Controversy is brewing between the Philadelphia Eagles and South Jersey businessman George Norcross after he says he was evicted from Sunday’s game for displaying an Israeli flag. The Eagles are accusing Norcross of being physically and verbally abusive during the situation. NBC10’s Rosemary Connors has the latest from both sides.
New Jersey political boss and power broker George Norcross III says he was forcibly removed from Sunday’s Eagles-Cowboys game at Lincoln Financial Field because he refused to remove an American and Israeli flag.
Norcross said he hung a U.S.-Israel flag outside the suite he was sitting in during the game.
Video posted on social media shows Norcross being escorted out of his suite while another man takes his flag.
“As a longtime passionate fan and season ticket holder, I have watched the Eagles/NFL make clear and strong statements on numerous important civil justice issues and ethnic and world conflicts, including supporting the people of Ukraine, so as a strong supporter of Israel -- a country which was viciously attacked by the terrorist group Hamas less than a month ago -- I thought it was an important statement to make,” Norcoss wrote in a statement obtained by NBC10.
Lincoln Financial Field has a list of banned items and behavior, including items or actions “deemed dangerous or inappropriate."
“It remains unclear why the Eagles/NFL believe that the US-Israeli flag should be deemed 'obscene or indecent' or otherwise inappropriate -- which is what I was cited for -- and should therefore be ripped down despite both issuing public statements strongly supporting Israel following the October 7th attacks,” Norcross wrote. “But as I consider whether to file suit against the Philadelphia Eagles, the NFL and the security company which yanked me out of the box and paraded me in front of thousands of fans, I urge other supporters of Israel to make their feelings known to the team and the NFL just as they have to universities like Penn and Harvard.”
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In a statement obtained originally by Philadelphia Business Journal and later by NBC10, the Eagles said Norcross’ removal from the stadium had nothing to do with the content of his sign but rather the team’s policy prohibiting signage containing any kind of non-game messaging to be hung from a stadium suite.
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"Stadium staff repeatedly asked Mr. Norcross to remove the sign he hung outside of the suite," the Eagles said. "Instead of complying with the request, Mr. Norcross became physically and verbally abusive. Mr. Norcross was ejected from the stadium only after his abuse toward numerous stadium staff members continued. He was escorted from the suite level to the stadium’s ejection point, just as anyone else would be after engaging in abusive behavior in violation of stadium policy."
In response to the Eagles saying he was engaging in abusive behavior, he had this to say:
"This is a silly and transparent attempt to deflect attention from their tearing down a flag supporting the United States and Israel following the Oct 7th attacks. The video is clear there was no "physical abuse" by me and there were 15 people in the box who were witness, including several licensed members of law enforcement who can confirm there was no physical abuse by me. In fact, the only abuse at all is when the Eagles/NFL security force assaulted me and arm locked me behind my back."
Norcross also responded to the allegations that he was verbally abusive.
"Regarding verbal abuse, for sure I was extremely angry that the team would physically treat people this way and that the Eagles/NFL leadership wouldn't show the same support for Israel it has shown for other civil rights issues and ethnic and world conflicts."
City spokeswoman, Sarah Peterson, said Norcross was in the Mayor’s Box at Suday's game. A representative of Norcross's said that Mayor Jim Kenney did at one point come into the box and ask Norcross to remove the flag.
Norcross is one of New Jersey’s most influential Democratic power brokers as well as an executive at insurance broker Conner Strong & Buckelew. He also chairs the board of Camden’s Cooper University Hospital and health system.
For their part, the Eagles in their statement continued to reiterate the organization's stance "condemning the horrific and brutal Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7th."
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