Not MLB maybe, but there is another route which works.
I used to take my young 'uns to the old Durham Athletic Park to watch the Durham Bulls (Triple A) play. When my youngest was about seven he decided he wanted an autograph from one of the umpires, and wandered into the sallyport before the game to ask for it.
The man was dumbfounded, and so flattered that he took a freshly rubbed-up ball into the locker room and got everyone on the Bulls team to sign it.
That ball got its own trophy globe, and sat on our living room mantle for years. Unfortunately none of that season's team ever made it to the majors.
And since you bring it up, I was an usher in a movie theater back in the old days, when they still had balconies. People managed to fall from those, too.
That's a great point. Sometimes it's just a bad idea to play around sharp drop offs, whether they be man made or cliffs.
Here's a few more fantastic falling videos.
Here's a couple idiots fighting over a shoe, 8ft, headfirst into the cement. Surprisingly the only football faller I could find.
Here's another one where a guy falls off the upper deck about 30/40 ft to the lower seats. The only reason this guy survived...he landed on people. This is from the same stadium as the OP faller, the one George W. Bush was at that I mentioned up thread.
This one is my favorite so far, perhaps that's because it's from 1981. Cowboy boots and a tight fitting velour shirt may have saved this Reds fan. (that and likely sobriety, ok, he has some huge cannons)
This one involves a kid, so if you don't like to laugh at kids falling out of the right field bleachers, don't click it. (he limps away)
Maybe they do need to add some barrier for these idiots sports fans. It doesn't seem to happen that often, and never at basketball games, at least not on camera. Sure there are quite a few concert goers that fall, but they are expected to.
Actually, that was one of the first things I thought about when I first heard the story. Hamilton was addicted to heroin (I think) and I believe he gets drug tested every couple of days.
Actually, that was one of the first things I thought about when I first heard the story. Hamilton was addicted to heroin (I think) and I believe he gets drug tested every couple of days.
Surely all they needed was a net hanging under the railing and he'd still be alive?
Anyone saying the guy deserves a Darwin Award...well i don't even know what to say to you. He leans out a bit for a ball, loses his center of gravity, then falls head first because of the design of the stadium.
Surely all they needed was a net hanging under the railing and he'd still be alive?
Anyone saying the guy deserves a Darwin Award...well i don't even know what to say to you. He leans out a bit for a ball, loses his center of gravity, then falls head first because of the design of the stadium.
When the parachuter died after both chutes failed, someone said, "All he needed was a third chute and he'd still be alive". Yet they still only use two.
Anyone saying the guy deserves a Darwin Award...well i don't even know what to say to you. He leans out a bit for a ball, loses his center of gravity, then falls head first because of the design of the stadium psychics and gravity.
There are plenty of places in a stadium to fall from if you try hard enough. This guy is just a textbook example of a Darwin Award, and will be on a fast track for approval. Not many Darwin's have video confirmation.
I know it's very hard to control every detail in such an event, but perhaps make an announcement prior to the game that people near a ledge should never try to catch the ball or something?
Read the back of your ticket. The fine print that they put back there expressly covers stuff like this. The idea is to absolve the teams and the stadium owners of blame and liability but the warnings are given. Some stadiums also have posted signage that covers this as well.
I think that it's the NFL that has a ban on throwing balls to the fans. Besides, this wasn't an upper deck area it was a part of the lower stands that was about 20 feet over the bullpen. This fan made a bad judgment call in the heat of the moment. I feel sorry for him and his family but there were reasonable safety barriers in place that he circumvented to try and get the ball. Arguably he could've done the same thing for a foul ball (or a home run in those seats).
The ball wasn't tossed to him; looks to me like it was tossed toward someone else and he attempted to intercept it by stretching too far past the top of the railing. It's not a "forward momentum" thing; the man's lower half seems to be in proximity if not contact with the railing. It doesn't look like he had any plan for stopping himself once he started reaching over the railing, unless he simply thought his abs were up to it.
Read the back of your ticket. The fine print that they put back there expressly covers stuff like this. The idea is to absolve the teams and the stadium owners of blame and liability but the warnings are given. Some stadiums also have posted signage that covers this as well.
Surely all they needed was a net hanging under the railing and he'd still be alive?
Anyone saying the guy deserves a Darwin Award...well i don't even know what to say to you. He leans out a bit for a ball, loses his center of gravity, then falls head first because of the design of the stadium.
The stadium was designed just fine. It had a guard rail suitable for preventing falls resulting from inadvertent mishaps under reasonable use.
It wasn't designed for people willfully trying to circumvent it. The only design issue was how smart this guy was designed to be. I guess you could look at it as a problem with intelligence design.
Read the back of your ticket. The fine print that they put back there expressly covers stuff like this. The idea is to absolve the teams and the stadium owners of blame and liability but the warnings are given. Some stadiums also have posted signage that covers this as well.
Even without a legal liability the team will probably make a settlement with the man's family, as a public relations move. About ten years ago a girl died after a puck hit her in the head at an NHL game. A freak accident at a sporting event where people are advised to watch for flying pucks and the team (Columbus Blue Jackets?) and other parties paid the family more than a million dollars.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
