NASCAR Tries To Squelch Video of Spectators Injured By Crash 359
An anonymous reader writes "Dozens of fans attending a NASCAR race at Daytona Speedway were injured when a crash during the last lap triggered a chain reaction, culminating in the front section of Kyle Larson's car ricocheting into the fence in front of the stands (Larson escaped injury). While the footage accompanying the article is dramatic enough, an even more riveting clip showing the chaotic scene in the stands from up close was posted on YouTube, but was taken down after NASCAR claimed it violated their copyright . YouTube has since restored the fan's video. A NASCAR spokesman has issued a clarification, saying that the takedown request was done out of respect for those injured. The race was an opening act for the main event, the Daytona 500, which officials say will proceed as scheduled. 'With the fence being prepared tonight to our safety protocols, we expect to go racing tomorrow with no changes,' Speedway President Joie Chitwood told CNN."
Respect is an excuse? (Score:5, Insightful)
"Respect" is an excuse for perjury and a violation of a federal law? I should try that one if I ever get I trouble. I was just being respectful.
Oh, I forgot. The rules are different for large corporations. Carry on.
Re:False Takedown Notice? (Score:5, Insightful)
Yay Lawyers! (Score:5, Insightful)
What's a little perjury when you have someone's best interests in mind, right?
Why do they think they can get away with this? (Score:5, Insightful)
I'll tell you what's gross. (Score:5, Insightful)
If you watch the video, everyone's practically ejaculating as the wreck begins and more cars get involved. And then, suddenly, it extends into the spectator seating and then it's the worst thing in the world. I'm sorry for those who were injured, but there's something about that which just seems really gross. "Oh, dang Jimmy Bob John Paul Ricky Dicky Junior! Look at that amazing wreck and the cars flipping around and slamming into each other! This is what we come to see! Violence and destruction and people risking their lives potentially being injured for our enjoyment!" followed by "ermagherd, a tire! who do we sue?!".
Don't misunderstand me -- the accident looked horrible, even though it wasn't clear who was injured and exactly to what extent, in the seats and I hope the spectators end up being okay and are justly compensated. It's great that the drivers were apparently okay. It's just that, as I watched the video, something about that sort of -- I don't want to call it hypocrisy, but I don't know what to call it -- which I found kind of gross.
I'll tell you what's gross-Gladiators. (Score:2, Insightful)
Blood and Circuses.
Re:Perjury (Score:3, Insightful)
Their "safety protocols" are crap (Score:2, Insightful)
Sorry but what idiot thinks that a Chain link fence can hold back a 200mph engine block? Up to the 20' mark above the wall should be 8" thick polycarbonate with large steel beams. Problem is that NASCAR hates spending money on safety of the fans.
Re:I'll tell you what's gross. (Score:1, Insightful)
Hoping to see other people suffer injuries without being injured oneself is not hypocritical. It is callous, perhaps sociopathic.
You hope the spectators are justly compensated, but they already have been. What could be more appropriate than suffering an injury themselves?
Gross? (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm undoing my negative moderation of your post to reply to your comment. In case you don't understand the context of this video, it is the final lap of the race. Everyone is excited because it is a close race with a number of cars vying for the win. Perhaps you don't enjoy watching sports, or rooting for a particular person or team to win, but most people tend to get rather excited when a long competition comes down to the very end.
For you to demean the spectators, and use terms like "practically ejaculating", simply shows me that you are detached emotionally from sporting events, which is a great source of entertainment and pleasure for a very significant number of people.
If you find spectators getting excited over a winner of an event "gross" then I advise you to not attend sporting events or view videos of them, so as to not offend your sensitivities.
it's a news event (Score:4, Insightful)
fair use should apply
it all happens on corporate property, but that doesn't trump the common news value
this is a dangerous precedent if corporate PR trumps newsworthiness
this is how and why western democratic ideals and freedoms are undermined by runaway financial power
Re:False Takedown Notice? (Score:0, Insightful)
You're only now learning this? Have you learned nothing from all the slaughter done in the name of Jesus?
Re:Gross? (Score:5, Insightful)
NASCAR is not a goddamn sport. You have rules that you have to follow while driving? Welcome to every fucking public road in America -- we're all athletes! Mooo MOOOO MOOOO FUCKING MOOOO goddamn manatees watching dumbshits drive in circles. More beer for the narwhals while they watch their "sport" ... the word means nothing anymore.
So, for you, a 'sport' is something practiced in the nude without any implements, tools or other artifacts of modern life? So naked Christians thrown to the lions in early Rome was a 'sport'? Interesting outlook on things.
Motor sport racing, while silly on a lot of levels (NASCAR especially) requires quite a bit of athleticism from it's participants. YOU try to muscle a 5000 pound vehicle at close proximity to others going close to 200 mph for several hours. YOU probably couldn't get the thing out of the garage without having a heart attack. Ignorant Bozo.
Re:False Takedown Notice? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Gross? (Score:5, Insightful)
Except the loudest cheers where not when the cars were in sight, but when the crash began, including a loud "Ooooh, there we go!" from someone close to the camera.
Nice try though.
Re:False Takedown Notice? (Score:5, Insightful)
Amen. And we really do need Google to do this, if even on behalf of (and with written permission of), the actual rights holders. Every system needs checks, and just dumping countless notices on a service provider and letting them be the arbiter, with no repercussions for bogus requests, is absolutely insane. There needs to be counterweight.
Re:I'll tell you what's gross. (Score:2, Insightful)
Fence height isn't the problem here. Looks like the object in this case got through it. (Which is why NASCAR tried to do the takedown for CYA purposes.)
If you notice the footage, there were cables and some light fencing. However the cables had nothing to keep them together other than the widely spaced support posts. Looks like some other debris from the early part of the crash bumped the cables first which had them swing, this made the gap between the cables wide enough for a tire from a car crashing into the end of the wreck to thread its way through. The 70 pound wheel flying around 100MPH went right through the lighter inside fencing with no problem, since it only seems to be there to keep loose trash and stupid fans from going onto the track.
They could probably fix it and make it less likely next time if they put some kind of cording at spaced intervals over the big cables. You know, so they wont swing apart and let big objects that they're supposed to block get through.
Re:Gross? (Score:3, Insightful)
Nascar is a sport like sitting in a sauna is a sport. You sit. You sweat. *yawn* all done.
Re:Nascar .. cha ching (Score:4, Insightful)
Yeah, because nothing says "being a good guy" like trying to render first aid to someone when you're drunk and don't know the first thing about first aid.
He should've just elbowed his way through there, grabbed a pocket knife from someone, and done surgery right there in the stands.
Re:False Takedown Notice? (Score:3, Insightful)
Your outrage is misdirected. This wasn't a DMCA takedown this was a special power youtube gives to a special class of copyright holders to be the police themselves. Youtube can't override a DMCA takedown even if it was filed in bad faith only the person who posted the orginal can fight a takedown notice.
If you want to be outraged; rage at youtube for giving NASCAR the power to pull videos and of course NASCAR for abusing their powers.
But DMCA problem this is not; this is basicly an admin deleting a post they didn't like.
Re:False Takedown Notice? (Score:4, Insightful)
I met a guy that considered the earth to be flat once, but I remain unconvinced.
Re:Nascar .. cha ching (Score:4, Insightful)
Professional sports at the upper levels priced them selves out of the market years ago. Same with live concerts. I really don't know how they get so many people to pay so much for so little.
Re:Nascar .. cha ching (Score:3, Insightful)
You realize it's contradictory to say they priced themselves out of the market, and that they sell a lot?
In fact, a lot of concerts could easily price tickets much, much higher, and still sell out. They have cheaper tickets to give their less wealthy, but devoted enough to be the first in line, fans a chance to come.
Re:False Takedown Notice? (Score:5, Insightful)
Perjury is a felony in the US (see 18 USC 1621) so one might expect the relevant government to intervene and prosecute. One might also be disappointed.
Re:Stop Automobile Violence Act (Score:5, Insightful)
Perhaps there's some middle-ground solution? We could require all cars to be registered (and tracked in government databases), and operators to be licensed and trained. We could mandate insurance for drivers, and require new cars to be built with reasonable safety features (while grandfathering in older collectible models). Maybe even additional taxes on car fuels, beyond the sales taxes on ordinary goods? Limitations on car operation in school zones? Fines, loss of licensing, and criminal penalties for dangerous driving (even in cases no damage is done)? This way, people who have grown up in a driving culture, passed down from parents to children, can still responsibly drive cars for recreation and utility, while keeping unlicensed fleets of murder vehicles out of the hands of criminals. But perhaps I'm the crazy dreamer to think that society could ever agree to such a solution.
Re:Gross? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: Nascar .. cha ching (Score:5, Insightful)
while races attract all types,
Yeah, and they like both types of music at the bars near NASCAR tracks: country and western.
Re: False Takedown Notice? (Score:4, Insightful)
Slaughter in the name of Jesus was 500 years ago. Slaughter in the name of Muhammed was 5 days ago. Smaller scale, granted, but it's too soon to joke about.
I think you mean 5 years ago at most, unless you're willfully ignoring all the abortion clinic murders among other atrocities committed in the name of a christian deity...