Television Can Kill

The things they never tell you when you're growing up. We would just like to point out that television can kill or cause serious injury to life or property. Particularly when the television set is heaved out a second-story window.

ANNECY, France (AFP) - A French rugby fan was so distraught at his team's World Cup semi-final exit that he threw his television out of the window of his flat onto a car parked two floors below.

Police here said the man, who had been drinking as he watched Les Bleus slip to a 14-9 defeat to England on Saturday, also threw his video recorder and furniture from his second floor apartment.

We have quietly pointed out that rugby players are, on average, completely insane. This extends to their fans as well. The frustrated fan will have to pay for the damage to be repaired - and get a new television. But it isn't only falling television sets that are a danger, folks. It can be television cameras as well:

SEATTLE - Talk about bad omens. An overhead NBC television camera mounted on wires collapsed onto the turf during a timeout early in Sunday night's game between the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks, almost hitting two Seattle players and causing a 10-minute delay.

The Saints had just called timeout with 11:24 remaining in the first quarter when the camera slumped and then fell a few yards from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and the rest of the huddling Seahawks. After the camera was righted somewhat off the ground, it fell again — and nearly hit Bobby Engram as the receiver was walking to the sideline.

Game officials then cleared both teams from the middle of the field while the network got the camera back up to normal height. As the camera moved up and down the field for testing, Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren looked up at its every move with his mouth agape. When the camera moved to the sideline, Seattle's players all cleared out from beneath it.

Are we certain that Keith Olberman was not at the controls of the camera? After all, it tried to hit Hasselbeck, who isn't too popular with some folks on the left.