Drone used to drop anti-news leaflets over NFL stadiums

Say what you will about the quality of NFL play in the San Francisco Bay Area this season but things got a little weird on Sunday when a man allegedly used a drone to drop anti-media leaflets over games in both Santa Clara and Oakland.

Tracy Michael Mapes was said to have dropped leaflets lambasting television news over Levi's Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, during the second quarter of the team's game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Then, Mapes apparently managed to drive across the bay to Oakland where he dropped the flyers over the Oakland Raiders' game against the Denver Broncos which was happening at the same time.

As anyone who has lived in the Bay Area can tell you, that he covered that much ground that quickly is, perhaps, his most impressive feat.

A rep for the Santa Clara Police Department (SCPD) told the San Francisco Chronicle the leaflets included, "something about free speech and his belief that television stations are corrupt."

Mashable has reached out to the SCPD for additional details.

According to NBC Bay Area, the FBI, California Highway Patrol, and a number of other local agencies were involved in the investigation.

Mapes violated a number of ordinances, including flying a drone within five miles of an airport. Both the 49ers and the Raiders play within five miles of major airports (San Jose and Oakland, respectively).

As for how successful he was in getting his message out, it seems most of the leaflets never even made it into the stadiums but, instead, were blown away from the stadiums thanks to windy conditions.

Not that there's been anyone in the 49ers' stadium this season to catch the leaflets anyway.