The photographer that Sterling Shepard ran into

[badger]

Tells his story here. (http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/photovideo/view/view-sooners-sterling-shepard-landed-on-my-camera-and-i/article_40d69151-fa89-514f-9a4c-09fe62d7ac22.html)

The best part is that photo makes it look like Sterling actually caught the ball in-bounds. I want our touchdown! :mad:

[rock on sooner]

Holy Crap! $10499 for a camera lens?! (Wonder if it was insured?)

And, I too, was happy to see Shep come out in the 2nd half!

[Boomer.....]

Shep is still in the air in that pic. The video shows he was not in bounds.

[tnraider1]

Next time the bozo rolls out of harms way, he needs to take his gear with him. They mentioned during the broadcast that Shep was shouting, "get the camera men out of here."

[KantoSooner]

This guys seem like a nice enough person. There are two problems here: First, the University is giving out way too many sideline passes to photogs. Limit the numbers and limit how close they can get to the field of play. (and, oh, by the way, limit the number of other monkeys out on the sidelines, it's way too crowded.) and that's because, Second, our sidelines and end zones are piteously narrow and short. There's about half the room there should be and it's a damn wonder that someone (player) has not gotten injured before now. Anyone else note the wall edge that Shepard almost ran into? That would have broken ribs at least. Now, we can't move the walls of the stadium, but we can thin out the people down there. There's no reason for them to be there.

[mainline13]

This guys seem like a nice enough person. There are two problems here: First, the University is giving out way too many sideline passes to photogs. Limit the numbers and limit how close they can get to the field of play. (and, oh, by the way, limit the number of other monkeys out on the sidelines, it's way too crowded.) and that's because, Second, our sidelines and end zones are piteously narrow and short. There's about half the room there should be and it's a damn wonder that someone (player) has not gotten injured before now. Anyone else note the wall edge that Shepard almost ran into? That would have broken ribs at least. Now, we can't move the walls of the stadium, but we can thin out the people down there. There's no reason for them to be there.

I thought the extra people served as kind of advance padding for those walls.

[Wishboned]

This guys seem like a nice enough person. There are two problems here: First, the University is giving out way too many sideline passes to photogs. Limit the numbers and limit how close they can get to the field of play. (and, oh, by the way, limit the number of other monkeys out on the sidelines, it's way too crowded.) and that's because, Second, our sidelines and end zones are piteously narrow and short. There's about half the room there should be and it's a damn wonder that someone (player) has not gotten injured before now. Anyone else note the wall edge that Shepard almost ran into? That would have broken ribs at least. Now, we can't move the walls of the stadium, but we can thin out the people down there. There's no reason for them to be there.

Exactly. Jim Ross used to be on one end of the team or the other. Now he's in the middle of it all. I would think he would be in the way.

[olevetonahill]

Holy Crap! $10499 for a camera lens?! (Wonder if it was insured?)

And, I too, was happy to see Shep come out in the 2nd half!

Wonder how many he would buy at that price? a bunch of em on Ebay for a Grand on up LOL

[bluedogok]

Holy Crap! $10499 for a camera lens?! (Wonder if it was insured?)

And, I too, was happy to see Shep come out in the 2nd half!

Expensive but not the most expensive among lenses, this one runs $26,000.
B&H Photo - Sigma 200-500mm f/2.8 EX DG APO IF Autofocus Lens (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/551435-REG/Sigma_597101_200_500mm_f_2_8_EX_DG.html)

[BoulderSooner79]

Tells his story here. (http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/photovideo/view/view-sooners-sterling-shepard-landed-on-my-camera-and-i/article_40d69151-fa89-514f-9a4c-09fe62d7ac22.html)

The best part is that photo makes it look like Sterling actually caught the ball in-bounds. I want our touchdown! :mad:

That was an amazing catch, but he had jumped too high for the foot to come down in bounds. He had the presence of mind to even kick the pylon as he sailed by - that should count for some points right there!

[SanDiegoSoonerGal]

As a wannabe forensic linguist--yeah yeah, go ahead with the jokes, I know you guys so I know you won't be able to resist--I don't read this guy as being too sorry at all.

To wit:

"Shepard was hurt. He let me know it while he writhed in pain. For that, I would like to apologize that our paths crossed. I felt horrible and still feel very bad about that."

This all sounds very fine and good, but notice he isn't taking responsibility. Apologizing that "our paths crossed" is apologizing for something beyond one's control. Minor enough to be dismissed as poor wording, but his distancing himself from being an active agent in the incident becomes clear with the next paragraph, which is strictly in his own self-defense:

"Some comments have been made about camera gear lying by my side. I have always felt that flat on the ground is the safest place for gear that isn’t being used at that particular moment. It is where most photographers keep their gear."

Notice that he doesn't say it is where most other photographers AT THAT PARTICULAR GAME IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA were keeping their gear.

Next paragraph:

"The carnage from my end of this incident was that a Canon 400mm F 2.8 lens was broken in half. The lens sells for $10,499. It's a lot of money, but nothing in comparison to a player’s safety. I feel lucky to have escaped the incident unhurt."

If the cost of the lens is nothing in comparison to a player's safety, why even mention it? To him it is clearly something, else he wouldn't feel the need to reveal it. Not to mention providing the lens' brand name and specifications.

Very telling: HE feels lucky to have escaped the incident unhurt? Shouldn't he be feeling at least equally lucky that SHEPARD escaped the incident unhurt?

Next eyebrow raiser:

There are two things that I tell my children are the most important things in life:
1) When you cause anyone pain, in any way no matter who’s fault, apologize.

Ummm, okay. Given the situation, the more logical statement would be, "When you cause anyone pain in any way, even unintentionally, apologize." There's a slight connotation that the fault might be Shepard's, not his.

As for watching the clip and laughing at himself, what's so funny? If he's so sorry I'd expect his reaction to the clip to be horror at how his actions could have caused a serious, career-ending, even life-changing injury to a promising young athlete.

Finally:

"And to Mr. Shepard, I say sorry."

I'm sorry (HA HA HA), but "sorry" is what you say casually if you accidentally bump someone else's cart in the grocery store, or mispronounce someone's name, or commit any one of innumerable minor social offenses.

If you truly feel bad for something that could have resulted in a significant, possibly even career-ending injury to someone else, you should at least own responsibility by using the first-person pronoun: I'm sorry.



Read the statement again. How much is about him and how much is about Shepard? The ratio is about 9:1 I estimate.

I see someone grasping for their 15 minutes. And devastated over the loss of his $10,499 (FFS, just say $10,500) Canon 400mm F 2.8 lens.

[Therealsouthsider]

.....with a $10,000 dollar lense you shouldn't have to sit in the end zone to take a photograph

ss

[BoulderSooner79]

I didn't read his story as being sorry either, but so what? Does it make any difference?

[Turd_Ferguson]

Shep is still in the air in that pic. The video shows he was not in bounds.

You need to put your tri-focals on.

[badger]

the University is giving out way too many sideline passes to photogs

Agree; the sidelines are way too crowded but maybe if the fans would stop attending games en mase like other programs around the country there would be more seating available for the sideline lurkers ;)

Joking aside, I suspect that OU will change policy soon since this incident was on national TV. I wish our sidelines were larger and not surrounded by bricks... which look nice, but would hurt like hell if someone ran full-speed into (like that Ruf-Nek that the Nebrasky player pushed into 'em back during the orange-pelt game)

[badger]

I suspect that OU will change policy soon since this incident was on national TV

Speak o' de debil... (http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/ousportsextra/blog/ou-sports-ou-updates-sideline-policy-in-wake-of-sterling/article_cb9717ec-7317-53e7-9ce1-f2f137cc0b69.html)


-- All field photographers will be required to have any equipment on their person on the sidelines going forward.

-- No monopods or tripods are permitted on the field at any time. This includes monopods that are utilized to sit on during games.

[jkjsooner]

As a wannabe forensic linguist--yeah yeah, go ahead with the jokes, I know you guys so I know you won't be able to resist--I don't read this guy as being too sorry at all.

To wit:

"Shepard was hurt. He let me know it while he writhed in pain. For that, I would like to apologize that our paths crossed. I felt horrible and still feel very bad about that."

This all sounds very fine and good, but notice he isn't taking responsibility. Apologizing that "our paths crossed" is apologizing for something beyond one's control.

I hate it when someone kills another and and the accused apologizes by saying, "I'm sorry for what happened." This happens so often and I cringe every time I hear it.

But, anyway, in this particular case, the camera guy was just doing what he was there to do. He shouldn't take personal responsibility for it. Saying he's sorry it happened is entirely appropriate.

There are camera guys lining the field in every pro and college game. Most give them a little more room but that's not the camera guy's fault. If it's a problem then it's a problem for the university to solve.

[jkjsooner]

Agree; the sidelines are way too crowded but maybe if the fans would stop attending games en mase like other programs around the country there would be more seating available for the sideline lurkers ;)

Joking aside, I suspect that OU will change policy soon since this incident was on national TV. I wish our sidelines were larger and not surrounded by bricks... which look nice, but would hurt like hell if someone ran full-speed into (like that Ruf-Nek that the Nebrasky player pushed into 'em back during the orange-pelt game)

The one I remember is the 1990 OU / NU game where NU's QB Mickey Joseph was pushed into the bench and had a severe laceration on his leg. It was called a late hit but it was questionable. The narrow sidelines definitely played a role there as well.

http://www.huskermax.com/games/1990/11oklahoma.html

That game one of the few bright spots in the Gibbs era. (Pounding A&M a few years later was another. I'd also add the UVA bowl win back when UVA had a pretty darn good football team.)


Edit: Just looked it up. First play here. Definitely a late hit. Didn't see it that way from the stands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTsqBeqIt60

[jkjsooner]

This is way off topic but looking at the OU/NU game I found this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtUefUZ1wXA

Notice the talk at 2:30 about the push for a playoff and a prediction it would start with four teams and a possible selection committee. I guess it just took a quarter century to get it done...

[badger]

This is way off topic but looking at the OU/NU game I found this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtUefUZ1wXA

Notice the talk at 2:30 about the push for a playoff and a prediction it would start with four teams and a possible selection committee. I guess it just took a quarter century to get it done...

Wow, that's a very good find. You win the internet today :P