Let's start at the top. August 27. This was Sunday. The day following the encounter I had with the 2 Osprey employees. The encounter I had with them ended with me walking home in disgust as they heckled me, clearly exhilarated by their success in getting me to call them a bad name. Sometime between that night and the next day, this became to them a traumatic experience which they thought warranted filing a police report. Apparently, yes, you can file a police report for anything you want. There does not have to be a good reason. Had there been good reason, there would have been evidence of a crime being committed, and I would have been charged with something. This was not the case. This was the management of the Missoula Osprey's attempt to paint me in a bad light; to make me, and my neighborhood look bad. These are truly creepy people!
It is true that I was at the barricade when they approached. I had just, a few minutes earlier, narrowly escaped being run over by a hooligan who was driving around this ineffectual joke of a barricade. I was a bit upset. I did take their picture and ask for their names because I wanted them to confirm that there was no police officer there. Why? Because the previous evening, I went down to the barricade to prevent people from going around it (which isn't my job), and spoke with a police officer who showed up shortly after I did. I told this police officer that I was surprised to see him there at the barricade. He told me that there was always an officer there at the barricade at the end of the games. Incredulous, I told him no, there wasn't. He told me yes, there was. I told him no, there wasn't; that I often found myself manning this barricade and had never seen an office there before. So, I wanted the employees to confirm that no, there was no officer there. One of them then got right in my face and told me that if I had a problem I should take it up with Matt Ellis ("manager" of the Missoula Osprey). I told him I had, and insisted on getting his name. When he continued to refuse to provide his name, I said "Fine, I hope you have a job next year, Asshole." I did not barrage them with "foul words" as the report states. I then began to walk away. The other employee ran around the barricade and approached me. He removed his name badge and held it in my face, repeating "Can you read?". I had to grab the name badge and hold it away from my face in order to read it. I handed it back to the employee and walked away. They continued to taunt me, so I turned around and flipped them off. I was not about to get into a verbal argument with them, and physically assaulting them was the furthest thing from my mind. These were two grown men, who work outdoors, frightened to death of one computer geek? WTF?
I had met the "annonymous" employee previously in the season as indicated in the report. We had an amicable exchange. I was with my two boys. We were at the entrance of their parking area, and I was commenting to him that I was actually surprised that they had so much parking, and that it was full. I was nice, and was trying to show some appreciation. That encounter ended entirely politely. The implication that I have been continually harassing these people is insane, and untrue. I have NEVER harassed any of the Osprey employees. Even during the unfortunate encounter on August 26th, I was trying to get their cooperation; I was not trying to make their lives any more difficult.
They want to quit their jobs because of me? That's ridiculous. If I were them, I would want to quit my job because the management is ineffectual and refuses to take realistic actions in meeting the conditions of the contract they signed with the city. As for the "attached written statement", I have not seen this.
As for "them" being concerned about my website: Tough. It does not have incorrect information. It does contain "dislike". This is true. I dislike the fact that the Osprey management considers itself above the law and refuses to act in accordance with the Use Agreement they signed with the city. I have every right to post my opinions on the subject on a website. If they truly find this disturbing, perhaps they should act in a way that is more legal and considerate to their neighbors.
The last paragraph on the above page is especially stupid. Yes, I have emailed one of their advertisers. I asked the advertiser to consider what I have posted on my website before advertising with the Osprey in the future. This is entirely legal. I feel that if the Osprey do not have to answer to the law, they must answer elsewhere. This is civil dissent. This is legal. This is what America is about. Perhaps, again, they should act in a way that is more legal and considerate of the neighborhood in which they've set up shop.
The very last bit is priceless. They have lost three employees from harassing people at the barricades (sic), and that's why law enforcement has been hired, and they don't want to lose more employees. The implication here is that I am responsible for their losing these three employees. As I've said above, I have never harassed any of the employees. Maybe if their employees are being harassed, something better needs to be done here? Maybe instead of filing false police reports and slanderous Protection Orders against neighborys, they should address the problem and fix it! This reminds me a saying I heard:
First paragraph. These yahoos feel that I am attacking their organization, them, and their families. This is BS. I am attacking what I feel to be illegal and immoral conduct by the Osprey management. Plain and simple. I have the legal right to do this. It's called Freedom of Speech, guaranteed by the First Ammendment to our Constitution. They may interpret this as an attack against them. So be it. If they start behaving, I will gladly stop pointing out their foibles. As for their families, I have only expressed pity for them, for being related to such hooligans. I have never, ever attacked their families, nor have I had reason to. This is simply a lie.
As for the City Council person feeling that they have been following the agreement... It is not, as far as I know, the City Council person's role to judge whether or not a contractor is adhering to a legal contract. This same City Council person is a strong advocate of the stadium and has taken action to make it appear that the neighborhood is enraptured by the stadium and it's management. This is simply not the case. As for me having an issue with the organization since last year; I sent 1 email to the managment last year asking what we should do when the stadium patrons litter in our yards. Yes, I have an issue with the stadium patrons and the way they effectively ruin our neighborhood during the baseball season. Is it getting worse? Maybe! Maybe they should fix the problems instead of focussing on shooting down the detractors?
The last paragraph is another gem of untruth and irrelevance. I have every right to post photos of their employees on my website. They are out in public, on a public street. There is no protection against them having their picture taken. That is simply absurd. As for harassing the employees; I don't. This is a blatant lie. If I had the time and money to hire an attorney, I would try to get charges filed against the people who filed this false police report. Again, giving sponsors incorrect information is another lie. I simply ask them to read what I've written about this terrible situation. That's entirely within my rights as a USA citizen.
To sum up: This is a false police report. In my opinion, it is perjurous slander. Do we REALLY want these people to continue operating outside the law?