loadofmularkey Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 This is unbelievably pathetic. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachus..._the_spectator/ Roughing the spectatorBy Brian McGrory, Globe Columnist | January 19, 2007 Ends up, the most serious injury in the Patriots phenomenal playoff run hasn't been sustained by a player, but by a boy in the stands. And from the way it happened to the way it was handled, the incident is an unmitigated disgrace. We'll take it from the beginning. A Cohasset father named Jay successfully bid at an auction on four tickets for the Jan. 7 playoff game against the Jets. The family has already gone through enough grief for one season, so I'll leave their last name out. On game day, Jay, his wife Mary Jo, their 10-year-old son Charlie, and their 7-year-old daughter Sara got to Foxborough early to take in the sights. When the game started, the guys in the row behind them were getting out of hand. At one point in the second quarter, one of them fell onto Mary Jo. Jay blocked the fall and told the guys to knock it off. Flash ahead to the fourth quarter. The Patriots were moving down the field when Mary Jo and Jay heard Charlie let out a scream. They looked over and saw a 200-pound man from the row behind them sprawled on top of their son. Jay pulled him off. Charlie remained jammed in his seat, his face by his knees. "We're trying to assess what's wrong with Charlie, and people are screaming at us to sit down," Mary Jo recalled this week. "I stood up and called to the police for help." A police officer beckoned them to come into the aisle, but Charlie couldn't move. People yelled at them to sit down. Charlie cried in agony. "My husband was asking the officer to look at our son and see how hurt he was and get some help," Mary Jo said. "The officer kept saying, 'Get your son and come out.' And they weren't saying anything to the guys." Charlie eventually stood up and, doubled over, hobbled to the concourse. Paramedics were finally summoned, put Charlie in a brace and on a backboard, and rushed him to South Shore Hospital. Meantime, Jay kept pressing cops, security officials, and a man who said he was a stadium insurance representative, to get the guys in the row behind him. No one did. Charlie was diagnosed with compression breaks of two vertebrae, and ordered to wear a hard vest that prevents him from moving his chin and neck for the next 10 weeks. It's brutal. He's a polite, athletic kid who speaks in full sentences, and remains an adamant fan. "It's very annoying," Charlie said. "We got a new pool table, and I can't play. I can't play any sports. I can't go to school." After the parents sent a letter to the Krafts last week, team president Jonathan Kraft called to apologize. He shipped a package that included an autographed football, a sweat shirt, and a Tom Brady jersey. It was appreciated, but what the parents wanted was a name. By yesterday, they had received no progress report in the promised investigation, mostly because there was no progress, and there doesn't seem to be an investigation. Team spokesman Stacey James said that since Foxborough police were the first to respond, it was a police issue. Of the identity, James said, "It's not something we have." The seats, he said, weren't season tickets, and when I asked why the team wasn't matching them to credit card records, he replied, "I could ask." Foxborough Police Chief Edward O'Leary said he had neither a report nor an identity, though he planned to talk to the officers. The parents are, how to put this, frustrated. "We want this guy to know what he did to Charlie and at the very least to apologize," Jay said. A 10-year-old boy went to a playoff game thinking it was going to be one of the best days of his life. He left in an ambulance with a broken back caused by some unsteady -- read, drunken -- fan. And the parents have been left on their own. The Patriots, the Krafts, the fans are better than this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agilen Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Wow. And they got mad at us for some old guy who a mob of bills fans caused him to break his hands Crap like this happens at all football games. The difference is in how the team responds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 "After the parents sent a letter to the Krafts last week, team president Jonathan Kraft called to apologize. He shipped a package that included an autographed football, a sweat shirt, and a Tom Brady jersey." Holy sh--, if this happened to my kid at a Bills game and this is what Marv and Ralph did, I'd tell them to shove their !@#$ing memorabilia up their asses! The kid's BACK was broken! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblehead Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 The Patriots, the Krafts, the fans are better than this. Uh, no. They're not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 "After the parents sent a letter to the Krafts last week, team president Jonathan Kraft called to apologize. He shipped a package that included an autographed football, a sweat shirt, and a Tom Brady jersey." Holy sh--, if this happened to my kid at a Bills game and this is what Marv and Ralph did, I'd tell them to shove their !@#$ing memorabilia up their asses! The kid's BACK was broken! I'm amazed that they didn't offer to cover the medical bills immediately. IF that story as written is true, that family should take the Kraft's for every penny they have. Forcing the kid to move instead of brining the help to him? They could've killed him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 I'm amazed that they didn't offer to cover the medical bills immediately. IF that story as written is true, that family should take the Kraft's for every penny they have. Forcing the kid to move instead of brining the help to him? They could've killed him. Exactly! I would take that gesture as being completly insulting...."yeah, my kid ended up with a broken back because of some drunken, unruly jackasses behind us in the stands....but Bob Kraft sent us a tom brady jersey, so it's cool...." WTF?? I'm with you, man...I'd have the best attorney I could afford faster than you could say "tom brady is a homo". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loadofmularkey Posted January 19, 2007 Author Share Posted January 19, 2007 "After the parents sent a letter to the Krafts last week, team president Jonathan Kraft called to apologize. He shipped a package that included an autographed football, a sweat shirt, and a Tom Brady jersey." Holy sh--, if this happened to my kid at a Bills game and this is what Marv and Ralph did, I'd tell them to shove their !@#$ing memorabilia up their asses! The kid's BACK was broken! That's what I couldn't believe. If I'm the parents, my thought process isn't exactly, "Well Jimmy got a Tom Brady jersey out of it so I think we're all pretty happy with that." If I'm the parents, I'm looking for serious action to be taken. It's completely unacceptable for someone to get so wasted that they inexplicably end up crushing my kid. I love this part: Of the identity, James said, "It's not something we have." The seats, he said, weren't season tickets, and when I asked why the team wasn't matching them to credit card records, he replied, "I could ask." Good idea. If the only retribution to come out of this is some POS Patsies crap (a sweatshirt? really??) the Krafts should be embarrased. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Exactly! I would take that gesture as being completly insulting...."yeah, my kid ended up with a broken back because of some drunken, unruly jackasses behind us in the stands....but Bob Kraft sent us a tom brady jersey, so it's cool...." WTF?? I'm with you, man...I'd have the best attorney I could afford faster than you could say "tom brady is a homo". Tigger "punches" a kid and the parents sue. Some drunken fatass falls on a kid, breaking his back... and the parents don't sue. Don't you just love America? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 That's what I couldn't believe. If I'm the parents, my thought process isn't exactly, "Well Jimmy got a Tom Brady jersey out of it so I think we're all pretty happy with that." If I'm the parents, I'm looking for serious action to be taken. It's completely unacceptable for someone to get so wasted that they inexplicably end up crushing my kid. I love this part: Good idea. If the only retribution to come out of this is some POS Patsies crap (a sweatshirt? really??) the Krafts should be embarrased. Damn right! I GUARANTEE you that if this happened at HSBC during a Sabres game, Tommy G would be all over those medical bills and doing whatever he could to help this family get through everything. This is a disgrace! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajzepp Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Tigger "punches" a kid and the parents sue.Some drunken fatass falls on a kid, breaking his back... and the parents don't sue. Don't you just love America? Dude, I'd sue them so ferociously that I'd be making draft picks come April! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 sounds like a lot of potential here. Negligence in supervision, Negligence by the police officer. Failure to maintain order. The kid may get his college paid for. Its a shame you can't feel safe bringing a ten year old kid to a game anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 It's a matter of time before there's no alcohol served at stadiums. Thanks, morons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNRed Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 sounds like a lot of potential here. Negligence in supervision, Negligence by the police officer. Failure to maintain order. The kid may get his college paid for. Its a shame you can't feel safe bringing a ten year old kid to a game anymore. You can definitely bring a 10 year old to a game. A baseball game. A hockey game. A basketball game. Even a football game, provided it's college football. The NFL is a stupid, terrible league and an awful product, but it's also a great TV show so everyone thinks it's a success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 You can definitely bring a 10 year old to a game. A baseball game. A hockey game. A basketball game. Even a football game, provided it's college football. The NFL is a stupid, terrible league and an awful product, but it's also a great TV show so everyone thinks it's a success. I'm not exactly a saint but the stuff I see at football games is out of hand. Unfortunately most of it is not fit for anyone that age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in San Diego Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 I would sue the police, Patriots, Kraft's , Security, the stadium and the hotdog vendor for negligence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 It's a matter of time before there's no alcohol served at stadiums. Thanks, morons. Thats not even the problem, but you're right, thats how it will be addressed. I don't know too many folks who have more than 2-3 beers at any game. Just too damn expensive. The problem is the guy who downs a case of Piels in the parking lot before the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkyMannn Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 I don't know too many folks who have more than 2-3 beers at any game. Are you kidding? Get an aisle seat for a game and you'll get a better idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeseburger in Paradise Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Thats not even the problem, but you're right, thats how it will be addressed. I don't know too many folks who have more than 2-3 beers at any game. Just too damn expensive. The problem is the guy who downs a case of Piels in the parking lot before the game. Anybody drinking Piehls, in any amount, is a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 A few things on this..... - It wouldn't happen to my kids because I would never take them to a game.....too much chance for violence I just dont consider it a family scene..... - I am not the suing type...but I would get a lawyer if I were the parents......the Krafts have NOT done enough on this situation - There would be no problem finding the guy that did it.....becuase he would be going to the hospital right along with my kid. Regardless of whether I leaving the stadium in cuffs..... - Somebody out there knows that they hurt this kid....and should be ashamed of themself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 - I am not the suing type...but I would get a lawyer if I were the parents......the Krafts have NOT done enough on this situation This is a perfect example of something you shoud sue for: Neglect + serious life-threatening injury. Unfortunately, the system's too easy to abuse, so people sue for everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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