Link: Fan Sues Kentucky Over Lack of Captioning at Football Games

RTR91 · May 5, 2011

Hearing-impaired fan sues University of Kentucky over lack of captioning at football games | Local | Kentucky.com

I understood the safety issues. I don't get this part:

Mitchell wants captioning displayed for all announcements over the stadium's public address system, including all plays just after they occur, all penalties called, and safety and emergency information.

So he wants this:

"Player X runs for 8 yards. Tackled by Players U, B, and C"?

CrimsonNagus · May 5, 2011

Why stop at UK, why not sue every sports team in America (NCAA/NFL/NBA/MLB)?

I'll stop there because if I said what I really want to say, I'd get banned.

mikes12 · May 5, 2011

Let me get this straight. He's AT the game. The RB runs for 5 yards, the announcer says "<name> ball carrier rushes for 5 yards, 2nd and 5 at the 35 yard line." But since the deaf fan didn't hear the announcement, he's in the dark? Didn't he just watch it from the stands? Can't he see the scoreboard display of the yard line, down and distance even if he turned away and missed the play?

And on penalties, the ref stands in the middle of the field and SIGNALS the infraction. With arm gestures! Sometimes, the ref's mic doesn't work. Should we all be entitled to compensation when the ref's mic doesn't work? I'm all for assisting disabled people, but give me a break.

bamahippie · May 5, 2011

So he's not seeing impaired... Here's a novel idea. WATCH THE GAME!!!

cuda.1973 · May 5, 2011

RollTide1017 said:
Why stop at UK, why not sue every sports team in America (NCAA/NFL/NBA/MLB)?

Ssssh...........don't give him any ideas!

Violating his rights.................if he didn't have the right to see the game, on TV, at his house, well, maybe...............

Didn't see anyone putting a gun, to his head, making him buy a season ticket. Isn't there a legal concept known as "assumed risk"? (I don't play a lawyer, on TV, or real life, so I don't know.) I think the legal obligation, having bought a ticket, permits him to see the game, in person.

Why stop here? Sue over the price of concessions, or fraud, perpetrated, by UK, for fielding an inferior product. Think of the possibilities.

What happens when he goes to the little boys room? A lot of places pipe the announcers, into there. More rights being violated!

(No, better stop, and no more giving them suggestions.)

Bud · May 5, 2011

I don't know just how far this will actually get? He's suing a state agency (UK) under the ADA (federal) I would imagine that state sovereignty issues could win out over the level of scrutiny that disability "discrimination" receives. Unless the state absolutely has zero reasonable issue for not putting up play by play info. I can see putting up emergency action information, but play by play would be difficult (especially at places like Oregon, AU etc). As it is the guy can see the play, and down and distance is already updated. If he regularly attends games, he should know what the symbol is for holding, illegal motion etc. the only thing he would miss is who committed the infraction.

RTR91 · May 5, 2011

Bud said:
I can see putting up emergency action information, but play by play would be difficult (especially at places like Oregon, AU etc). As it is the guy can see the play, and down and distance is already updated. If he regularly attends games, he should know what the symbol is for holding, illegal motion etc. the only thing he would miss is who committed the infraction.

My thoughts exactly. I'd think UK already puts the emergency info on the screens. The other just seems ridiculous. How is a person going to type up the information in time?

bamakasie · May 5, 2011

I don't know if the ADA covers this situation or not, but it will be interesting to see what happens. I have worked for 20 years as a court reporter and the last several as a closed captioner, and sometimes in the educational setting, writing down what professors and students are saying in the classroom so hard-of-hearing and deaf students can "hear" what's going on realtime. I was lucky enough to caption Alabama's A-Day game two years ago. And I think the Redskins have open captioning at their games in the stadium. So it is someone like me sitting at home writing on their steno machine live as the game is going on. And what with technology and equipment, and software that translates our steno language into English, the words are sent to everyone at home on their TV, so it's not actually somebody typing. That would take too long

Sorry if that's more info than y'all wanted. Ironically, the most vocal critics of closed captioning are not hearing impaired individuals, but those with their full hearing.

gtowntide · May 5, 2011

I too am all for helping the disabled, but this is ridiculous. Some people just need to get a life. I also question his sincerity as a true fan of Kentucky. I can't think of any reason I would ever sue The University of Alabama. This almost equates to suing a family member for giving me the wrong Xmas gift. What about the band and cheerleaders, how will he know what they're doing? I'm sorry you're hearing impaired, but Kentucky doesn't owe you anything.

Rattlehead82 · May 5, 2011

My father was deaf; my mom, aunt and uncle are hard of hearing. We went to the Georgia State game last year and they had no problems keeping up and we all had the time of our lives. My father had been to many Bama games over the course of his life. He never let his handicap interfere with his enjoyment and his being the best fan he could be at the game. This guy just needs to grow up.

selmaborntidefan · May 5, 2011

You know what stinks here? Everyone making a valid point against this guy is automatically on defense as "not compassionate." It's like the people who opposed Casey Martin using a golf cart. No matter what you were on the defensive because you were fighting a disadvantaged person.

Having said that I've got a cure: let the guy sit through a TV game closed captioned with Verne Lundquist's meandering. He'll be begging for a pistol & hollow-point bullet after 3 hours of Mark Ingram Tebow's father in prison for supervising the BCS cartel's burning of Jim Tressel's priceless sweaters on Ebay.

rolltide7854 · May 5, 2011

Why stop at football. Let's do basketball also. I can't see someone getting that typed fast enough. The guy is a goof to say the least and should have to pay UK attorney fees to defend a DA suit like this.

briancm · May 6, 2011

So when will Wal Mart have a ribbon board to adivse of sale items? Stop signs in brail, where are they?

Put this creep in a foxhole in a live field of battle or get the guy married, either way, little things will stop bothering him.

Life is not a bed of roses, NO SOUP FOR YOU, NEXT!

Hamilton · May 6, 2011

briancm said:
So when will Wal Mart have a ribbon board to adivse of sale items? Stop signs in brail, where are they?

Put this creep in a foxhole in a live field of battle or get the guy married, either way, little things will stop bothering him.

Life is not a bed of roses, NO SOUP FOR YOU, NEXT!

There wasn't any difference between the two during my marriage.

BamaNation · May 6, 2011

Given all the other crap that is at games these days... Obnoxious music, fans, giveaways, etc, I'm inclined to wear earplugs. Might be cheaper to give him an iPhone and access to the plays on espn.com.

RTR91 · May 6, 2011

BamaNation said:
Given all the other crap that is at games these days... Obnoxious music, fans, giveaways, etc, I'm inclined to wear earplugs. Might be cheaper to give him an iPhone and access to the plays on espn.com.

Or UK might have the radio headphones that Bama has. If so, that should work for this guy.

Hamilton · May 6, 2011

Umm...he's deaf.

teamplayer · May 6, 2011

mikes12 said:
Let me get this straight. He's AT the game. The RB runs for 5 yards, the announcer says "<name> ball carrier rushes for 5 yards, 2nd and 5 at the 35 yard line." But since the deaf fan didn't hear the announcement, he's in the dark? Didn't he just watch it from the stands? Can't he see the scoreboard display of the yard line, down and distance even if he turned away and missed the play?

And on penalties, the ref stands in the middle of the field and SIGNALS the infraction. With arm gestures! Sometimes, the ref's mic doesn't work. Should we all be entitled to compensation when the ref's mic doesn't work? I'm all for assisting disabled people, but give me a break.

I agree with your sentiments.

Link: Fan Sues Kentucky Over Lack of Captioning at Football Games

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