Going Up Top and Getting a Call From Mom...

Shooting Hardin-Simmons football last weekend I was running a little late getting to the game. I usually go to the press box and grab rosters first, that way if I have to leave early (for these games I usually do, especially if the game is a blowout, like this one was) so I don't have to worry about getting a roster on the way out. At this game I was getting there right during the national anthem because I had an assignment right before it. So, by the time I got my rosters HSU already had the ball and was driving to the end zone. The nice thing about the stadium at HSU is there is a platform at the top of the stands above the seats where people can stand and watch. Most people don't, so it's a great place to shoot from, and a 400mm lens and a 1.4x teleconverter is the perfect size to shoot from. I spent the whole first quarter shooting from up there and was a lot happier with the results then I was with the stuff I got from the sidelines in the second half.

While I was shooting from the top I got a shot of the umpire getting run into near the goal line by one of the HSU running backs. I had actually thought about using the photo but, couldn't find out who the official was, so I left it alone. Now, here's where it gets funny. When I came in on Tuesday, I had a voicemail. When I called the lady she asked, "I was just wondering if you got a picture of the referee getting run over during the game, that was my son." I actually laughed and told her I wanted to use it in the paper but didn't know his name. It's not often that I get calls like this, it was pretty funny and we both had a laugh out of it. She did give me his name and I told her I'd put it online with the story, since I had planned to anyways. She also told me he wasn't hurt but was sore the next couple of days.