Speaking Of Dallas: Cowboys Settle With Player On Collapse

A former Dallas Cowboys player who was inside the practice facility when it collapsed in 2009 has settled a lawsuit against the company that designed the building and companies operated by team owner Jerry Jones.

UTEP grad and tight end Jamar Hunt was attempting to make the team as a rookie free agent at the time of the bubble's collapse in 2009.

Attorney Michael Guajardo says Hunt received an undisclosed amount to settle his claim that he suffered a neck injury when a steel beam landed on him. Hunt maintained in his lawsuit that the injury prevented him from making any NFL team in future seasons, and that he was subject to a double standard if he did want to pursue a job in the league.

He couldn't get clearance to play until doctors gave an all-clear, but then he would be viewed as untouchable because of his injury history.

Here's the piece WFAA-TV ran after Cowboys employees settled with the builder

Metrodome Repairs Could Take Til August

The new head of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, Ted Mondale, said that replacing the roof of the Metrodome would likely take the next five to six months to complete.

Vikings VP Lester Bagley said the team wouldn't talk about next season until the team has a better idea about the progress of the repairs. He said the team and the NFL have hired their own engineer to help with the process.

The Vikings could be back at TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota if repairs aren't done by the beginning of the season...

Here's the collapse, thanks to our friends at MyFoxTwinCities...

VIDEO: Inside View of Metrodome Collapse: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

BREAKING: Metrodome Roof Collapses, Giants-Vikes Won't Play There...Detroit Instead...

The teflon roof covering the Metrodome's Mall of America field has collapsed due to heavy amounts of snow.

Around 5AM local time Sunday the roof of the "Dome" caved in far enough to where it was not visible from ground level.

The Metrodome was supposed to be the site of a "Sunday" football game between the Vikings and the New York Giants until the NFL offices rescheduled the game to Monday night.

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=ca15cffb-3b66-49a0-84ca-20ed0a175567" target="_new" title="">NFL on FOX: Metrodome collapse</a>

No word on a reschedule of the reschedule or any injuries...
More when we know more...

Here's video from very early this morning...
((HT: KARE-TV))


1015 UPDATE: According to Dennis McGrath of the Star-Tribune, the roof tore in three places shortly after 5 a.m., said Roy Terwilliger, head of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission.

From McGrath:
In the meantime, the NFL, Vikings, Giants and Dome officials have held three conference calls -- two Saturday night and one early this morning.

"The NFL has a set procedure in their policy for when a facility is not available," he said.

"The only thing we can say right now is that it's not practical to have a game here today, tomorrow or even Tuesday," Terwilliger said.

1115 UPDATE: NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said via Twitter accountthat the league is considering playing the game at TCF Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus Monday night, or in another NFL domed stadium- most likely in Detroit, St. Louis, or Indianapolis.

"The facility -- we don't think sustained other damage to the seats or scoreboard or other structures," Terwilliger said.

Terwilliger said the focus now is on trying to get the Dome repaired in time for the December 20th game against the Chicago Bears.

1145 UPDATE: The NFL Network, through their sources, is saying the game will be moved to Ford Field in Detroit and will kickoff at 7:20 Monday night. The FOX network already had TV equipment in place there and it became the logical choice.

The game will be available to the Twin Cities, New York, and Rochester, Minnesota markets. It will also be available to Sunday Ticket subscribers.

BREAKING: Notre Dame "Failed To Keep" Sullivan Safe

((HT: WSBT-TV South Bend))

The Rev. John Jenkins, President of Notre Dame, sent out a letter to the Notre Dame family this afternoon. In it, he revealed that the school has reached out to former University of Arizona president Peter Likens to oversee the investigation the school is cionducting in the death of Fighting Irish videographer Declan Sullivan.

Jenkins did say this in the letter: "Declan Sullivan was entrusted to our care, and we failed to keep him safe. We at Notre Dame — and ultimately I, as President — are responsible."

The entire release can be seen here...

He also addressed Brian Kelly's status at the school:

Coach Kelly was hired not only because of his football expertise, but because we believed his character and values accord with the highest standards of Notre Dame. All we have seen since he came to Notre Dame, and everything we have learned in our investigation to date, have confirmed that belief. For those reasons I am confident that Coach Kelly has a bright future leading our football program.

More when we know more...

Notre Dame Celebrates Declan Sullivan

((HT: WSBT-TV))

Deputy Coroner Chuck Hurley told WSBT-TV that he has ruled the death of Declan Sullivan an accident and said that the cause was blunt force trauma to the head, chest and abdomen.

Hundreds stood outside the doors of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart as the capacity of the church (around 1,000) was reached long before the service started.

Inside, Sullivan's dorm mates from Fisher Hall sat together, as did residents of Lewis Hall, where Sullivan's sister, a freshman, lived. The football team filled at least eight pews in the back of the church.

Sullivan's family was also in attendance.

"Notre Dame has lost another son," said the Rev. Thomas P. Doyle, CSC, Notre Dame's vice president for student affairs.

Here's WSBT's coverage, John Paul was outside the Basilica of the Sacred Heart...
 

DEVELOPING: OSHA Investigating Notre Dame Accident

((HT: WSBT-TV South Bend))

Indiana's workplace safety agency ((their version of OSHA)) is investigating the death of the Notre Dame student after the tower from which he was filming football practice fell over.

Declan Sullivan of Long Grove, Illinois, died at hospital yesterday after the scissor lift the 20-year-old student was in was in toppled amid winds gusting over 50 miles per hour.

Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration spokesman and FOSG Marc Lotter says the agency had an investigator on the scene in South Bend. He says it's too early to say when the agency, which has the authority to levee fines, might release a report.

WSBT's Alyssa Rossomme seems to be outside, freezing in the dark...
 

MIDDAY UPDATE: Kristen Bien was on campus for the noon show...
The University held a press conference at 2PM eastern...
When that video becomes available, we'll get it to you...
 

DEVELOPING: Irish Student Dies After Tower Collapse

((HT: WSBT/WNDU-TV South Bend))

A 20-year-old student of Notre Dame died Wednesday afternoon when a video tower at the north end of the team's practice field collapsed in the high winds.

The student was taping practice from a hydraulic scissor lift when the accident happened.

The tower fell through a fence and is lying in the street between the practice field and the tennis courts.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic loss,” said Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., Notre Dame’s president. “Our hearts go out to the student’s family and friends and our prayers and profound sympathies are with them during this incredibly difficult time. The loss of someone so young is a terrible shock and a great sadness. Our entire community shares in the family’s grief.”

The identity of the student is not being released pending notification of family members.

Here's the breaking news from our friends at WNDU-TV

2 Injured Cowboys Settle With Jerry Jones

The attorney for two Dallas Cowboys employees injured in the 2009 collapse of the team's practice facility says each has received about $5 million from companies controlled by team owner Jerry Jones as legal settlements.

Attorney Frank Branson says that lawsuits filed by scout Rich Behm and special teams coach Joe DeCamillis were settled last week.

Behm was paralyzed from the waist down and DeCamillis suffered a broken vertebrae when the steel and fabric building collapsed in a wind storm back on May 2nd, 2009.

The two previously settled with the builder, Summit Structures. Branson says Behm received $19.5 million and DeCamillas was paid $4.5 million.

Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple says the team had no comment Monday.

Naturally...

More when we know more...
Until then, here's an anniversary piece that Sophia Reza did on the collapse
((HT: MyFoxDFW))

Former Cowboy Suing For Damages From Valley Ranch Collapse

((HT: KTVT-CBS11))

An ex-Dallas Cowboy who was inside the team's artifical, outdoor-indoor practice facility when it collapsed last year claims he suffered a career-ending injury in the incident and is seeking damages from both the builder and companies operated by team owner Jerry Jones.

Jamar Hunt, a rookie free agent from UTEP, says in his court filing that he suffered "serious, disabling and permanent injuries" when the collapse occured in May of 2009. Hunt was trying to make the team as a tight end and/or a deep snapper.

Hunt's attorney, Michael Guajardo, said the player suffered a herniated disk in his neck when a steel support fell on him.

The Cowboys, obviously, aren't commenting.

As a refrsher, here's CBS11's Selena Hernandez at the time of the conclusion of the investigation explaining the evidence...

Tuesday Cowboys Update: DeCamillis, Behm

((HT: picture, thanks Ron Jenkins/ Star Telegram. Story- DMN/MacMahon/Townsend))

"We're pleased everything went as well as we expected it to," said DeCamillis' father-in-law, former NFL coach and Cowboys player Dan Reeves.

He said the family is encouraged but cautious about any complications.

"We're not out of the woods," Reeves said. "We'll keep praying. We're just thankful and truly blessed and hope everything continues."

Given the location of the injury and the absence of paralysis, "the prognosis is excellent," said Dr. David Rothbart, a neurosurgeon and founder and medical director of Southlake-based Spine Team Texas.

Dr. Rothbart, who is not involved with DeCamillis' treatment, said the typical recovery for most operations of this type is six to eight weeks. Based on that timetable, DeCamillis could return for training camp, Dr. Rothbart said.

Reeves said DeCamillis faces about two months of physical rehabilitation, according to his doctors. DeCamillis, 43, was hired in January to turn around a special teams unit that struggled much of last season.

"Once he has completely healed, he should have an excellent chance at being able to take part in the full aspect of coaching activities," Dr. Rothbart said.

A trust fund has been established for the family of Rich Behm. Bank of America, in conjunction with the Dallas Cowboys, will begin accepting donations on behalf of Behm and his wife and three young children starting today.

"We've had an overwhelming number of phone calls and correspondence from friends and fans who want to know how they can help Rich and his family," said Cowboys public relations director Rich Dalrymple. "We are grateful to Bank of America for helping us get this moving so quickly."

Behm was paralyzed from the waist down during the accident involving the Cowboys indoor practice facility on Saturday.

BY MAIL:
Donations will be accepted by mail at the following location:
Bank of America
c/o Shelby Kirksey
5500 Preston Road, Suite B
Dallas, Texas 75205
Checks made payable to Rich Behm Family Trust Fund

IN PERSON:
Also, those wishing to help the family can walk into any Bank of America branch and specify that they would like to make a donation in person to the Rich Behm Family Trust Fund.

Fox4's Matt Grubs has the update on the investigation...

DMN Report: Cowboys Didn't Have Roof Work Inspected

((HT: DMN/Formby, Carlton, Egerton))

The Dallas Cowboys applied last year for a building permit to replace the high-tension fabric roof on the indoor practice facility that collapsed Saturday and injured 12 people ((pictured, thanks Ron Jenkins/Star-Telegram)). But the team never had city officials inspect any completed work, which is required by Irving's building code.

In city documents released Monday, the team is listed as the general contractor for the reroofing project that was estimated to cost $600,000. Irving does not issue a building permit unless the general contractor is registered with the city. The Cowboys registered as a general contractor on the same day they requested a permit for the roof work.

City officials were aware that work began on the roof last year but never received word from the team that it was complete.

Team officials declined to answer questions about the work Monday.

It was unclear Monday what level of rains or winds the building was built to withstand. The roles that weather and the structure's design or construction played in the collapse may not be known for months.

OSHA investigators will interview witnesses, survey the site and "get as much information as we can" to determine what specifically brought the building down.

No findings will be made public until OSHA completes its investigation, which could take up to six months.

"Every case is different," said OSHA spokeswoman Elizabeth Todd.

The site will not be cleared until agency officials have completed their investigation, Todd said.

Gary Miller, the city's planning and inspections director, said the city probably will not pursue a building code violation citation. He said that if the building were still standing, the city's approach would have first been to issue a warning notice.

But he said city officials will closely watch the results of any investigations.

"We would rely on any reports that come out of this investigation just to become more intelligent out of what happened," Miller said.

Here are the 911 calls from the complex ((Thanks, DMN-MacMahon- who made Call #1))
Call 1
Call 2
Call 3
Statement from Summit Structures

Cowboys Tuesday Update: OSHA Investigates

((HT: myfoxdfw/KDFW-TV))

Government investigators began sorting through the Dallas Cowboys' flattened practice facility Monday, trying to figure out why fierce winds sent the tentlike structure crashing down during a rookie workout session.

Twelve people were hurt, including Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, who was set to have surgery on his fractured cervical vertebrae Monday. The most seriously injured was Rich Behm, the team's 33-year-old scouting assistant who was permanently paralyzed from the waist down after his spine was severed. Greg Gaither, 35, had surgery on his fractured right leg and was expected to get out of the hospital this week.

Here's the 911 call from the facility...

Inspectors were at the collapse site Monday, said Elizabeth Todd, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA, which investigates workplace accidents, has six months to make a report, she said.

Records obtained by The Associated Press show that the city of Irving granted the Cowboys' request to replace the fabric roof last year, five years after the structure was built. The team listed itself as the contractor for the roof replacement, but Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple said the team would not comment about the work.

The records do not show that the Cowboys sought an inspection of the facility after replacing the roof, although city code requires it, according to Gary Miller, Irving's director of planning and inspections.

"In a perfect world, there's some report from an installation company or an engineer in there, but we don't have it," Miller said.

The company that built the facility -- Summit Structures LLC of Allentown, Pa. -- issued a statement that said proper engineering was used during the original construction and the installation of the new roof. Summit president Nathan Stobbe said he was in Irving on Monday, working with team and local officials to "fully assess this severe weather event." The company said it has few answers so far about precisely what happened.

About 70 people, including 27 players at a rookie minicamp, were inside when the storm hit. Winds were clocked at 64 mph, 1 mph shy of the threshold for a weak tornado. A "microburst" may have pushed the wind beyond 70 mph at the top of the structure, National Weather Service officials said

Behm, DeCamillis and Gaither were standing on the field when the $4 million structure gave way, sending framework, lights and other debris crashing to the ground.

Most players at the minicamp were drafted the previous weekend or signed as undrafted rookies, but none was hurt. No veterans were involved. Coaches, support staff and media were also in the no-frills building, essentially a 100-yard football field with a few more yards of clearance all the way around. The roof was 80 feet high.

Media were restricted from the Cowboys headquarters for at least a week because of ongoing work that is scheduled to take place in the aftermath of the accident.

Summit lists on its Web site several other facilities it built, including one at Texas A&M and one for the New England Patriots. The company also built the Windstar Casino just across the Texas-Oklahoma border.

The A&M facility is a $35.6 million project that includes both a football practice facility and an indoor track. A&M athletic director Bill Byrne said the school has had no problems with the project, completed late last year, but will re-evaluate its policy on bad weather practices considering the collapse in Irving.

"Our facility was put to the test this past fall when Hurricane Ike hit the Texas gulf coast," he said in a statement. "Our buildings withstood the high winds and our football team was not in the facility at that time."

At the University of New Mexico, which also has a Summit-built football practice facility, associate athletic director Scott Dotson said the collapse hasn't generated significant concerns there.

He said the school's facility "has been tested with some strong winds and held up."

A Pennsylvania court ruled in 2006 that Summit was negligent in the design and construction of a membrane-covered building that collapsed in 2003 after a major snowstorm in Philadelphia. The building was constructed for the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority.

City of Irving construction records list Oklahoma-based Manhattan Construction Group as the contractor for the Cowboys' facility and Summit as the structural engineer. Manhattan is the general contractor for the new Cowboys stadium that will open next season in Arlington.

Bob Bowen, Manhattan's executive vice president, said his company helped protect the outdoor practice field from damage during construction but all the planning and other work was done by Summit.

In a 2003 letter to then-Irving Fire Chief Paul White, Cowboys director of football operations Bruce Mays described the planned facility as "a semi-permanent structure supported by lightweight steel trusses and clad with a fire resistant polymer fabric."

Mays said preliminary discussions between the team and the city had concluded that the building was "a unique type of structure and there could be a variety of interpretations as to what standards should be applied in evaluating the structure to comply with building and fire codes."

Miller, the Irving planning official, said the structure was built to a code that required it stand up to a three-second wind gust of 90 mph.

Records show a city inspector signed off on the building's piers in July 2003. An additional inspection dealing with other facets of the building would have been completed and submitted to the city by Summit, Miller said. That document could not be provided to the AP because it wasn't retained by the city, he said.

Miller said the city would have relied on the contractor's engineer to inspect the job because it differed so markedly from others.

"There's nothing in the code book that says, `Here's how the gauge for lightweight steel membrane structures is supposed to work,"' he said. "We rely in engineers to design something like that and check and make sure it's installed properly."

Here's Monday's report from Valley Ranch...
MyFoxDFW's Peter Daut and Shaun Rabb have the details...

Cowboys Update: Behm Paralyzed

((HT: Dallas Morning News/Todd Archer))

Rich Behm, a scouting assistant, sustained a fracture to the thoracic spine that caused a severing of his spinal cord and permanent paralysis from the waist down. He underwent surgery Saturday night and remains at Parkland Hospital in stable condition. ((The collapse is pictured, thanks Michael Ainsworth/DMN))

Behm moved from the team's video department to scouting a few years ago and worked closely with Chris Hall, the team's college scouting coordinator, and director of college and pro scouting Tom Ciskowski.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones and coach Wade Phillips spent a large part of Saturday night/Sunday morning with the Behm family. More coaches and players visited the hospital today.

"To the Behm family we extend our love, comfort, and the full support of every person and resource within the organization," Jones said in a statement released by the team." Rich is a courageous member of our family and someone for whom we care deeply. We ask for all friends and fans of the Dallas Cowboys to join us in embracing him and his family with their thoughts and prayers at this very difficult time."
The release also stated special teams coach Joe DeCamillis will undergo surgery Monday for a fracture of one of his cervical vertebrae. He is in stable condition without paralysis at Parkland Hospital.

Assistant athletic trainer Greg Gaither had surgery Saturday to repair a fracture of his right tibia and fibula at Baylor University Medical Center. He should be released later this week.

Here is the rest of Jones' statement: "As we share concern for everyone who was touched by this accident, we also extend our heartfelt and best wishes to Coach Joe DeCamillis and his family as they prepare for Joe's surgery tomorrow.

"We are grateful that Greg Gaither's surgery was successful, and we feel blessed that others involved were able to walk away from this accident after receiving medical attention yesterday afternoon.

"The Dallas Cowboys organization would like to express its deepest appreciation to the City of Irving's Fire, Police and medical emergency teams that collectively responded to the accident in the most timely and thorough manner yesterday. We are also grateful to those Cowboys players and staff members who acted so quickly and heroically in the face of personal danger to help those around them who were in need of immediate assistance."

Sunday Update: Cowboys Facility Collapse

Todd Archer of the Dallas Morning News collected his thoughts in black...

But the most interesting question comes from DMN investigative reporter Brooks Egerton...((the collapse pictured, thanks Ron Jenkins/Ft. Worth Star-Telegram))

"...So was this building just in the wrong place at the wrong time? It's an odd thought, given that the whole point of the steel-framed, fabric-covered building is to give the team a place to practice in bad weather.

The manufacturers, Summit Structures and Cover-All Building Systems, tout their work in building other sports facilities, including ones for the New England Patriots and Texas A&M. But I can't find any mention on the company Web sites of the Cowboys facility. Why?

Another issue we're looking at: A Summit-built warehouse in Pennsylvania partially collapsed during a 2003 snowstorm, less than two months after opening. A 2007 court order blamed Summit for design flaws.

"We design for snow load and wind load," an executive for the manufacturers told a Canadian newspaper in 2003, as I reported today in The News. "It's not a bubble."

Mac Engel of the Star-Telegram caught up with Wade Phillips in his article...

"I was out on the field. I ran for the door and didn’t make it to the door, and the door fell," he said. "I saw the guys go out the door, and the whole door fell."

"This was a unique weather situation," Irving Mayor Herbert Gears said. "Many teams use these types of structures for practice facilities. It’s something that we will be looking at to make sure that these types of structures aren’t inherently dangerous."

Saturday Night Update: DeCamillis Breaks Back

((HT: AJC/Marcus Garner))

Dallas Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillis broke his back and 11 more were injured when winds just shy of tornado strength ripped through the roof of the team’s indoor practice facility during a rookie minicamp Saturday.

DeCamillis was the Atlanta Falcons special teams coach from 1997-2006.

Former Falcons coach Dan Reeves, DeCamillis’ father-in-law, said the first-year Dallas coach has a couple of broken vertebrae in his lower back.

“They say he’s lucky not to be paralyzed,” said Reeves, adding that DeCamillis probably will have surgery. The coach was seen being removed on a stretcher wearing a neck brace.

The storm hit while 27 players were going through workouts. There were about 70 people in the facility, counting coaches, other team personnel and media, officials said.

Ten of the injured were taken by emergency vehicles. Two others went to hospitals on their own.

"This worked out very, very well from a medical point of view," said Dr. Paul Pepe, head of emergency medical services for Dallas County. "Right now, I think we don't have anybody who is in a life-threatening situation."

Here's the early part of the video shot by FoxDFW's Larry Rodriguez...
You can actually hear someone telling Rodriguez "to be careful. You cut your hand." Rodriguez kept working and would need six stitches to close the wound on his left hand...
((Some audio, obviously, NSFW))

8:30 Update: Cowboys Facility Collapse

((HT: Myfoxdfw.com/KDFW))

There were about 70 people in the facility, counting coaches, other team personnel and media, officials said. ((The facility is pictured, thanks myfoxdfw.com))

Ten of the injured were taken by emergency vehicles. Two others went to hospitals on their own.

"This worked out very, very well from a medical point of view," said Dr. Paul Pepe, head of emergency medical services for Dallas County. "Right now, I think we don't have anybody who is in a life-threatening situation."

The white, tent-like building is large enough to be seen from miles away. It was built in 2003, for Bill Parcells' first season as coach.

Storms often make loud noises inside the so-called bubble, but this time overhead lights swayed violently. One of the team's video staff was the first out the door, followed by Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com. Eatman was hit by something and went down a few feet away, then heard someone screaming for help. He recognized it was Todd Archer of The Dallas Morning News.

Eatman and colleague Josh Ellis tried freeing Archer but the structure wouldn't budge. "It was like a car," Eatman said. Then safety DeAngelo Smith and linebacker Brandon Williams were able to get it up just enough for Archer to squirm out.

"All I saw was blue jerseys," said Archer, whose right elbow and legs were scraped. "I was trapped, I couldn't move. Then those guys lifted it up -- not very far, but I was able to move from my side to my back. ... Once I got out of there, I looked back and the whole thing was down."

Archer said that as he fled for shelter, other players appeared to be stepping through the debris looking for others in need of help.

Eatman said one of the swaying lights wound up more than two football fields away. The giant blue star atop the building lay crumpled on the ground. The storm knocked out power at team headquarters and splintered trees across the property.

Larry Rodriguez, a local television cameraman who was in the news several years ago after he was attacked by Kenny Rogers while filming the former Texas Rangers pitcher, was treated with six stitches for a cut on a hand.

"We checked and we can't find any other damage than this particular location," said David Tull, an Irving police spokesman. "The nearby area didn't have any reports of structural damage."

Here's video of the collapse from Rodriguez's camera...

DMN's Todd Archer on the Collapse

((HT: NBC5-Dallas))

Cowboys beat writer Todd Archer of the Dallas Morning news was trapped underneath one of the exit doors after the practice facility came crashing down. Two of the Cowboys players actually moved some of the debris so Archer could wiggle his way out from underneath it all.

Here's his account...

"We're lucky no one got electrocuted with all the water in the building," head coach Wade Phillips told NBC5. "A couple of players had minor injuries, but they were all right."
"I saw it coming down and didn't have time to react," secondary coach Dave Campo said. "I hit the ground and was able to get back up."

Raw Video of Cowboys Practice Facility Collapse

((HT: WFAA/CNN))

Dave Campo Reax to Collapse

Cowboys coach Dave Campo got a gash on his leg during the collapse.
He had to go back in to the facility looking for his son after everything came down.
Here's his thoughts, thanks NBC5-Dallas...