Odell Beckham Jr. Excitement Causes Bleacher Malfunction
On the first day of the New York Giants’ training camp, it wasn’t the players getting hurt but some of the spectators.
Practice for the former National Football League champs had just ended, and as most of the players made their way to the locker rooms, Odell Beckham Jr. and the rest of the receiving core made their way to a section of the stands where fans had gathered to wait for autographs. Each position group was designated a day where they were required to take part in this task, and they just happened to be first on the list.
What occurred next is up for interpretation. According to the New York Post, as Beckham approached the fans, a mad rush to get close ensued.
People were packed in the fenced off seating, shoulder-to-shoulder and stomach-to-back. The ones closest were pushed against the metal railings, and soon the aluminum bleachers buckled under the weight.
In an official statement, the New York Giants described it as, “a portion of the bleacher shifted.” Seating Solutions, the company that sold them, put the blame on “an unexpected surge in spectators.”
Accidents certainly happen, but it is fair to wonder if this could have been avoided. The bleachers in question were not the regular stadium seating, but temporary units brought in for training camp.
ESPN also reported that the Giants went on to say that fortunately, “There were no injuries reported as a result of that incident, and the fans were immediately removed from the area.”
The sports station also reported that the incident will be dealt with by the bleacher company. “Representatives and engineers from Seating Solutions will examine all of the bleachers surrounding the practice fields this evening and make any necessary adjustments,” the NFL team said in their statement.
