The Gambler Snaps

I just watched the footage of Kenny Rogers "assault" a cameraman, which took me by complete surprise. There's something about an aging left-hander who can't throw hard enough to hurt anyone that gives the impression of friendliness. I mean seriously, he's the gambler. How mean could he be? The footage answers that question clearly.

Rogers pushed two cameramen, but it was the second one that will get him in trouble. He shoved a man named Larry Rodriguez, of the Dallas TV station KDFW. Rodriguez tried to put the camera back on his shoulder to continue filming, saying "I figured since now he vented that he was all good, but the second time was just a little bit too much." It's the second attack that Rodriguez says caused injuries to his shoulder, arm and leg. He even went to the hospital for treatment.

During that tirade, Rogers ripped the camera from Rodriguez's shoulder, threw it to the ground and kicked it while teammates tried to intervene. Although I don't really see where the injuries took place, I was appalled at Rogers' actions.

It reminded me of a time I was covering the Twins at the Metrodome. I think I wrote about this when Cory Koskie took out a full page ad in the newspaper thanking his fans, but it warrants another mention now.

I was standing by the batting cage getting some shots of Torii Hunter when I saw Koskie walk behind the cage, getting ready to hop in. A Minneapolis photographer was walking backwards, in front of Koskie by only about two feet, with the camera trained directly on his face. Koskie, a shy man in public, said, "Please don't shoot me that close. I don't like it." He then jumped in the cage and took his hacks.

After his round of hitting, Koskie sought out the photographer and apologized, saying, "I know you're just trying to do your job. I'm just not comfortable around cameras. Sorry."

Obviously, Koskie is in a different class than Rogers. I can't see Koskie doing anything like what Rogers did. But that's not to say this episode is completely one-sided. Photographers, in an attempt to do their job the best they can, often times get very close to people, sometimes getting in the way of what they're trying to do. I'm sure it can be annoying to be walking somewhere and have a camera thrust in your face and have to avoid the person behind it so you don't run into them. In this situation, the camera man wasn't in Rogers' way, but often times photographers cross the boundaries of personal space.

This time, I think Rodriguez can claim that the Gambler crossed that boundary.