Just a few days ago a Texas Rangers baseball fan fell and died trying to catch a baseball. Shannon Stone, a 39-year old firefighter attended a baseball game with his 8-year old son. The Rangers star outfield player, Josh Hamilton caught a foul ball and tossed it 20-feet up in the stands to Mr. Stone. Sadly Mr. Stone leaned too far forward over the rail to try and catch the ball and fell 20-feet head first on a concrete pad. The last thing Mr. Stone said was please check on my son. Several of the baseball players said that it was not fair that someone had to die at a baseball game and in front of his son. I remember watching the incident on the late news. It was kind of difficult to continue to watch how everything unfolded, even though he fell out of sight between the stands and the scoreboard. When you think about it, every death is unfair. Truth be said, we're not asked. They said later that evening, the Rangers players were really shook up. That's what death does, it shakes you up, makes you appreciate life a little bit more and changes you forever.
I am an avid baseball fan and this made me realize why there is a liability notice on the back of each ticket sold saying how they are not responsible for any injuries or deaths. To me this devalues each fan that fills the stadium and makes me feel like that father will soon be forgotten. Although his son was present as his fathers fall, there is one thing that he will always be able to remember...that his father died doing something that he loved. Watching a baseball game with his son. When you think about it there are alot worse ways to die and although it sucks it's life. I personally would rather go out like this then suffering from cancer in a bed. But as we know this is not our decision to make and hopefully this experience will have a positive effect on his son.
ReplyDeleteThis seems really unfair for the man's son. When a person goes to a baseball game with their kid its suppose to be a tie of bonding. this situation is horrible because it ended a special day in a bad way. I would feel pretty bad if I went to a game with my pops just to have him die in some freak accident. I guess that the kids father had a good time going out in such a fashion. I know when I die I would much prefer going out in an awsome way rather than dying in a way that leads suffering.
ReplyDeleteI don't really think death is "unfair." It is selfish on the part of the living to say that it is unfair, in my opinion. Death just is. It simply happens, one way or the other. I have believed all of my adult life that when one's number is up, it is up, and that it should simply be accepted. I've believed that it is amazing that God (or whatever Supreme Being you believe in, or don't) can put 300 or so people whose numbers are all up together on a plane that's going down. It takes incredible coordination on His part. The person or persons who got delayed going to the airport that day and missed the flight? Their numbers weren't up.
ReplyDeleteAll of that having been said, yes, it was sad for Mr. Stone's son to have lost his father tragically in this way, but he could look at it this way and take peace in the knowledge that his father's number was simply up that day, at that game.
That is crazy! I feel awful for the players and the fans that saw this happen - especially the son! I agree with Kyle, I think it is more unfair to the son to have to witness his dad die like that. Every one has to die though. But crazy, freak accidents like this do make us think and hopefully makes us appreciate what we have.
ReplyDeleteI defenitly see the tragidy in this story, for the son, the fans, the players, the family but i agree with susan. Its not a bad way to go, you know if he would of been paralyzed from the neck down and lived that would of been really bad or if he went into a vegitive state that would of been worst. Good thing he passed away, now he can fight hells fires with the angels.
ReplyDeleteSports and death never should be associated together, but it's the rare instances like this that make these two topics intertwine in so many ways. Reading this story, I can only imagine the sadness and frustration that the fan's family must be going through. Going to a game to enjoy the night and realizing that you're not returning home. Sometimes we tend to risk our lives for a piece of passion we have, and we don't realize how important that decision is until a tragedy happens.
ReplyDeleteThe death of the father at the Ranger's game really was a tragic event and I did not agree with how they kept broadcasting the footage over and over again on the news. I thought that was really disrespectful towards the family. I did not know that baseball tickets have liablity notices on the back of them. I agree that the notice devalues each and every fan that enters the stadiums.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the fact that it devalues fans, its a legal reminder that we have to take responisiblity in a public domain. Its so unfortunate for the fan and his family but I would hope that the first thing they think of isn't suing the stadium. They need to grieve for their loss above all, meanwhile Ranger stadium is already in the process of raising rails to its maximum height in every row. The building requirements in the city for guardrails are 26-inches high. In Texas stadium its 30 or 34 inches in areas, and 42-inches near the walls close to the front row. Not only is that sufficient as is but they are taking steps to go even beyond that. It is clear to me that his death is not going to be forgotten and that already it is bringing change for the better
ReplyDeleteThis is a really sad story. The worst part is that you could see him fall on all the news stations. I remember waking up the next morning and Good Morning America was showing the whole thing. I feel bad for the kid because he can Google his father's death.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought when I saw this in the news is how real death truly is. What we typically think as death as being very sick with cancer or old age lying in a hospital bed is not what this man experienced at all. I have to say, if I were to die at a young age, I would want it to be diving for a softball, at a Yankees game. I like to think this man would be happy with his way of death.
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