Friday, July 18, 2008

Support staff

Though the news has already traveled around the world that an unruly and probably mentally unstable passenger was subdued on a plane by members of the New England Revolution, it doesn't look like any actual players were involved.

It's the fearless staff of the team that did the dirty work. After all, one can't have the players strain something trying to attack a psychotic traveler. Especially a nude one.

Note, however, that the passenger was not nude when physically subdued.

Also, though being involved with any pro sports team can seem exciting, it's hard work to be traveling with players all the time, packing uniforms, planning strategy, nursing and treating various ailments athletes have. They don't get the glory of a head coach or starting 11, but the staff of any pro team is a crucial element of success.


6 comments:

Unknown said...

"Read more..." more like "unreadable." The format for this blog is ridiculous. I used to like reading all the posts, but not if I have to click on every single one just to read a handful of extra words. I am about to take this site off my bookmarks.

A.C. said...

You're more than entitled to dislike to click. Fight the tyranny of the blog and the effort involved. Remove SV from your bookmarks and save yourself the exercise of clicking and the strain of reading.

Anonymous said...

I like the new format. Gives me a much quicker sense of what's here and which entries I'd most like to click on.

The Brofessor said...

Phil Gramm might be on to something...

Awesome response Andrea!

Joseph D'Hippolito said...

It's the fearless staff of the team that did the dirty work. After all, one can't have the players strain something trying to attack a psychotic traveler. Especially a nude one.

I hope that wasn't meant to be sarcastic, a.c. You are above such things (I, however, am not above such things but I digress). One of those "staff members" happened to be the general manager of the team!

Perhaps all of us should, in this case, dispense w/the snark and give these heroes the love they deserve. Do you know what can happen when a passenger opens and airplane door in mid-flight? First, the cabin pressure destablizes so dramatically that the aircraft becomes unstable. Second, anything that's not tied down -- including passengers not wearing their seat belts -- gets sucked out the plane and to their doom.

Let's give some credit where credit is due.

A.C. said...

I wasn't really trying to be snarky, but I did think it was funny that so many people assumed when the news came out that it was the players who were the heroes. I'm not saying the Rev players aren't strong enough to do such a thing, but I'm not surprised that it was staff that jumped into the fray. They're the ones who run around taking care of things a lot.
It was more a tease to the athletes, who in order to keep their bodies in top shape during long flights, often just plug in their IPods and zone out, trying to fall asleep. I understand the reasons for it, and I'm not saying it disparagingly, but it made sense to me that the staff of the Revs was involved.
By the way, Mike Burns, who did take part in the incident, had quite a stellar playing career before joining the Revs staff.