As most of us at the HQ can attest, being on the sidelines at football games can really put your life into your hands...
I'll let Brothers Phil, Wilkie, and J-Dub elaborate on their own issues, but my instances come to two. One was at a Florida-Florida State game at the Swamp one year where my shooter ((FOSG Keith Williams, currently working in DC)) wore his garnet-colored t-shirt alerting the faithful where he went to school and made a point to scream as he walked along the 20-yard line:
"This is MY house!"
The other was when I was shooting a Brown-Dartmouth game a long time ago in Providence. They didn't have the sidelines marked as most colleges do now. But let's just say that when the Mean Green ran "student body left" two times in a row right at me, you can see a winter coat stiff-arm some poor college kid the second he cleared the out of bounds marker on the videotape.
**From Bro. Phil**--In 20 years of shooting sports, only 2 incidents of serious contact. One was at a Georgia football game in 2003. Shooting in the end zone and UGA WR Fred Gibson comes crashing into the back of the end zone, the result of being blocked. Gibson hits me and bounces backwards 3-yards on his back into the end zone. Me, I fell into the hedges and never went down. (Me 6-5, 240, Fred 6-3 180).
Two was at an Orlando Magic game back in the early 90's when Derrick Coleman slid into me on the baseline...again, even though he was bigger, he somehow got the worst of it....
Which brings us to WXYZ-TV/Detroit Sports Director Don Shane ((pictured at the moment of impact, thanks WXYZ their ownselves))
He took Tate Forcier's helmet right in the chops at some moment in the latter stages of overtime. Shane's head hit the turf, and he had his lip cut wide open- good enough for four stitches.
Here's his postgame with Tate Forcier where the Wolverines QB realizes just what he's done...
Shane got a full range of concussion tests, and he's okay so far...
We salute your fortitude, sir...
((J-Dub update)) Here's XYZ sports anchor Tom Leyden's take on the Forcier hit on his boss...
