Edmonton Elks fan says wearing paper bag led to his ejection from stadium

Fans claim they were kicked out of Elks game An Elks fan who wore a paper bag on his head at the last game says he was kicked out of Commonwealth. Dave Mitchell reports.

To bag or not to bag?

Actually, when it comes to the current state of the Edmonton Elks, that isn't the question.

Longtime fan Cameron Jones wants to know why he was kicked out of Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday. Jones said he was holding a paper bag in his hands when he was ordered to leave by Edmonton police.

"I'm like, 'For what reason?' And (the policeman) says, 'Security asked me to have you leave the premises.' He's like, 'If we don't like your white shoes or the way you’re dressed, the premises has the ability to kick you out for no reason.'"

While Jones and his co-workers, with whom he attended the 27-0 Elks loss to the visiting B.C. Lions, were seen on a national broadcast while wearing bags over their heads in the stands, he says he followed stadium rules and did not walk the concourse with his face hidden  — unlike two weeks before that, when he said security had no problem with bags at all.

"I walked through the concourse, walked everywhere, people high-fiving me like crazy," he said of his experience walking underneath the stands on July 13, when the Elks lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

But with the Elks now reaching historic new lows — they set the North American professional sports record with their 21st consecutive home loss and sport a record of 0-8 to start the 2023 Canadian Football League season — fan anger and team frustration is likely at an all-time high.

"If I didn't have this in my hand, I wouldn’t have got kicked out," Jones said. "I think somebody at some point said, 'Those guys down there are bad for business.'"

Jones said he called the team four days ago for an explanation but was told it's a City of Edmonton issue, but when he contacted the city, they redirected him back to the Elks.

The city provided CTV News Edmonton with a statement on Thursday that said, "Commonwealth Security is reviewing video footage to see if there is evidence of this alleged incident. They will also be reviewing any after-actions and incident reports to see if there are any documented evictions of people wearing bags."

Either way, Jones says he plans to be back in his paper bag for the Elks' next home game: Thursday, Aug. 10, against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers -- anything, he says, to provoke any kind of change before it's too late.

"If no fans show up  — this is for any business  — if people don't show up to your business, you don't make money," Jones said. "You lose your team."