1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Injured while covering a game

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by littlehurt98, Jan 14, 2009.

  1. spikechiquet

    spikechiquet Well-Known Member

    When I was a PTer for a TV station covering high school football playoffs, I was on the sidelines shooting the game. The QB runs an end around my way. Now, I am zoomed it and still new to the whole shooting thing, so I didn't realize how close he was by the time I zoomed out.

    *CRASH!!!*

    He and the safety met me out of bounds. The camera flew straight up in the air, I am on my back, I see the camera zooming back to earth and at my head. I sort of catch it and deflect it to the ground. They stop to see if I am ok, I check to see if the camera was still recording and it was the whole time. Got the whole spill on tape! A few days later, the school sent me the game film of the incident. I was fun to see me get smashed into and try to catch a flying videocamera!
    We showed the "highlight" as a kicker in the 6 and 11 news...I wish I still had that tape....
     
  2. littlehurt98

    littlehurt98 Member

    I agree slash. I hating sitting in the bleachers with some parent yelling He walked. Call it both ways. Or whatever else they maybe yelling because they feel their child's team isn't getting a fair shake.

    I don't want to be seen, just a connivence factor. If I can sit in a chair rather than a bleacher I'm going to do it. My back thanks me for that as well.

    Only reason I logged the time is because a coworker is always on me for taking to many notes and writing down everything I can. I figured he would get a kick out of it. Which he did.
     
  3. Jeremy Goodwin

    Jeremy Goodwin Active Member

    I haven't been injured, but this thread reminded me of this:
    http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=4888791
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 15, 2014
  4. HandsomeHarley

    HandsomeHarley Well-Known Member

    I was covering volleyball years back.

    No, seriously. Volleyball.

    They had two courts going at once and I was sitting on the front row of the stands between the courts. I had my head turned, watching them warm up on the left court when WHAM! I caught the effects from a killer spike from the right court. Hit me right in the glasses.

    My glasses were already broke (right earpiece) and I had them taped. But the force of the ball broke the earpiece and jammed it into my eye. Had a hell of a red-eye. Had I been looking anywhere else, it would have caught me right in the retina.

    Long story short, after convincing everyone involved that it was a work injury, I got a new pair of glasses out of the deal.
     
  5. lono

    lono Active Member

    I had my feelings hurt once when a coach yelled at me during a presser.
     
  6. zebracoy

    zebracoy Guest

    No good stories from being on the job, but I was almost caught between two offensive lineman fighting at a football party when I was in college. Got the one kid's beer all over me, feet tangled up with the other and was lucky to get the hell out of the way.

    Worst part? Lineman One tried to tackle Lineman Two into the pool - but he missed and got nothing but concrete. That was a hell of a smack when he landed.
     
  7. Barsuk

    Barsuk Active Member

    Holy cats!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 15, 2014
  8. e_bowker

    e_bowker Member

    One time I was covering an Ole Miss game in Oxford. I think they were playing Mississippi State, and won, so naturally some idiot fanbois decide to storm the field. My SE and I were standing on the field after the game, near the sideline. I see them chanting and cheering and the railing looks like it's about to give, so I suggest to him we move closer to the middle of the field to get away from the inevitable rush.
    That asshole SE got away from it, all right.
    A few minutes later, some of the yahoos make it onto the field. He sees one of them coming and steps out of the way -- allowing the yahoo to blindside me while he's running from a security guard. I get knocked head over heels, my notebook goes flying and I'm sitting there stunned on the ground for a good two minutes.
    Later on, the SE told our other writer he saw the yahoo coming and didn't say a word to me on purpose.
     
  9. Wallace

    Wallace Guest

    The only thing injured in my story was my pride.

    It was softball district tournament time for one of the high schools I cover here in the Pacific NW. It hadn't been a nice spring thus far and as such, I had no inkling to pack any sunscreen, or hell, even wear a hat. Needless to say, like a dumbass, I got a great sunburn all over my face that I didn't even notice until I got home.

    My wedding was the next week. And this sunburn was one mean SOB.

    It mostly went away, but I had a great little scab right in the middle of my forehead that conveniently looked like a nice zit. Fortunately our photographers touched up the photos so I don't have to look at the photos and think about what a dipshit I was that day.
     
  10. Stitch

    Stitch Active Member

    I lived in Provo when that happened. Lesson for everyone at a track meet, always pay attention to javelin, discus and hammer throw areas.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 15, 2014
  11. albert77

    albert77 Well-Known Member

    One time I was plowed over on the sidelines of a high school football game. I went one way, my notebook went another and my glasses went a third direction. I managed to find my (fortunately intact) glasses, got my notebook and didn't miss a play. I even made the school's radio bradcast.

    Another time, I was at a baseball game at a school that had sort of an open-air press box/balcony. There was netting across the front, but not on the sides. I was standing behind the scoreboard operator along the side of the press box when I heard a whizz-smack! as a foul ball hit the wall next to my ear then bounced off my bicep. I was lucky that night, because I could have been seriously injured.
     
  12. highlander

    highlander Member

    Was sitting with some coaches in plastic lawn chairs watching a seven-on-seven tournament. We were talking when a play came to the sidelines and the ball carrier nearly ran me over. The problem was his slowed his momentum by putting hands on my shoulders. That move gave me just enough momentum to start falling backwards. For a second there I seemed to be hanging in midair before I started going backwards. I landed squarely on my back. The coaches couldn't stop laughing. They said I looked like a turtle on its back as I was trying to get out from the chair. Took a while to live that one down, getting plowed over at a seven-on-seven tournament.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page