Tough Way To Make Money

<<Track official struck in face with javelin awarded $811,000
By The Associated Press
(10/24/03 - WEST PALM BEACH, FL) — A track and field official who was hit in the face with a javelin during a college meet was awarded $811,000 in damages from the event's sponsor, a student-athlete and a university.

 ABC13 National/World news

Ruben Thompson was struck next to his left eye by the spear-like javelin during a 1999 track meet in Palm Beach Gardens. He has had three surgeries to help correct damage to his tear duct, his attorney said.

A jury on Wednesday found the sponsor, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics; the athlete, Scott Schwarz; and his school, Baker University, negligent for Thompson's injuries. The NAIA must pay 85 percent of the damages.

"I think the jury was fair," said Thompson, 69. "It was what I expected. I know my job, and I was doing it properly."

Defense attorneys had argued that the student was given the go-ahead to throw the javelin, and that Thompson bore some of the responsibility because he was the lead official for the event.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) >>

A "spear-like javelin"? There's another kind?

[tafnut]

Re: Tough Way To Make Money

Not to turn this into a gross-out thread, but when I competed for Stanford (very mediocrely) we had a bad accident in practice one day. A TJ'er was doing bounding drills into the pit from across the grass infield (to save the legs from the hard runway) and our 180' discus thrower nailed him right in the temple. He recovered, but as I remember it he had to have a plate (oh, the irony) put in his skull.

Re: Tough Way To Make Money

and now the rest of the story.... and he sued Stanford for about a bazillion bucks and won

[tandfman]

Re: Tough Way To Make Money

>A "spear-like javelin"? There's another kind?<

I think the reason the AP writer used that silly phrase is that he or she assumed that many readers would not know what a javelin was or looked like. (Maybe the writer didn't know it either before being assigned to the story.)

Sad, isn't it?

Re: Tough Way To Make Money

For the benefit of the general public, we should probably start using terms like: "the big-iron-ball-like shotput," "the running-quickly-and leaping-way-out-there-like long jump," and so forth. Egad!

[MJD]

Re: Tough Way To Make Money

>For the benefit of the general public, we should
>probably start using terms like: "the
>big-iron-ball-like shotput," "the
>running-quickly-and leaping-way-out-there-like
>long jump," and so forth. Egad!


The hop, skip and jump like triple jump.

[tafnut]

Re: Tough Way To Make Money

Heaven help the guy that calls a certain event the 'broad jump' or he'll get NOW on him so fast it would make even Ahnold's head swim.

Re: Tough Way To Make Money

The "jumping-with-big-stick-like pole vault." The "I-know-I-look-like-a-demented-twit-like race walking." Hey this is fun!

[MJD]

Re: Tough Way To Make Money

The run a real long way mara...nah...Joe Public hijacked that one already.

[abinferno]

Re: Tough Way To Make Money

I'm sorry, but if there's a javelin competition going on, it's your fault if you get hit. If you're in the field, it is entirely your responsibility. It's about as dumb as getting hit by a train.

Re: Tough Way To Make Money

Don't know if it was in T&FN or from somewhere else, but it reminds me of my favorite track cartoon of all time. An official is face-down in the field with a jav sticking out of his back, while two others discuss whether to mark the throw from where he got hit or to where he staggered and fell.

Re: Tough Way To Make Money

At Oslo one year (1995 maybe?) an official got nailed with a jav in the side. He wasn't badly hurt but it sure looked scary.