We’ve seen a few sideline collisions over the past few weeks that thankfully didn’t end with any serious injuries.
Today’s Auburn-Georgia game included another collision, this time between Georgia running back Brian Herrien and sideline photographer Chamberlain Smith. That one looked to leave Smith unconscious for an extended amount of time.
Photographer got hit extremely hard, they have a stretcher out pic.twitter.com/KkdcJVZVax
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) November 16, 2019
The game was stopped for several minutes, as medical staff attended to Smith, identified by CBS sideline reporter Jamie Erdahl as an intern in the Georgia athletic department. She was eventually stretchered off after apparently regaining consciousness, where she was taken to a medical center.
gary danielson has been trash for a very long time, and this incident really illustrates just how much trash he is. pic.twitter.com/oFU6nr8Rxk
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) November 16, 2019
Hopefully she makes a full and quick recovery.
The CBS broadcast, meanwhile, did not cover themselves in glory throughout the incident. Gary Danielson in particular seemed like the last person in the stadium to recognize the gravity of the situation, even chuckling a few times.
Gary Danielson's handling of this photographer injury has been … not good.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) November 16, 2019
It was also odd for the broadcast to go to a full zoom in as she was stretchered off; it’s obviously a newsworthy moment, but she’s perhaps entitled to a bit more privacy than that. It’s obviously a tough situation, and one that most broadcasts and broadcasters never really prepare for. Still, there were certainly better ways to handle it.
Update: The Associated Press reported Saturday night that Smith has been released from hospital:
A photography intern for the University of Georgia Athletic Association, the Georgia graduate was hurt when Bulldogs running back Brian Herrien ran into her on several feet off the sideline late in the second quarter. Smith was kneeling down to take a picture and appeared to get hit in the head by Herrien’s knee.
Smith drew immediate medical attention and was down on the ground for several minutes. She had her eyes open, along with a bruise above her eye, when she was taken off on a stretcher.
But the University of Georgia announced Smith was released from the hospital around 9 p.m. Saturday.
That’s good to hear. Our thoughts are with her as she recovers.
