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Staffords, Rams Will Pay Hospital Bills for Photographer Who Broke Her Spine at Parade (He knew he had to do something)
SI ^ | 2/17/2022 | Nicke Selbe

Posted on 02/18/2022 5:15:20 AM PST by vespa300

A photographer who fell while taking pictures at the Rams's Super Bowl parade revealed afterward that she suffered a fractured spine in the process. A day later, the Rams, quarterback Matthew Stafford and his wife, Kelly, are stepping in to take care of the bill.

The team and the Staffords released a statement on Thursday wishing the photographer, Kelly Smiley, a speedy recovery and pledging to pay for her hospital bills and replace her cameras, which were also broken in the fall.

(Excerpt) Read more at si.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: stafford
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She fell right in front of him and he just turned and walked away. Good thing he's doing though now.
1 posted on 02/18/2022 5:15:20 AM PST by vespa300
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To: vespa300
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kgTotTWeOQ
2 posted on 02/18/2022 5:19:30 AM PST by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: vespa300
The Stafford's have been generous with their time, and money while in Detroit also.
3 posted on 02/18/2022 5:20:00 AM PST by MotorCityBuck ( Keep the change, you filthy animal! ,)
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To: vespa300

Georgia Bulldog…


4 posted on 02/18/2022 5:23:07 AM PST by EEGator
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To: vespa300

She’s a full time photo editor for the NFL
...plus other additional same type jobs

I would hope and expect her to have insurance!

IMO this is to shame Stafford .....period
He didn’t push her......and was she ‘in his face’ trying to get her pictures

Yeah he has to pay for this because the media immediately started the ‘she broke her spine and he turned his back’


5 posted on 02/18/2022 5:26:43 AM PST by Guenevere (When the foundations are being destroyed what can the righteous do t)
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To: Yo-Yo

The video is telling...


6 posted on 02/18/2022 5:27:24 AM PST by Sacajaweau ( )
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To: EEGator

Well nobody’s perfect.


7 posted on 02/18/2022 5:27:53 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Sacajaweau

Being the athlete he is, you would think his reflexes would be quicker and he would have noticed that she was about to fall and grabbed her. He didn’t look tipsy in the video, but maybe he was a little inebriated.


8 posted on 02/18/2022 5:33:37 AM PST by Cecily
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To: dfwgator

True.
He’s going to hear about this for a while.


9 posted on 02/18/2022 5:35:09 AM PST by EEGator
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To: vespa300

I guess he didn’t know quite what to do and gestured to his wife to help the lady. There was a piece in Daily Caller talking about how “hilarious” his reaction was. Of course, they had no idea how serious her injuries turned out to be.

As a side note, I really dislike goons who go around photographing everybody all the time. There are lots of things that are aesthetically uninteresting and/or don’t need to be memorialized.

I’m not happy she broke her back but maybe she should go into a different line of work.

I used to work with this one kid who told me he had had a keen desire to become a photojournalist. He was smart and liked to investigate stuff and blab about whatever he had seen.

I asked him why he was working in a restaurant, then, and he answered that one day he had been out roaming with his camera and saw a little boy riding his bicycle get hit (and killed) by a car. It happened right in front of him. My coworker said he had absolutely no desire to take photographs at that point and that upon further reflection he found he didn’t want to be a photojournalist after all.


10 posted on 02/18/2022 5:36:35 AM PST by Scarlett156 (Someone with "comedian" on his social media profile is invariably a self-hating sadistic loser.)
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To: vespa300

She was being obtrusive and in his face, she fell and he probably had his first thought as good riddance.

She should have had a little bot more situational awareness, especially if you are trying to get the “perfect” picture.

However, he is being kind in paying for the medical bills.


11 posted on 02/18/2022 5:37:05 AM PST by wbarmy (I chose to be a sheepdog once I saw what happens to the sheep.)
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To: Cecily
Could be why he didn't stick around.

You're right...he watched her go and didn't even reach for her. Except in this day and age....touch her and you'll get sued.

12 posted on 02/18/2022 5:40:41 AM PST by Sacajaweau ( )
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To: vespa300

Nice thing he’s doing now but what kind of guy turns away when a woman, or anyone, takes a fall? I mean, if it was Kamala, Hillary or AOC I get it. But a random lady?


13 posted on 02/18/2022 5:42:38 AM PST by albie
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To: vespa300

The civil legal risk to him is much, much higher if he tries to help. She fractured her spine. He hels her get up, or even just moves her, and now she can sue for him contributing to the injury through “negligence”.

It’s a lose-lose situation for him. Condemned if he doesn’t help, open to huge liability if he does.

And, yes, I do expect that he has been briefed on the need to not get involved in such situations. Deep pockets make for bright targets.


14 posted on 02/18/2022 5:43:06 AM PST by MortMan (You better bring yours, when you come to take mine. - Creed Fisher)
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To: vespa300

He was ‘partying’ quite a bit...it doesn’t look good but just getting out of the way wasn’t the worst move either. I could easily interpret it as though he knew she would get assistance and, in his state, the best thing was just to not be in the way. Everything is so orchestrated at these events I’m not sure what anyone thinks he should have done...

That said, it doesn’t surprise me he is helping now...he did a lot for Detroit.


15 posted on 02/18/2022 5:45:41 AM PST by fuzzylogic (welfare state = sharing of poor moral choices among everybody)
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To: Guenevere

No different then half of these people who have some tragic accident to them or a family member. They get a GoFundMe page and tell their sad story and people pitch in.

We’ve had several folks that are police or firefighters do this, and I know they have near full coverage medical insurance. One was the wife of a police officer whose wife got seriously injured in a snowmobile accident.


16 posted on 02/18/2022 5:46:46 AM PST by shotgun
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To: fuzzylogic

These guys make a ton of loot playing a kids game, and they know everyone is on the grift. I’m not suprised by his reaction, although I’m sure I wouldn’t react that way, I am pretty sure that’s the reason why. It’s always in the back of their mind. He should have been able to recognize that he wasn’t getting played, but I think that is the context that colors all his dealings with the public and with crowds.


17 posted on 02/18/2022 5:49:31 AM PST by z3n (Kakistocracy)
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To: vespa300

Accidents happen, he’s not Superman or a doctor, she had help almost immediately after landing and he’s footing the bill, end of story.


18 posted on 02/18/2022 5:50:14 AM PST by The Louiswu (The times they are a changin. )
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To: wbarmy

“However, he is being kind in paying for the medical bills.”

Narcissistic uncaring jerk. He is only paying bills to save face. The video shows he couldn’t care less if the little unwashed worker bee died. Likely he could care less about anyone.

And to those saying she was bugging him by taking his photo (which he posed for), that was the sole reason he was on stage for. A publicity event and she was just doing her job. She did not deserve to have her back broken because she wanted to take a picture of a great, untouchable NFL star while doing her job.

Again, he is a Narcissistic uncaring jerk and would turn his back at the scene of your accident.


19 posted on 02/18/2022 5:59:09 AM PST by BushCountry (Jeffery Toobin is the only person at CNN that keeps his hands to himself.)
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To: vespa300

she was about 12 feet away from him when she fell. staffords wife takes three to four steps to the edge of the stage. the camera makes it look like she was closer.

it was her fault in stepping off. she should have had an assistant, it is easy to do.


20 posted on 02/18/2022 5:59:17 AM PST by teeman8r (Armageddon won't be pretty, but it's not like it's the end of the world or something )
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