Hockey Fan Faces Arson Charges After Arena Stunt

There but for the grace of God—and the possession of a lighter—go many a die-hard sports fan: As the Tampa Bay Lightning took on the Detroit Red Wings in Game 7 at home last night, the hometown fans started passing around a 20-by-30-foot Lightning flag, which apparently struck one Red Wings fan all wrong and, of course, it's never a party in Florida until arson charges result. As the Tampa Tribune reports, cops say 35-year-old Lena Sinishtaj, who lives in a Detroit suburb, is charged with first-degree arson of an occupied structure after she held a lighter up to the flag and set it on fire.

There were about 200 people under the flag at the time, notes WXYZ. The evening rapidly went downhill from there for Sinishtaj: She didn't cause much damage, she didn't see the game, her team lost, and she was held without bond. For this reason, a Lightning rep says the team limits ticket sales to those with Florida ZIP codes, to "preserve a hometown environment for our fans." Alas, notes the Toronto Sun, "weird things happen in Florida." (More Tampa Bay Lightning stories.)