OT: Super Bowl Streaker to go on trial

[guag]

Roberts to go on trial for misdemeanor


Thursday, April 22, 2004


Associated Press
HOUSTON -- More than 70,000 people caught Mark Roberts' last performance in Houston. Only six will be needed for the next one.


Roberts, the 39-year-old Brit who shed a phony referee's uniform on the field at the Super Bowl and danced a jig in nothing but a thong, intends to go to trial June 21 on a misdemeanor trespassing charge.


"I wonder how many witnesses they'll call?" Roberts told The Associated Press on Thursday while watching defense attorney Sharon Levine set his trial date with a county court-at-law judge in a Houston courtroom. "I mean, they could call tens of thousands."


His case will be heard by a six-person jury. If convicted of the Class B misdemeanor, Roberts could spend up to six months in jail and pay a fine of up to $2,000.


Roberts' performance Feb. 1 was clearly visible to fans shortly before the start of the second half but was not shown by CBS, which was still reeling from Janet Jackson's surprise breast-baring during the musical interlude.


Plenty of other cameras captured him, however, and his stunt was shown repeatedly on television and on the Internet after the game.


Roberts doesn't deny he was the one who darted onto the field in a tear-away striped uniform, stripped near the kicking tee before the second half began and started dancing while displaying a skin-borne advertisement for an online casino.


Police were slow to react, and it was New England Patriots linebacker Matt Chatham who leveled Roberts before officers carried him off the field.


The Liverpool man's Web sponsor carries images of the incident on its Web site and Roberts does the same on his own Internet page, www.thestreaker.org.uk.


Roberts and Levine, who works for famed attorney Richard "Racehorse" Haynes, intend to argue no one told Roberts he was not allowed on the field.


His court appearance Thursday came two days after a man pulled a similar stunt Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park during the Houston Astros' game against the St. Louis Cardinals. One difference was that the baseball streaker was naked.


"That's rude isn't it?" Roberts said with a grin. "The man's got no class."


Police said Roberts got into the Super Bowl -- and through several layers of security -- with a legitimate ticket. He wore a ref's uniform under civilian clothes, and both outfits were held together with Velcro to allow for a quick strip.


According to his site, Roberts has streaked more than 300 times. He has cases pending in Paris and back home in Liverpool, and his Super Bowl moment was his first North American venture.


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I guess a lot of people forgot about this because of the Janet Jackson thing... apparently this guy has streaked 300 times in the past 10 years and is in the Guiness Book of world records. He even has his own website.. funny stuff.

[Doomsday101]

Too bad the fine is so little. I think they should stiffen the law for this act. After all when fans jump out on the field no one knows what their intent is. Incidents like the Royals coach being attack by a father and son should wake the law makers up

[Woods]

Believe me, it's a British thing . . . .

I've been living here for a few years, and they are always doing crap like that.

[Klemster]

I think that they should give players a bonus for laying out idiots like this. It could be a new take on the bounty bowl.

[Bill Wooten]

Increasing the penalty is probably appropriate. Especially for the father/son duo that attacked the coach. I'm sure they got more of a penalty because they actually attacked someone. They also got a major league beat-down too.

Personally, I think the penalty for running onto the playing field is very simple. Do your best to get off of it. No arrests. A good old-fashioned a**-kicking will put an end to that kind of foolishness.

[Doomsday101]

Originally Posted by Bill Wooten

Increasing the penalty is probably appropriate. Especially for the father/son duo that attacked the coach. I'm sure they got more of a penalty because they actually attacked someone. They also got a major league beat-down too.

Personally, I think the penalty for running onto the playing field is very simple. Do your best to get off of it. No arrests. A good old-fashioned a**-kicking will put an end to that kind of foolishness.

You may be right but I don't want to see American sports go the way of European and South American sporting events such as soccer. Crack down on it now to avoid major headaches down the road.

[Wimbo]

Those Europeans do all kinds of crazy things... like paying to watch soccer.

[Bill Wooten]

Originally Posted by Doomsday101

You may be right but I don't want to see American sports go the way of European and South American sporting events such as soccer. Crack down on it now to avoid major headaches down the road.

Yeah, I see where you're coming from and agree with you. I just think that these morons might think twice after seeing someone get a good beat-down trying to get off the field. It's all cute to them because they know they are only going to get slapped with a fine. Let them see Roy popping one of them and they won't want any part of getting on the field.

Understand that I'm saying all this with a bit of humor, but I think it would be a heck of a deterrant.

[jamez25]

we need terrible terry tate to lay the smack down on him ... http://terrytate.reebok.com/watch.asp

[Doomsday101]

Originally Posted by Bill Wooten

Yeah, I see where you're coming from and agree with you. I just think that these morons might think twice after seeing someone get a good beat-down trying to get off the field. It's all cute to them because they know they are only going to get slapped with a fine. Let them see Roy popping one of them and they won't want any part of getting on the field.

Understand that I'm saying all this with a bit of humor, but I think it would be a heck of a deterrant.

If I had my way they would get both, a royal ars kicking from the players on the field and a very steep fine from the local authorities