Steelers, Patriots Fans Trade False Fire Alarms Ahead of AFC Championship Game in Foxborough, but It Didn’t Affect Patriots Game
A Conference Championship Game in the NFL is a really big deal. It’s recommended that players get a full night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and try to stay calm as the moment approaches.
Well, when the fire alarm at your hotel goes off at 3 in the morning, it complicates all of those things.
Of course, when you play the Patriots, you expect some shenanigans. “From the top to the bottom of the organization, you felt there was something different,” said Alan Faneca, who says fire alarms were triggered in the Boston hotels at least twice during his two seasons with the New York Jets. “Those rumors have always swirled around New England.”
Here’s what happened: a man pulled the fire alarm in the stairwell, ran outside and jumped in a car. The car drove off; however, the 25-year-old Boston man was apprehended and charged with disorderly conduct, pulling a false fire alarm, and disturbing the peace.
Interestingly enough, while the rest of the hotel was evacuated, the Steelers were not. That didn’t stop the alarm from waking up the majority of the team, though.
About seven hours later, the media was evacuated from Gillette Stadium as the fire alarms went off throughout the building. Much like at the hotel, the fire department had to do their walk-through before allowing anyone back inside. It proved to be a false alarm, but it was certainly a pain for stadium officials.
While there’s no proof that a Steelers fan had anything to do with it, I like to think some rouge hero wasn’t going to let those pesky Pat fans get away with waking up their team. With vengeance in mind, he strapped up his boots and went to work, stealthily entering Gillette Stadium undetected by the security personnel, and snooping around the building until he found an available fire alarm.
“An eye for an eye!” he screamed as his revenge plot came to fruition.
More realistically, someone probably burnt some popcorn, but, hey, we can dream, right?
It didn’t bother the Patriots as they’ll be heading to Super Bowl 51 which marks their ninth time there. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are on their seventh tour now to face that Atlanta Falcons.
Dennis Harrison, 25, of Boston, was arrested while walking on hotel property. State police said he was not a guest at the hotel and “had no legitimate reason to be on the hotel property.”
Harrison is accused of disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and setting off a false fire alarm.
State police said Harrison was released on $100 bail. They said evidence does suggest he pulled the alarm as a prank.