Posted on 10/19/2001 2:50:22 PM PDT by wkcoop
School officials afraid SEALS drop would cause panic
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Navy SEALS were told to cancel their plans to have eight paratroopers drop into Florida A&M's football stadium to deliver the game ball and an American flag during Saturday's homecoming festivities.
The SEALS tried to convince school officials not to stop the flyover, but agreed Thursday to cancel the event.
Authorities were concerned that fear of terrorism could cause some of the fans at the 25,500-seat stadium to panic if they didn't realize why the SEALS were landing on the field during the national anthem.
"It's all because of what's happening in the world today with the terrorists," Florida A&M athletic director Ken Riley said Thursday. "People are jittery about people flying over the stadium."
The university police department made the decision to ask the SEALS not to make the flyover during the game against Norfolk State after consulting with Tallahassee police. Last weekend, a crop duster trailing an advertising banner caused a minor stir when it circled Florida State's football stadium during a game.
The San Diego-based SEALS Leap Frogs have made jumps from the C-130 turboprop at a San Diego Padres baseball game, a Kansas City Chiefs football game and a Naval Academy homecoming football game since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, said Chief Petty Officer Todd Willebrand, the jump team's spokesman.
None of the jumps caused any problems, he said.
"We fly in a military aircraft," he said "We don't rent crop dusters."
Willebrand said he spoke with the city's mayor and other officials in hopes of keeping the flyover on, but said he understands the decision.
"They worried that they were going to see a bunch of guys jumping out of airplanes and start panicking," Willebrand said. "We respect that. ... If somebody did panic and it started a stampede, with all these people running around someone could get trampled."
He told the jump team Thursday morning the event was off. University police did not immediately return a call for comment.
The Leap Frogs made a jump at the stadium last year and Saturday's event has been planned for more than a year.
"These are Navy SEALS, they certainly don't want to change their lifestyles over terrorists, they want to jump," Willebrand said.
The jump was supposed to have meaning even beyond a patriotic display, Riley said.
"I'm a little disappointed because this is our president's final homecoming," he said. "We thought it would have been kind of special to do that and add something to the homecoming."
University President Frederick Humphries announced his plans to retire last February. He remains at the post while Florida A&M searches for his replacement.
Like they couldn't announce it over the PA system a couple of minutes in advance to let people know what to expect?
sigh....
They could just publicize the event. There is no reason why it should come as a surprise. I can't understand the logic behind this move. But I guess that I really don't care whether or not the Seals airdrop a ball and flag for the game either.
Well, it was a cloudy day, and the first we saw of the jet that was landing was when it was right above us, coming out of the clouds, almost close enough to touch. From our vantage point, it looked like it was headed straight for the Golden Dome. I really hope the WVU fans came with a change of underwear (insert West Virginia joke here), because they all ducked and started screaming. Good thing I was there to explain, once I stopped laughing.
I think the school needs to put up some signs during football weekends point this out to visitors.
When I see people flying without planes, I get worried too.
I think we have a Politically Correct Maneuver here disguised as a public safety issue!
Mad Dawgg, I agree, I was going to post the same thing, I believe there is a lot more to this story. PC police are at it again, I just feel it deep inside me.
It's a Bird! It's a Plane!....
What a bunch of limp wristed, whiney, left-wing, candy-ass, worry-wort, pinheads!
Gee six guys parachuting into a football stadium with American Flags would cause the place to erupt in cheers, not panic. Kind of shows the mentality of our College "Leaders."
I'd be more worried about the cops than CCW holders.
These people are soooooooooo stupid and transparently anti-American it's ridiculous.
These guys have enough problems without worrying about how they are supposed to clean all of the urine stained seats in the stadium.
I mean that is the problem, isn't it? They are concerned that a number of the "fans" in the stadium are going to see a bunch of trained fighters in black suits do some extraordinary stuff as they rappel, parachute and otherwise disembark the aircraft to deliver a game ball and an American flag.
These guys have officially indicated that their fans are incapable of holding their water in the face of a simple SEAL training exercise. And they don't want the chore of cleaning up after them.
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