My friend
Jim Karczewski asked me last night if I wanted to go with him to shoot a basketball game. I'm always interested in shooting different things so I jumped at the chance. What I didn't expect is to see such a HUGE crowd at my old high school. I certainly don't remember having seen so many people at a regular season basketball game when I went there. Plus the fact that we were a little late had us(mostly Jim) rushing around to get set up to shoot. I wasn't ready for all those people. But things quickly calmed down as the players took the court. There was quite the turnout at
Munster High School from the visiting
Valparaiso, Indiana Vikings.
Even if with them they brought the ugliest green tie and jacket I've ever seen.... which was worn, of course, by their coach Joe Otis. I get the school color thing coach, but your jacket seriously burnt my retinas.
As I walked to the far side of the court opposite where Jim was going to shoot I saw a bunch of kids running around behind the bleachers playing tag or something unorganized. Reminded me that some things never change. I ended up sitting in the bleachers at the end of the court. This was the first part of the set up to what would of been probably one of the most dramatic shots I "could" of ever taken.
It never fails, in all the excitement and pagentry I always screw up the first couple of shots. Maybe it's just me, but I always seem to forget something. I contribute that to being rushed. That's one of the reasons I don't like showing up late. However, after a few oopses.... I found my groove. I took enough in the bleachers after moving twice and decided to walk on down to floor level. Right behind the basket. Like a sniper I'd peek out from around the pole and get my shots and move on. I stayed at the basket for sometime. I was about to leave when it happened. Number 23 drove from my left towards the basket and... well, I couldn't see the basket but apparently missed and went crashing to the floor to my right. Play went on until there was finally a whistle. In an instant there began to be shouts to the referee forcibly letting him know that the player that went crashing to the floor was injured more extensively than you might expect.
As I walked closer to the floor I saw his legs and him rolling on the floor. I stepped even closer and began to see more of him. No sound of pain from the player at all, but moaning within the crowd perhaps. I finally moved forward a bit more to look around the end bleachers where he was laying in front of and then I saw what had the crowd moaning. Blood..... lots of it, gushing from his forehead. Pooling on the floor. He had apparently either got an elbow on the way down or just hit his head on the floor but whatever happened, he was cut. Like Rocky cut over the eye cut. Didn't seem to phase him as he was lying there but it certainly was a lot of blood. Pools of blood in different areas around him staining the floor. Reaching the back of his hair even. In that matter of 3 or 4 seconds it hit me.
Do I take that shot? I can still picture the shot frozen like a still photo in my mind. Very clearly. It would of been pretty intense. Like right place at the right time kinda intense. Fleeting moment intense. I knew the kid was going to be just fine, probably a few stitches but still. The amount of blood on the floor alone would of had any mother cringing. I contemplated three times to raise my camera. Even once leaning over in an attempt to "shoot from the hip" without raising the camera to my eye to still get it without anyone seeing me. I looked over at another photographer from a paper sitting right in the path of the player and they didn't shoot either. They were even closer! I lowered my camera and just ended my struggle with the idea whether or not to shoot.
In the end, after they soaked up all the blood and the player was on his feet I decided it was time. I got a shot of him being helped off by long time trainer John Doherty. Damn, can't believe he's still there along with Coach Marsh which I did get a chance to say hi to. Anyway, you're probably asking why I didn't take the shot.
If it had been at any other place, or a college or pro game I would of nailed it. But in that split second I realized, this was someones young son. Someone who was probably in the crowd that night. I was so close that there would be no way of me taking that shot without everyone in that field house seeing me do it. EVERYONE'S eyes were trained in my direction. I'm used to that and not afraid to do what I have to do to get the shots I want. But I'm way too nice and considerate sometimes. This was one of those times. I chose the high road. I tend to do that for most things in my life. My father has told me over and over again to always do the right thing in work and life. In this situation, I think I did. There will be, I'm sure, another "right place at the right time" moment for me. I'm quite sure, in the end, I'll get my shot......
You can see the rest of the shots from the game here:
Valparaiso at Munster
