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Cowboys Practice Bubble collapses on players, media, fans

Texaninlild

Texaninlild

Veteran
It just popped up on my TV. Cowboys rookie camp had bubble collapse on people inside after storm passes through Valley Ranch. There are still people trapped inside at the moment.
 
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Call me callous, but WTF was everyone doing in an inflatable building during a tornado watch?
 
God bless the fans, staff, and players. This is a horrible thing to happen and I can only hope and pray that no one was seriously injured or worse.

At first glance, this doesnt look good at all.
 
I'm serious. How on earth do they allow people to remain in a building supported by air pressure during a tornado? Are they not aware of what happens when tornadoes hit?
 
Dan B. said:
I'm serious. How on earth do they allow people to remain in a building supported by air pressure during a tornado? Are they not aware of what happens when tornadoes hit?
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From what I can tell locally, the building had been fine during other severe weather situations.
 
From the press update

70 total people in the building

10 taken to hospitals
2 walk in to area hospital
2 or 3 with serious injuries beyond cuts, bruises (no lives in danger)
 
ArlingtonTexan said:
From what I can tell locally, the building had been fine during other severe weather situations.
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That's good to know!!!!! Next time a bad storm comes up, I plan to run right out of my home and find a sturdy bubble. Nothing like having the advantage of staying well informed.:tiphat:
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
That's good to know!!!!! Next time a bad storm comes up, I plan to run right out of my home and find a sturdy bubble. Nothing like having the advantage of staying well informed.:tiphat:
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yeah, yeah i was parroting info w/o actually thinking about what was actually said.
 
A friend called me from Dallas and said somebody is listed in critical condition. Apparently he was impaled with something. Suspected tornado.

Praying for all involved.
 
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This from Fox News

IRVING, Texas — Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillis was among at least five people injured Saturday when the roof of the team's indoor practice facility collapsed in a storm during a rookie minicamp.

Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple said four team support staff members were injured and all players and coaches were accounted for. He didn't know the extent of the injuries to the four, who he said were hospitalized.

Witnesses said lights started flickering and shaking minutes before the collapse, prompting players, coaches, staff members and reporters to vacate the building. Several people were trying to exit the facility when the roof collapsed.

"I saw it coming down and didn't have time to react," secondary coach Dave Campo said. "I hit the ground and was able to get back up."

The storm was producing winds measured at 64 mph just before it struck the Cowboys facility, said National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Harris in Fort Worth. Power was out at the team's Valley Ranch headquarters.

DeCamillis was seen putting on a neck brace and being taken out of the team's main office building on a stretcher. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, in a TV interview from the Kentucky Derby, said 27 rookies were going through the workout.

"We're lucky no one got electrocuted with all the water in the building," head coach Wade Phillips said. "A couple of players had minor injuries, but they were all right."

The roof is a large air-supported canopy with aluminum frames covering a regulation 100-yard football field. The team was going through the second of three days of workouts for rookie draft picks and free agents.
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ESPN report that the local CBS affiliate (KTVT 11) had talked to assistant coach Brett Maxie, who had a gash in his leg that he apparently suffered during the roof collapse.
 
IRVING — At least seven people were injured Saturday afternoon when the roof of the Dallas Cowboys indoor practice facility collapsed.

Irving Mayor Herbert Gears said one person was critically injured after being impaled by a falling object. He said another person was struck in the head.

Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple said four team support members were injured and all players and coaches were accounted for, and he didn't know the extent of the injuries to the four staff members, who were hospitalized.

For the rest of the extensive article LINK
 
A camera man probably having fallen from the scalfolding and broke his arm. There are now greater than 50 reported injuries.

NEW VIDEO just released LINK

Evidently, the weather warnings were braodcast during practice with no one within having heard them.
 
Broken back......paralysis avoided.......very fortunate in a very unfortunate incident.:

IRVING, Texas (AP) - Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillis broke his back and 11 more were injured when winds just shy of tornado strength ripped through the roof of the team's indoor practice facility during a rookie minicamp Saturday.

Former coach Dan Reeves, DeCamillis' father-in-law, said the first-year Dallas coach has a couple of broken vertebrae in his lower back.

"They say he's lucky not to be paralyzed," said Reeves, adding that DeCamillis probably will have surgery. The coach was seen being removed on a stretcher wearing a neck brace.
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LINK




Kicker David Buehler suffered a minor concussion, gashes in his forehead and right knee in addition to having skin ripped off his ear.

He had exited the facility through a side door when he was hit by a pole. He crawled to safety and then looked back.

"My initial thought was, 'How many people are dead in this?' I thought I was just a lucky one. I was just in shock," Buehler said.

Hall had his arm pinned in the wreckage.

A 33-year-old man was impaled by an object and was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Irving City Manager Tommy Gonzalez said. Two other people were taken to Parkland, one with a head injury and another who suffered neck and back injuries. Another person was at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas with an open leg fracture.

Five of the injured were taken to Las Colinas Medical Center, and two more walked in later.

"I think the worst we had was a dislocated shoulder," said Owen DeWitt, director of marketing and information officer.

DeWitt said all were expected to be released soon.
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http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/050209dnmetcowboyshp.1232041e.html
 
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After this incident, it would not surprise me for questions to crop up about the use of "bubble facilities." How really safe are they under any inclement weather,i.e., lightning, winds, severe thunderstorms, flooding. Will there be a call to replace these systems with "solid" buildings?.......or will there be a call for policies of safety including defining criteria of when these facilities should be avoided or abandoned? I would have to say that a little injection of common sense would be very helpful. It is now quite evident that the local and regional radio and TV stations were announcing very severe weather alerts before and throughout the bubble practice. Announcements of neighboring tornadic activity were being broadcast. The problem was that none of the "insiders" had their transistor radios on to follow the outside happenings. And the only TV monitors in the facility were tuned into and capturing the video taping of the practice.

I've scoured most of the Dallas boards and have been appalled by some of the Cowboys haters' classless comments and jokes about the injuries, including comments to the effect that not enough of the Cowboys and staff were "wiped out." I, along with others, can by some be classified as a "Girls hater." But I dare say that not one of us revel in the pain inflicted, and only only extend our thoughts in well-wishes and hope for quick recovery for those who have been injured in this unfortunate incident.

Benign rivalry "burst bubble" jokes are sure to come when the acute results of this "blows over" (please excuse the pun), but now is not the time. It could have been our coaches, our players.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
After this incident, it would not surprise me for questions to crop up about the use of "bubble facilities." How really safe are they under any inclement weather,i.e., lightning, winds, severe thunderstorms, flooding. Will there be a call to replace these systems with "solid" buildings?.......or will there be a call for policies of safety including defining criteria of when these facilities should be avoided or abandoned? I would have to say that a little injection of common sense would be very helpful. It is now quite evident that the local and regional radio and TV stations were announcing very severe weather alerts before and throughout the bubble practice. Announcements of neighboring tornadic activity were being broadcast. The problem was that none of the "insiders" had their transistor radios on to follow the outside happenings. And the only TV monitors in the facility were tuned into and capturing the video taping of the practice.

I've scoured most of the Dallas boards and have been appalled by some of the Cowboys haters' classless comments and jokes about the injuries, including comments to the effect that not enough of the Cowboys and staff were "wiped out." I, along with others, can by some be classified as a "Girls hater." But I dare say that not one of us revel in the pain inflicted, and only only extend our thoughts in well-wishes and hope for quick recovery for those who have been injured in this unfortunate incident.

Benign rivalry "burst bubble" jokes are sure to come when the acute results of this "blows over" (please excuse the pun), but now is not the time. It could have been our coaches, our players.
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unfortunately, general common sense is often not a general or common as it should be. I am guessing that teams will put in place procedures like you outlined and a couple who already have something in writing will emerge and say the nicest version of "this would never happen on our team because we have these rules written down"
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
After this incident, it would not surprise me for questions to crop up about the use of "bubble facilities." How really safe are they under any inclement weather,i.e., lightning, winds, severe thunderstorms, flooding. Will there be a call to replace these systems with "solid" buildings?.......or will there be a call for policies of safety including defining criteria of when these facilities should be avoided or abandoned? I would have to say that a little injection of common sense would be very helpful. It is now quite evident that the local and regional radio and TV stations were announcing very severe weather alerts before and throughout the bubble practice. Announcements of neighboring tornadic activity were being broadcast. The problem was that none of the "insiders" had their transistor radios on to follow the outside happenings. And the only TV monitors in the facility were tuned into and capturing the video taping of the practice.

I've scoured most of the Dallas boards and have been appalled by some of the Cowboys haters' classless comments and jokes about the injuries, including comments to the effect that not enough of the Cowboys and staff were "wiped out." I, along with others, can by some be classified as a "Girls hater." But I dare say that not one of us revel in the pain inflicted, and only only extend our thoughts in well-wishes and hope for quick recovery for those who have been injured in this unfortunate incident.

Benign rivalry "burst bubble" jokes are sure to come when the acute results of this "blows over" (please excuse the pun), but now is not the time. It could have been our coaches, our players.
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Nice post..unfortunately people can be cruel and mean thinking they are being really clever and funny...the Chronicle story on this has comment after comment with readers laughing about this. It's really very sad. There is football and then there is life...that anybody anywhere could joke about this is sad like I said.
 
WWJD said:
Nice post..unfortunately people can be cruel and mean thinking they are being really clever and funny...the Chronicle story on this has comment after comment with readers laughing about this. It's really very sad. There is football and then there is life...that anybody anywhere could joke about this is sad like I said.
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Agree. This was a serious incident and player were digging through debris looking for people and helping. It's amazing that people somehow think tragedy is funny as long as they "dislike" something. Of course this is sports and it just shows that some people are classless from the word go.

After my second child was born Friday I made a promise that I'll refuse to get upset over people I just read on the Chronicle site. I can't control trash so I'll let them show the world what they are made of.
 
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I keep seeing reports that injuries are not serious, then other reports that someone is in critical condition. Some people need to keep their trap shut, IMO. Like this guy:

A 33-year-old man was impaled by an object and was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Irving City Manager Tommy Gonzalez said. Two other people were taken to Parkland, one with a head injury and another who suffered neck and back injuries. Another person was at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas with an open leg fracture.

.....

"I think the worst we had was a dislocated shoulder," said Owen DeWitt, director of marketing and information officer.
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eriadoc said:
I keep seeing reports that injuries are not serious, then other reports that someone is in critical condition. Some people need to keep their trap shut, IMO. Like this guy:
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Eriadoc, I believe that Dewitt is marketing and information officer for Las Colinas Medical Center, and that he was referring to the worse injury presenting to their particular hospital.
 
Report: Injured Cowboys Scout Has Spinal Cord Surgery
Posted by Aaron Wilson on May 3, 2009, 6:26 p.m.
Dallas Cowboys scout Rich Behm underwent spinal cord surgery after being injured during the collapse of the team’s indoor practice facility, according to Matt Mosley of ESPN.com.

“Rich Behm could really use your prayers right now,” Mosley wrote. “I’m told that head coach Wade Phillips and owner Jerry Jones were both with Behm’s family at the hospital Saturday night. From what I’ve been told, Behm certainly has the most serious injury of the 12 people who received treatment.”

Meanwhile, the outlook is reportedlypromising for special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, who required surgery to repair two broken vertebrae.
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http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/05/03/report-injured-cowboys-scout-has-spinal-cord-surgery/
 
This just IN


Cowboys' scouting assistant paralyzed
6:08 PM Sun, May 03, 2009 |

The Cowboys issued a release moments ago updating the status of three people that were taken to the hospital after their indoor practice facility collapsed.

Rich Behm, a scouting assistant, sustained a fracture to the thoracic spine that caused a severing of his spinal cord and permanent paralysis from the waist down. He underwent surgery Saturday night and remains at Parkland Hospital in stable condition.

Behm moved from the team's video department to scouting a few years ago and worked closely with Chris Hall, the team's college scouting coordinator, and director of college and pro scouting Tom Ciskowski.

Owner and general manager Jerry Jones and coach Wade Phillips spent a large part of Saturday night/Sunday morning with the Behm family. More coaches and players visited the hospital today.

"To the Behm family we extend our love, comfort, and the full support of every person and resource within the organization," Jones said in a statement released by the team." Rich is a courageous member of our family and someone for whom we care deeply. We ask for all friends and fans of the Dallas Cowboys to join us in embracing him and his family with their thoughts and prayers at this very difficult time."

The release also stated special teams coach Joe DeCamillis will undergo surgery Monday for a fracture of one of his cervical vertebrae. He is in stable condition without paralysis at Parkland Hospital.

Assistant athletic trainer Greg Gaither had surgery Saturday to repair a fracture of his right tibia and fibula at Baylor University Medical Center. He should be released later this week.

Here is the rest of Jones' statement: "As we share concern for everyone who was touched by this accident, we also extend our heartfelt and best wishes to Coach Joe DeCamillis and his family as they prepare for Joe's surgery tomorrow.

"We are grateful that Greg Gaither's surgery was successful, and we feel blessed that others involved were able to walk away from this accident after receiving medical attention yesterday afternoon.

"The Dallas Cowboys organization would like to express its deepest appreciation to the City of Irving's Fire, Police and medical emergency teams that collectively responded to the accident in the most timely and thorough manner yesterday. We are also grateful to those Cowboys players and staff members who acted so quickly and heroically in the face of personal danger to help those around them who were in need of immediate
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As would be suspected, as the dust begins to settle, questions that I predicted (merely through common sense, and not through any spectacular clairvoiant powers) would need to be answered, are now already being asked.

**********************************************************

So Why Did The Roof Fall In Dallas?


As the Cowboys continue to reel from the fact that the roof of their practice facility collapsed during a thunderstorm that struck during a minicamp practice on Saturday, we turn to a simple question.

Why?

We pose that question in two parts: (1) Why did the roof fall?; and (2) Why didn’t they clear out as the storm approached?

As to the first part, the answer isn’t clear — and likely will be resolved only through litigation filed by the injured against the company that built the collapsed structure.

In this regard, Brooks Edgerton of the Dallas Morning News writes that no other buildings in the area fell during the storm, and that the manufacturer’s body of work includes a building that partially collapsed under the weight of snow in 2003, less than two months after it opened.

So look for metallurgical engineers to study the twisted steel in an effort to determine why it collapsed like the first pig’s house of straw.

As to the second part, the Cowboys presumably reacted to the approaching storm by taking practice indoors. But, even if fault lies with the company that built the structure, a professional sports team’s monitoring of the weather shouldn’t end once the players and coaches are sent under a roof. The external conditions need to be evaluated continuously, and the organization needs to be ready to instruct those within the indoor facility to seek even better cover if/when it appears that a severe thunderstorm or a tornado might strike.

Regardless, something needs to be done to ensure that the scene that unfolded Saturday in Dallas — as memorialized by these stunning pictures from the Dallas Morning News — doesn’t happen again.
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