Marc Wielage Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 I was very surprised to read this recent news story: “Randall Cobb had a serious injury last year in a playoff game and I believe, as I think he would as well and the team, that that was caused from him being mic’d up. Because he fell on his mic pack and he had an injury to his insides that kept him out of the game and probably would have kept him out of the rest of the playoffs. The puncture spot, or the injury spot, was directly adjacent to his mic pack.” While we may never know exactly what caused the terrifying injury to Cobb, Rodgers is certainly not a fan of the mic'd up component of the game regardless, saying, "I think being mic’d up, when I’m mic’d up, it takes away from the authenticity of the game for me. I don’t feel comfortable mic’d up.” http://www.12up.com/posts/3260513-revealed-aaron-rodgers-believes-nbc-caused-randall-cobb-s-playoff-injury I hadn't heard of this specific incident, but I've definitely dealt with issues like it before on shoots. The moment I'm aware that an actor has to take a fall, I'm going to do whatever I can to get the transmitter off their bodies. There's no way you can take a risk like this. Steve Deichen and I did a film a couple of years ago where we had young kids taking karate falls during the shoot, and it was a real battle (90% done by him) keeping track of the mics and making sure they were able to do the stunts without any discomfort, no matter what was going on. Even on a soft matte, if you have a brick on your side, you're gonna feel it when you hit the ground. (My joke is, "heck with the actor! I'm worried about the gear!" But in truth, I'm much more worried about them getting injured because of anything the sound department did. I hope this doesn't lead to the various football leagues banning wireless mics or making players wary of using them during a typical game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edward chick Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 I'm curious as to what actually punctured the player, the transmitter or how it was mounted? I've had NHL players mic'd for entire games with zero issues regarding damage to my mic/transmitter or the player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ze Frias Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 I don't mean to sound insensitive, but American football is perhaps the most dangerous sport in the world, with conclusive evidence that the sport has led to a large number in concussions and permanent brain damage to its players throughout the years. If this sounds familiar it is because this was dramatized in the recent feature film Concussion featuring Will Smith. Now if the body pack transmitter is really the culprit here, that is indeed terrible that this happened, but these guys sign up for danger and and real potential long term damage every time they step into the field. To have body pack transmitters on players be banned or cause fear of potential damage due to this claim would be ludicrous to me considering everything else that is in fact a real danger to these players! Just my 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abe Dolinger Posted May 31, 2016 Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 I disagree Jose, I think it's the opposite - because these players are in so much danger already, everything possible should be done to limit the danger they're in. It's a bit like saying the military should walk around with targets on their uniforms . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted May 31, 2016 Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 14 minutes ago, Abe Dolinger said: I disagree Jose, I think it's the opposite - because these players are in so much danger already, everything possible should be done to limit the danger they're in. It's a bit like saying the military should walk around with targets on their uniforms . . You just made a case for flag football. Perhaps a comparison of Randall Cobb's income vs that of a soldier might help put José's comment into clearer perspective. Athletes in professional sports are in the entertainment industry. Whatever serves to make their events more interesting for fans is what feeds the business that results in the salaries that players receive. If professional athletes want a "pure" or "authentic" experience, they should sell life insurance during the week and find an empty lot where they can indulge themselves on their days off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abe Dolinger Posted June 1, 2016 Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 On 5/31/2016 at 11:00 AM, John Blankenship said: You just made a case for flag football. Perhaps a comparison of Randall Cobb's income vs that of a soldier might help put José's comment into clearer perspective. Athletes in professional sports are in the entertainment industry. Whatever serves to make their events more interesting for fans is what feeds the business that results in the salaries that players receive. If professional athletes want a "pure" or "authentic" experience, they should sell life insurance during the week and find an empty lot where they can indulge themselves on their days off. Ha! You're right, it's definitely a grey area, and they do sign up to be entertainers. I worked for a few days on a doc that detailed the plight of the modern football player, and it's colored my thinking on the subject. Some of the injuries they sustain (particularly head injuries, which hopefully have nothing to do with wireless packs) take a while to become obvious, and the excellent healthcare runs out as soon as your career is over - an average of three years. I know almost nothing about football besides what I've just told you, so I feel bad for those guys. A lot of them don't do well after their careers are over. I'm not saying they shouldn't wear mics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werner Althaus Posted June 6, 2016 Report Share Posted June 6, 2016 Does anybody know what wireless bodypacks were used? There's a company that makes bodypacks encased in rubber specially for the NBA. If would be useful to know whether they used those. Insisting on using regular bodypacks on football players during a game constitutes gross negligence IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted June 6, 2016 Report Share Posted June 6, 2016 One of the biggest downsides of the internet is the number of people who feel compelled to pass judgement on situations they know nothing about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werner Althaus Posted June 6, 2016 Report Share Posted June 6, 2016 It's not about passing judgment, it's about what a judge will decide when an injury case caused by a bodypack will head to court. Sooner or later this will happen. I work as A1 in regional sports on a regular basis and consider it part of my job to consider the safety of everyone exposed to my gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Blankenship Posted June 6, 2016 Report Share Posted June 6, 2016 One of the biggest downsides of the internet is the number of people who feel compelled to pass judgement on situations they know nothing about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werner Althaus Posted June 6, 2016 Report Share Posted June 6, 2016 FWIW, Randall won't agree to being miced up during a game anymore. Good for him. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/randall-cobb-wont-wear-on-field-mics-anymore-after-playoff-injury/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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