13 injured in Ok. State celebration, two critically

A lot of schools have collapsable goalposts like that. More schools should.

The problem with most college stadiums is that its too easy to get onto the field. Security isn't as tight and access is easier than the average pro stadium because the seats go right down to field level at a lot of schools.

 

I was really expecting the field to get rushed last night at Baylor, but only a couple of hundred folks came onto the field. And at the end of every game at Baylor, they have security around the goalposts to keep people off of 'em.

 

I remember the '86 Mets clinching the NL East, and fans stormed the turf and shredded it. The grass looked like shit for the rest of the season, the NLCS and the Series.

And to think, it used to be commonplace for fans to leave baseballs stadiums on the field, like the old Yankee Stadium. Heck, part of the mess from the Merkle's Boner game in the Polo Grounds was fans running on the field because they thought the game was over and they were heading to the exits.

 

I thought OK State had the collapsible goalposts as well.

 

Yes, flying wood fragments would harmlessly bounce off of human beings.

 

I remember when LSU beat No. 1 Florida back in 1997, one of the uprights actually made it into the student section and was halfway up to the top of the stands (where it no doubt would've been pitched over the top, a hundred feet onto a crowd of people below), before some authority figure flagged down the crowd and brought them to their senses.
After a few other field-stormings over the next few years, I noticed there's a ring of state troopers, Baton Rouge PD, LSU PD and ROTC members about eight deep around each goal post. I think they also have the collapsable uprights, like other schools do.

I think part of the problem is, like other people have said, accessibility. A lot of these old stadiums, all you have to do is hop a fence and drop 7 or 8 feet onto the ground. They just weren't designed with these yahoos in mind.
Plus, once you get a couple thousand people thinking that way, it's safer in some ways for the cops and security to help them over instead of having them crush each other against a railing.

 

Announcement with two minutes to play:

"Anybody caught going onto the field will be subject to arrest."

Problem solved.

 

Ole Miss put in collapsible goal posts after the existing were ripped out after a win over Florida.

 

I was there for the game with my dad. It was fun to watch both fall, but am glad I wasn't on the field to risk injury.

 

There's a pretty decent drop from much of the stands to the field in Stillwater. Apparently not enough to stop folks from jumping, but enough to mess up a jumper with a less-than-perfect landing.

 

Three words: Parachute Landing Fall.

I did so many of those I could probably do them in my sleep today. (My fourth point of contact is a little bigger than it was 20 years ago.) But you still run the risk of ankle and leg injuries if you land wrong.

I believe the most serious of the injuries were from trampling or getting struck by the goalposts, though. In fact, I'm surprised retractable goalposts aren't the norm these days.

 

I am amazed that on the Texas circuit, a lot of the college stadiums I go to access to the field is way too easy. A lot of high schools have better control, either by having seating elevated enough to where the jump to the field is too risky or having the fence between the stands and the field.

It's Baylor. Kids at Baylor don't know they are supposed to rush the field. Heck most of them weren't even born yet last time Baylor won a big game.
But Baylor is a prime example. Media goes through the stands to get to the field. Most of the stadium, the seats are low enough jumping the rail is no big deal, and heck I think the main student section even has a removable rail.

It needs to stop.