Sports events both risky and fun for fans

Monday, May 25, 2009
Sports events both risky and fun for fans
Warnings abound at Comerica
Joanne C. Gerstner / The Detroit News

Detroit -- It was a pleasant spring night, ideal for a Tigers game at Comerica Park.

Zack Devlin, 7, and his dad, Mark, of Warren, had prime seats -- three rows behind the dugout.

They brought gloves, hoping to snag a foul ball.

But Devlin also was aware of other possibilities.

"I do feel a little squeamish sitting this close to the field," he said. "Yeah, we have a great view, but things can really zip in here. We're going to be on our toes ... because you never know. He's pretty good with the glove, but we've never faced a major league (foul) yet."

It's smart to be a cautious fan at the ballpark, race track or hockey rink. Foul balls, shattered bats, flying pucks and even auto parts can fly into the crowd.

A 2007 study, published in the Internet Journal of Law, Healthcare and Ethics, reported no comprehensive or verifiable public statistics on fan injuries at U.S. sporting events. The study, however, states 15 million Americans attend athletic events annually.

And this much is known:

• A 2003 study by Dr. Andrew Milsten, an emergency room physician and member of the University of Maryland faculty, stated there are 35.1 injuries from foul balls per 1 million spectators at Major League Baseball games.

• Brittanie Cecil, 13, died of injuries after being struck in the head by a puck during a Columbus Blue Jackets game in March 2002. It was the first death of an NHL fan due to play in 85 years.

• Three spectators were killed at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn in 1998 when a tire flew into the stands.

• Carl Edwards' race car went airborne last month after an accident during a NASCAR event in Talladega, Ala. The car bounced off the protective screen that fronts the grandstand and remained on the track. Seven spectators were injured.

Gil Fried, a litigator, has represented teams and fans in personal injury suits. He said he sees liability issues whenever he attends sporting events.

"Hockey has become much safer since that girl's death in 2002," said Fried, chairman of the sport/hospitality and tourism management department at the University of New Haven. "The racetracks have done a lot to try to keep the cars from entering into the stands.

"Baseball is a bit behind, in my opinion. I think they could do more to protect their fans. More screening would be a big help. But that argument seems not to be going anywhere right now."

Distractions pose danger

Foul balls are lined into the stands during just about every Tigers game. Less frequently, but as dangerous, splintered bats have flown into the crowd.

Litigators have accepted a range of 35-40 foul balls per game. At a recent Tigers game, 34 foul balls were counted, and 29 reached the stands.

Not all foul balls are dangerous, but Tigers catcher Gerald Laird has seen what can happen.

"(Fans) get caught up in so much activity around the game, whether it's mascots or people yelling for beer or food or something," Laird said. "You turn your head for one second and a line drive or broken bat goes into the stands, it's pretty scary.

"Being a catcher I see it all. I'm back there and I see guys hit line drives all over the place. You can see it going right at someone and their head's turned and they're not paying attention. If you're going to sit in the front rows ... you better be watching the game."

Laird makes sure his family stays safe.

"I always tell my wife (Kelly) to sit behind the screen, or if not there sit in the second deck," Laird said "One ball that enters the stands and hits a kid in the wrong spot, it'll be lights out.

"You never want to see something like that happen. That would be a terrible tragedy."

Warnings alert Tigers fans

The Tigers want to make sure everyone is away of the inherent risks at Comerica Park.

Taped announcements, warning fans to be alert to objects coming from the field, play repeatedly outside and inside the park.

There are the written warnings printed on the back of tickets, flashed on the scoreboard, and printed on signs at the dugouts.

Programs and fan guides also carry multiple warnings.

The Tigers deliberately make the message redundant in hopes fans will get the hint before sitting in their seat.

If all else fails, precedence protects the Tigers. The "limited duty rule," a concept dating to 1913 that states fans assume the risk, has become an accepted legal standard.

"Fan safety is our first and foremost emphasis; we want people to have a great time here at the game and know what they need to do to keep themselves and their families safe," said Ron Colangelo, vice president of communications for the Tigers. "Things can happen at any time, that's what makes it so exciting. But by the same token, you don't know where the fouls are going or when they're coming.

"We love to see fans coming to game with their gloves; it means they're ready to have fun -- but they're also ready to protect themselves a bit, too."

Comerica Park has a screen behind the plate that extends to each dugout and protects fans in the lower deck. But the rest of the ballpark, including behind the plate in the upper deck, is open.

Debate over protection

Fried said he would like to see screens extend behind the dugouts -- beyond the standard.

Others, such as Manhattan-based litigator Carla Varriale, think enough has been done.

"A baseball stadium is like nowhere else: It's not like going to the mall, gas station or any other type of commercial establishment," said Varriale, who has represented some major league clubs. "There's razzle-dazzle, there's action, baseballs are flying, maybe a bat could be flying, mascots are dancing, people are cheering, music is playing, T-shirts are being launched into the stands.

"You can't insulate people from everything. The openness is part of the excitement and the character of the game. People assume the risk when they come to the game."

Hockey rinks used to be largely open, too, as most did not have any screening above the glass.

That changed after Brittanie's death, with the NHL and then the minors/juniors and amateur organizations mandating netting behind the end boards.

"That's usually how it goes -- it takes a tragedy many times to make the changes," said Dr. Ronald Dix, a sports marketing professor at Duquesne University. "NFL and NBA really don't have problems with fans getting injured because of play.

"Baseball is a whole different thing. They're just sort of going along with the way things are, but they have a lot of parties to keep happy: TV, the baseball purists, season ticket holders, sponsors, etc. It's an interesting conversation to keep everybody on the same page, so they're probably not going to make any big changes."

joanne.gerstner@detnews.com (313)223-4644 Sports Writer Tim Twentyman contributed.

They need to stop throwing baseballs between innings to fans


Sometimes they are thrown pretty far and/or hard into the stands


On Sunday; Granderson threw one over my head and two guys went diving into the bleacher bench ; The guy that got the ball had a big welt on his wrist

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

"Hockey has become much safer since that girl's death in 2002," said Fried, chairman of the sport/hospitality and tourism management department at the University of New Haven.

Sorry, Fried, but no it isn't. That girl that was killed by a puck was not sitting behind the goals. A puck ended up in the stands, deflected off another fan, and then hit her. Those nets in place behind the net are completely worthless and had they been in place at the game she attended, she would have still died as would not have protected her.

catbox_9 wrote:

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

"Hockey has become much safer since that girl's death in 2002," said Fried, chairman of the sport/hospitality and tourism management department at the University of New Haven.

Sorry, Fried, but no it isn't. That girl that was killed by a puck was not sitting behind the goals. A puck ended up in the stands, deflected off another fan, and then hit her. Those nets in place behind the net are completely worthless and had they been in place at the game she attended, she would have still died as would not have protected her.

What about the fan that the puck deflected off of first?

Was that fan injured?

gs78 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

"Hockey has become much safer since that girl's death in 2002," said Fried, chairman of the sport/hospitality and tourism management department at the University of New Haven.

Sorry, Fried, but no it isn't. That girl that was killed by a puck was not sitting behind the goals. A puck ended up in the stands, deflected off another fan, and then hit her. Those nets in place behind the net are completely worthless and had they been in place at the game she attended, she would have still died as would not have protected her.

What about the fan that the puck deflected off of first?

Was that fan injured?

Nope. It was kind of a weird death. The puck didn't even hit her on the fly.

catbox_9 wrote:

gs78 wrote:

catbox_9 wrote:

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

"Hockey has become much safer since that girl's death in 2002," said Fried, chairman of the sport/hospitality and tourism management department at the University of New Haven.

Sorry, Fried, but no it isn't. That girl that was killed by a puck was not sitting behind the goals. A puck ended up in the stands, deflected off another fan, and then hit her. Those nets in place behind the net are completely worthless and had they been in place at the game she attended, she would have still died as would not have protected her.

What about the fan that the puck deflected off of first?

Was that fan injured?

Nope. It was kind of a weird death. The puck didn't even hit her on the fly.

How did she die?

The puck hit someone then hit her and she died

Wow!


That sucks!

Here is an article describing the death of the girl at the hockey game:

Coroner's report
Puck snapped girl's head back, damaging artery
Posted: Wednesday March 20, 2002 2:28 PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The 13-year-old girl hit by a puck at an NHL game died from a rare injury to an artery that was damaged when her head snapped back, a coroner said Wednesday.

Brittanie Cecil died Monday, two days after she was struck in the forehead by the puck at a game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Calgary Flames.

The damage to the artery, which runs from the spine to the back of the brain, led to a "vicious cycle" of clotting in the artery and swelling of the brain, said Franklin County Coroner Brad Lewis, who performed the autopsy. He said the artery also might have been slightly torn.

"The puck struck her in the forehead, causing a skull fracture and some bruising of the brain in the area," Lewis said. "But that wasn't what led to her death. It was the snapping back of the head and the damage to that artery."

Lewis said he consulted with other pathologists on the rarity of the injury. He said that a fellow pathologist had not encountered a similar injury and death in more than 25 years as a doctor.

The eighth-grader at Twin Valley South Middle School near Dayton had been at Children's Hospital in Columbus since being hurt and died there late Monday afternoon. She remained conscious until Monday morning, Lewis said.

She was sitting about 15 rows above the ice and behind the goal when the puck, 6 ounces of hard, frozen rubber, came flying into the stands after Columbus center Espen Knutsen's slap shot. The puck, which can travel over 100 mph on slap shots, appeared to be deflected and hit two other fans sitting near Brittanie.


Blue Jackets to honor teen killed by puck

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The Columbus Blue Jackets will place Brittanie Cecil's initials on their helmets in memory of the 13-year-old girl killed by a deflected puck.

Brittanie died Monday, two days after she was struck in the head by a shot that sailed into the stands during the Blue Jackets' home game against Calgary.

NHL spokesman Frank Brown said there will be a moment of silence before Thursday night's game at Nationwide Arena against the Detroit, the Blue Jackets' first home game since the death.

The franchise also will create a fund in her memory.

Knutsen distraught about young fan's death

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- The hockey player whose deflected shot led to the death of a 13-year-old girl was distraught as his team returned to action Wednesday night.

"I think about it all the time," Espen Knutsen told reporters after a morning workout before the Columbus Blue Jackets' game against Minnesota. "I think about her family because I have family myself. It was just a horrible accident."

Columbus coach Dave King said all of the Blue Jackets are struggling with Brittanie Cecil's death, but that Knutsen, from Norway, was taking it especially hard.

"He's really upset about the whole thing," King said. "He was in the act of shooting the puck and it got deflected over the glass. That kind of thing happens. But, he's really distressed by it."

Brittanie was hit in the head by the deflected shot early in the second period of Columbus's home game against Calgary on Saturday.

"We all saw the incident on the ice," King said. "Most of the time you assume they'll be OK."

Brittanie was taken to Children's Hospital, where she died Monday from a rare injury to an artery that was damaged when her head snapped back, a coroner said Wednesday. The damage to the artery, which runs from the spine to the back of the brain, led to a "vicious cycle" of clotting in the artery and swelling of the brain, said Franklin County Coroner Brad Lewis, who performed the autopsy. He said the artery also might have been slightly torn.

Wednesday would have been Brittanie's 14th birthday.

The Blue Jackets beat the Wild 3-1 on Wednesday night in their first game since the death.

"It's always nice to win, but that tragedy that happened the other night is a lot more important than what happened here," forward Ray Whitney said. "I don't think it's something you just put out of your mind."

The Wild held a moment of silence in the girl's memory before the game, and Columbus will do the same Thursday night against Detroit. The Blue Jackets also placed Brittanie's initials on their helmets.

"It was great to have that moment of silence," King said. "I really thank the organization here for doing that -- it was certainly a classy thing to do."


Hockey death raises questions about safety, liability

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The NHL is looking at arena safety following the death of a 13-year-old girl who was hit in the forehead by a puck that flew into the stands.

Brittanie Cecil died two days after a deflected slap shot struck her at a Columbus Blue Jackets game, raising questions about the responsibilities of teams and arenas to protect fans. It was the first such fatality in league history.

NHL spokesman Frank Brown said Wednesday the league would 'look at everything' to ensure fan safety, although he did not provide details.

"We believe our buildings are safe and history overwhelmingly has proven us right," he said. "We have entertained hundreds of millions of spectators over our 85 seasons and we are devastated that this tragic accident took place."

The Blue Jackets plan to wear the girl's initials on their helmets for the rest of the season, he said.

The Blue Jackets plan to wear the girl's initials on their helmets for the rest of the season, and will hold a moment of silence before Thursday night's game against the Detroit, the Blue Jackets' first at home since the death. The team also will promote a memorial fund set up by Brittanie's family.

Her parents released a statement, signed "The Family of Brittanie Cecil," on Wednesday night:

"During our time of grief and bereavement our family is trying to make some sense of this tragedy. Our loss is overwhelming and the pain the we are enduring is unbearable.

"Brittanie was a sweet, beautiful and loving young girl, who brought joy to all her family, friends and acquaintances. We all loved her very much and will miss her dearly. We know she is with God now and we will celebrate her life and memory forever."

Meanwhile, a coroner determined Wednesday that Brittanie died from a rare injury to an artery that was damaged when her head snapped back.

The damage to the artery, which runs from the spine to the back of the brain, led to a "vicious cycle" of clotting in the artery and swelling of the brain, said Franklin County Coroner Brad Lewis, who performed the autopsy.

"The puck struck her in the forehead, causing a skull fracture and some bruising of the brain in the area," Lewis said. "But that wasn't what led to her death. It was the snapping back of the head and the damage to that artery."

Lewis said he consulted with other pathologists on the rarity of the injury. He said that a fellow pathologist had not encountered a similar injury and death in more than 25 years as a doctor.

The eighth-grader at Twin Valley South Middle School near Dayton had been at Children's Hospital in Columbus since being hurt Saturday night and died there late Monday afternoon. She remained conscious until Monday morning, Lewis said.

Brittanie, who would have turned 14 on Wednesday, was sitting about 15 rows above the ice at Nationwide Arena and behind the goal when the puck, 6 ounces of hard, frozen rubber, came flying into the stands.

The puck, which can travel over 100 mph, was shot by Columbus center Espen Knutsen and caromed off Calgary defenseman Derek Morris' stick. The puck also hurt two other fans after hitting the teenager.

Break-resistant glass sheets that surround the rinks at all NHL arenas are 8 feet high and the height of the boards can range from 40-48 inches. Still, pucks often fly into the stands, causing injuries.

Brown said the league does not log injury reports on fans and that figures on the numbers of fans treated at hospitals was "maintained internally."

America West Arena in Phoenix is the only NHL venue with netting that protects spectators besides the glass. The netting is necessary because of an overhang in a balcony.

Fans are warned about the dangers at games by a disclaimer on the back of each ticket that says, "Pucks flying into spectator areas can cause serious injury. Be alert." But alertness can provide only so much safety on pucks.

Two years ago, Chad Hildebrand was at a senior men's hockey league game in Winnipeg, Manitoba, when a puck flew into the crowd and glanced off a friend's head before hitting him in the temple.

The 21-year-old Hildebrand went home, collapsed and fell into a coma. After a week, he was taken off life support and died.

His father, Nick, does not believe it was just bad fortune that his son was in the path of the errant shot. The family sued, but the case has not been resolved.

"A freak accident is a meteor falling out of the skies and striking you. I call this a preventable accident," he said.

Many lawyers say the disclaimers on the backs of tickets don't absolve teams or venues.

"Ninety-nine times out of 100 here in Canada, it doesn't matter whether or not there's a disclaimer on the ticket," said Marcel Jodoin, an attorney from suburban Winnipeg who represents Nick Hildebrand. "Because you don't get the ticket until after you've paid. The courts up here have said you can't impose new terms into a contract after the contract's been made."

Jim Elliott, a Michigan attorney who has represented fans injured at games, said it won't be long before teams realize that it's cheaper to put up nets and higher break-resistant glass to protect fans.

"I said a couple of years back that in 10 years it's going to be different," Elliott said. "The sporting venues are going to be different. It's unfortunate that people have to lose their eyesight or lose their life."

Thanks!

We had plenty of souvenirs knocked into the stands last Fri. night!

laprimamirala wrote:

We had plenty of souvenirs knocked into the stands last Fri. night!

Did you get one of them?

No but came VERY close (sec 124, ground)

laprimamirala wrote:

No but came VERY close (sec 124, ground)

You should have stopped by Section 102; Row G Seat 6

No balls were hit in my area

They rarely are


Usually most HR Balls go to right; or left field, or even CF; But Not in Section 102; Row G Seat 6


Larish hit one last year that was one row over and 15 feet to my right

gs78 wrote:

laprimamirala wrote:

No but came VERY close (sec 124, ground)

You should have stopped by Section 102; Row G Seat 6

We were over there about 7:05 and I looked down in your section but did not see your white shirt I was lookin' for ya, bud!

laprimamirala wrote:

gs78 wrote:

laprimamirala wrote:

No but came VERY close (sec 124, ground)

You should have stopped by Section 102; Row G Seat 6

We were over there about 7:05 and I looked down in your section but did not see your white shirt I was lookin' for ya, bud!

I was wearing my Tigers Home Jersey and Tigers Home Cap

Maybe that is why you missed me

that's why!
We had our pics taken by Fanphoto over there by the Pepsi Porch.

laprimamirala wrote:

that's why!
We had our pics taken by Fanphoto over there by the Pepsi Porch.

See you next time

wear your white shirt so I will recognize you

laprimamirala wrote:

wear your white shirt so I will recognize you

If it is hot out I will


Gonna be 90 degrees all next weekend