNED FOR LIFE and had his SEASON TICKETS REVOKED.

    That should be a starting point!

    Banned from all stadiums

  11. Far too little – he risked a guy’s eyesight and tried to change the fortunes of not just a game but a whole season, and people’s careers. But Chiefs org did well to identify & ban the jerk.

  12. This needed jail time to deter future stupidity from sore-loser fans.

    Brady being distracted by the light and, because of that, being injured was a real possibility.

  13. Football is entertainment. If you find yourself bringing laser pointers to the game so you can attempt to influence the outcome of your entertainment you need to think about what you’re doing with your life

  14. Honestly this would have been an appropriate punishment if the guy was remorseful… He was not remorseful and refused to apologize. ” he felt remorseful for embarrassing Chiefs fans, but when asked if he would apologize to New England or Tom Brady directly he responded ‘absolutely not’” That right there is a slap in the face to the judge in this case and he/she should have thrown the book at him at that point.

  15. I would consider shining a laser pointer at someone’s face close to assault than disturbing the peace. How often do you carry a laser pointer around? It seems that it must have been premeditated rather than someone having one beer too many. I would have been tempted to charge him with something more serious and let him cop to a much smaller punishment. A few days in jail, community service, and probation.

  16. We’re talking about a fan, not an NFL player. $500 isn’t pocket change for all of us…

  17. That punishment is absurdly lenient. Could have seriously damaged the guy’s eyes and cost him millions of dollars, not to mention quality of life issues.
    That was basically an unsuccessful attempt to pull a Tonya Harding Jeff Gilooly type assault.

  18. carloswlassiter says:
    July 18, 2019 at 7:32 am
    I can only imagine the uproar if someone in Foxboro shined a laser at Mahomes.

    It would have been the lead story on all the major news shows, and people in here would still be talking about it.

    ——————-
    A tossed beer in Gillette was a bigger story.

    To be fair both teams got completely on it and tracked down the offender to ban and hand over to LE.

  19. I stopped going to NFL games because of the behavior of boozed up fans. They ruined the experience for me too many times. I don’t miss not going at all. It’s much easier to stay home and hit the channel button on my remote rather than have to walk out of a stadium and find my car.

  20. So sad. Any “fan” who can afford a ticket to an NFL playoff game will brush off $500 like it was a gnat. Somebody needs to get a grip and charge these people with a more serious crime with severe penalties or jail time. They’re going to wait until a career is ended before acting, so typical of our justice system.

  21. I wonder what the ruling would have been had he shinned the laser in the eyes of the judge while he was making his hearing the case and making his ruling?

  22. Rdog says:
    July 18, 2019 at 8:44 am
    We’re talking about a fan, not an NFL player. $500 isn’t pocket change for all of us…

    —————————
    I agree. But in a case where its an actual attempt to harm someone there should have been a short incarceration. 30 in the county, maybe 60, or something like that. Not so much to get at this guy but rather to establish something that has a decent chance of making the next guy pause and think about what he might be getting into.

  23. Rdog says:
    July 18, 2019 at 8:44 am
    We’re talking about a fan, not an NFL player. $500 isn’t pocket change for all of us…
    ——-
    It’s probably about the cost of going to say….an AFC title game?

  24. Look on the bright side. “Banned for life” for this guy is 20 to 25 years, tops. Not too bad when you think of it.

  25. Thing is, the act was premeditated – guy brought the laser pointer to the game with the intention to distract Brady and alter the game in the Chief’s favor. That’s the main crime.

  26. The guy who stole Mark May’s Super Bowl rings will probably be punished more harshly. Our Justice system is all over the map sometimes.

  27. How effective is the act of banning a person from a stadium? As long as the banned person doesn’t buy a ticket under their name, how are stadium personnel going to pick out one person out of 78,000 at Arrowhead? Is facial recognition technology that good? Or is the risk of being caught post-ban and getting whoever gave them a ticket in trouble enough of a deterrent?

  28. “A tossed beer in Gillette was a bigger story.

    To be fair both teams got completely on it and tracked down the offender to ban and hand over to LE.”
    —————————————————————————————-
    Exactly and thank you. Both teams did what they should have done. Teams have no control over the legal process, so any complaints about the fine or lack of jail time are on local law enforcement and the courts, not the teams.

  29. Why do people make this about the Patriots? This is about a bozo fan trying to influence the outcome of a sporting event. Anyone who loves the sport should condemn the fan’s actions regardless of the teams involved. Period.

  30. The sad part is the guy is like in his 50s. This is something a 13 year old would do. Grow up already.

  31. The max punishment for this charge was $1,000 and a year in jail. To their credit, the Chiefs management wanted a much stiffer charge. According to a local news source, the guy paid the $500 fine immediately. If the judge wasn’t inclined to give the clown jail time, why not 1,000 hours of community service? If he was able to cough up the $500K immediately, he needed a little more pain.

    TMZ, not exactly the most reliable source, is the one that said he refused to apologize to the Patriots or Tom Brady. And also that alcohol was to blame and he never intended to harm anybody. (So why bring the laser pointer to the game?) There are too many “fans” who think part of fandom is to express hatred of other teams and players. You can see loads of them right here in PFT comments. This guy is the poster boy (or poster senior) for that mentality and the extremes it can lead to.

  32. Since it happened at Arrowhead to Brady, it’s “Oh, it was just some misguided fan,” even though it happened during the AFC Championship Game. Double standard.

    ———————————————————

    Not to mention it happened during the 4th quarter of a single possession game on a critical 3rd down play. If his plan had actually disrupted Brady, New England would have had no recourse. Of course, he probably would have become a hero in KC if his laser helped the Chiefs win the game.

    His punishment is a complete joke.

  33. remizak says:

    July 18, 2019 at 11:58 am

    TMZ, not exactly the most reliable source, is the one that said he refused to apologize to the Patriots or Tom Brady.

    _____________________________

    I saw a video of the guy being interviewed where he flat out said he would not apologize to Tom Brady. I agree with you on your TMZ comment, however, in this case it was correct.

  34. carloswlassiter says:
    July 18, 2019 at 7:32 am
    I can only imagine the uproar if someone in Foxboro shined a laser at Mahomes.

    It would have been the lead story on all the major news shows, and people in here would still be talking about it.
    ————————————————

    I’m sure Belichcik already considered it (remember he’s always ahead)

    Anyway, harsher penalties don’t deter criminals, but this guy deserved a more severe punishment.

  35. Ppl think before you post!! He had already spent 3 days in jail before he went to court months later, plus he was banned from Arrowhead Stadium and then the NFL banned him from all stadiums a few weeks after that. Thats a pretty good punishment. 3 days in jail $500 and banned from all nfl games!!

  36. Laser eye damage is more a myth than reality.

    While it is unlikely most lasers used in toys, games, and laser pointers can permanently damage your eyes, it is theoretically possible so caution should be exercised.

  37. tybme says:
    July 18, 2019 at 1:40 pm

    Laser eye damage is more a myth than reality.

    While it is unlikely most lasers used in toys, games, and laser pointers can permanently damage your eyes, it is theoretically possible so caution should be exercised.
    ____________________________________________________________________________

    Oh yeah??? Then why don’t you shine one in your own eyes and report back to us….

  38. They need to levy a hefty fine on the imbecilic referee who threw a flag for roughing the passer on Chris Jones. Horrible calls like that hurt the game.

  39. I was at the game, it was classless. I hate the Pats too, but damn man you’re trying to blind the dude. We don’t need that stuff in the sport, especially not from the best fan-base in the league!

  40. pittsburghdamned says:
    July 18, 2019 at 2:48 pm
    I loathe the Pats, particularly their smug game manager, but this guy should be severely punished for that crap.

    ——

    I can understand why you loathe the Patriots. They have a much better winning percentage against your Steelers than they do my Dolphins in the Brady era. In fact there are few teams they have owned more than your Steelers.

  41. As an addendum — TMZ, while famous for covering famous people and not a “reputable news source” has shown more integrity in posting stories than many of our “trusted” news sites and channels. Its pretty sad when the only ones not lying to you are the same ones with frosted tips and experts in hollywood gossip, but that’s where we’re at right now.

  42. I agree with guy who called it criminal assault with intent to injure. Is it anything but premeditated? The guy is a poor sportsman and a slug to boot.

  43. theitalianarmy says:
    July 18, 2019 at 4:00 pm
    They need to levy a hefty fine on the imbecilic referee who threw a flag for roughing the passer on Chris Jones. Horrible calls like that hurt the game.
    ——————
    But the Patriots homers will tell you that they never get calls in their favor….

  44. The important question here is this: Did he say “Pew pew pew” while he was shining the laser? Because then we’d know he meant business.

  45. The guy should have lasered Dee Ford—he might have been able to move him back and line him up onside.

  46. Their entire defense should be fined for not showing up when it mattered most.

  47. The guy PLEADED GUILTY to a CRIME.
    Yet he refused to apologize????

    What the hell is wrong with some people?

    If this happened in Foxboro the reaction would be off the charts. You haters know that is true. Jealousy is an incurable disease.

  48. The guy should have lasered Dee Ford—he might have been able to move him back and line him up onside.
    ===============

    It still cracks me up that Andy Reid believes the officials should have warned Dee Ford and told him to move back.

  49. I’m sure Roger Goodell would be happy to pay this fine on the fan’s behalf.

  50. Maybe if they blinded him with his own laser he would apologize for his actions?

  51. brawlkc says:
    July 18, 2019 at 4:09 pm
    I was at the game, it was classless. I hate the Pats too, but damn man you’re trying to blind the dude. We don’t need that stuff in the sport, especially not from the best fan-base in the league!
    ________________________

    Someone in your fan base assaulted a player. You can no call yourself the best fan base in the league. Not saying the Pats have the best, but pretty sure you lose that title when you guys start trying to end careers.

  52. These clowns deserve a more serious penalty. Not funny. Not that it would happen, but Brady should sue him for attempted assault.

  53. “They need to levy a hefty fine on the imbecilic referee who threw a flag for roughing the passer on Chris Jones. Horrible calls like that hurt the game.”

    How come you don’t mention Edelman getting mugged on the same play which was totally ignored? Or Eric Berry riding Gronk like a pony on at least 7-8 plays and never getting called for PI or holding once? Why don’t those calls hurt the game?

  54. The fine and the ban are justified. However, no report gives the power of the laser used, its wavelength, and the distance between Brady and the laser source, all of which are required to determine ocular hazard. Assuming a green laser in the 532 nm wavelength with about 4.99 mW of power, a typical high end laser pointer, it is doubtful that the fan was close enough to Brady to present an ocular hazard. With such a laser, the fan would have to be within 35 meters of Brady to cause ocular damage. Videos of the laser on Brady’s face give the distinct impression that the angular direction of the laser is more from the front than from the sidelines.

    Typical laser pointers, even green light lasers, do not operate above 5 mW of power. A green hand held laser pointer emitting a wavelength of 532nm with a tight beam (0.5 milliradians of divergence) and having no more than 4.99 mW of power will not cause eye damage at a distance greater than 35 meters. However, a more powerful laser, say one emitting the same wavelength but with 50 mW of power would cause ocular damage at 100 meters.

  55. The power of the laser pointer and the threat to damage Brady’s vision is a moot point if he is distracted and gets destroyed by a 300 lb. lineman and is severely injured because of that distraction. It is considered assault with intent to injure verging on attempted manslaughter to throw snowballs at a moving car, even though snowballs can’t really hurt people in most cases.

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