LOOK: Amazing Underwater Photos Of Dogs
Rick Santorum's Wife Sued Doctor For $500,000 In 1999
Cian from 'fuh-baw sent us a report from his visit to the draft.
The draft is famously the NFL's only major event that is free, which means it never lacks for attendance. High demand and limited seating created a free-for-all minutes before the NFL was to begin handing out the wristbands required for entry.
15 minutes before 10 a.m., when the NFL was scheduled to hand out wristbands, a mad dash for Radio City began. The exact reason is unknown. A group of people were running back to their place in line to grab their supplies, yelling that the doors were open. In a matter of seconds, all the others waiting, myself included, were grabbing their own supplies and breaking into a run. The dash turned into a stampede as bodies pressed against bodies and barricades near Radio City's side entrance.
Police quickly came on the scene and forced the mass of people which had spilled all over 50th Street back onto the sidewalk. But the damage was done. People were wandering up and down the press of bodies calling out for lost friends. Many that had waited through the night were eventually turned away once all the wristbands were handed out. Even those that claimed wristbands spent the better part of an hour or two nervously pushing against each other.
To my mind, the chaos could have been avoided through two simple steps. One, more security personnel on hand. And, two, better communication. At any large music or sporting event I've attended, people on bullhorns instruct the crowd, often giving their instructions several times well in advance. This communication provides the added bonus of reassuring the crowd against any glimmers of panic.
This was all lacking yesterday, even though the situtation clearly called for it. When I arrived at 3 a.m. Saturday to secure my place in line, I spoke briefly with the first person waiting at the front, a middle aged man in a 49ers jersey. He proudly informed anyone who asked that he set up shop 2:30 p.m. the previous afternoon. By daybreak, the line extended some five more blocks snaking around 5th Avenue. Anyone could have guessed that chaos could break out if the crowd wasn't managed.
If the NFL doesn't want their signature offseason event to turn into a human stampede they would be wise to implement some basic crowd control measures.
Congress Agrees On Payroll Tax Cut, Unemployment Extension
House Dems Walk Out Of Birth Control Hearing
Most Inmates In Honduras Prison Fire Were Not Convicted
'Colbert Report' Abruptly Suspends Production For The Week
WATCH: Fox News Host Makes Shocking Comment About Black Rep.
Pelosi Rips GOP Over Birth Control: I May Be "Moved To Explain Biology To My Colleagues"
Apple Lifts The Veil On Gorgeous New OS X
WATCH: CNN Contributor Compares Sarah Palin To Snooki
RECOVERING THE RECOVERY: A Good Sign For American Jobs
Local Fishers Deliver Invasive Potomac River Menace To Legendary Manhattan Eatery
Steel Beams Crash 40 Stories At WTC Construction Site
Deanna Fei: ASIAN MEN CAN JUMP
The Most Expensive City In The World Is...
Scott Brown: Elizabeth Warren Has Assumed The 'Mantle Of Oppressor'
Allen West Accuses Dems Of Pursuing 'Insidious Form Of Slavery'
Oklahoma Senate Approves 'Personhood' Bill
A Tale Of Dual Tracking: Trying To Modify A Loan As Bank Forecloses
WATCH: Trita Parsi Says There's No 'Military Solution' In Iran Nuclear Standoff
Waters: Boehner And Cantor Are 'Demons'
Relintless: Knicks Run Winning Streak To Seven Games
Source: Michigan Governor To Endorse Romney
National Group Seeks To Shape Walker Recall Contest
Jimmy Carter Casts Movement As 'Relatively Successful'
Actress In Controversial China Political Ad Apologizes
