04/23/24
November 01, 2009
Manu Ginobili Makes Bat-sketball History: After a bat twice interrupted play in the first quarter, Manu Ginobili swatted it out of midair during the San Antonio Spurs' Halloween night game against the Sacramento Kings and carried it offcourt. "I guess in Argentina, bat hunting is part of everyday life," Kings center Spencer Hawes said. "Somebody had to do it, and it wasn't going to be me."
posted by rcade to basketball at 08:36 AM - 17 comments
Think PETA will organize a boycott of the Spurs?
posted by jjzucal at 12:32 PM on November 01, 2009
Same thing I was wondering, jj.
posted by outonleave at 02:50 PM on November 01, 2009
Really? You saw that and that's what you thought of? PETA?
They should thank their PR guys. Those guys are doing a good job.
Meanwhile, I quiver in the sight of the awesome maniness of Manu.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 07:07 PM on November 01, 2009
Was anyone else amused by the way the players reacted to this? Maybe it's just me, but I was a little suprised. Stoppage of play? Players running for cover? HAND SANITIZER?
posted by Goyoucolts at 02:11 AM on November 02, 2009
Actually, it's not just the PETA PR guys; I saw that and thought "Uh, gross!!!" I mean, shouldn't professional pest control/animal control people come in to deal with that? I'd actually side with PETA on this one: it totally wasn't necessary to kill the animal like he did.
By contrast, whenever these incidents happen in baseball, there's a jovial atmosphere as the crowd roars at the antics of the critter- squirrel, cat, raccoon, whatever- as it dances around the field and eludes the grounds crew, and always ends with a nice net or ushering into a secured area. It's an entertaining diversion, and no one- or no animal- gets hurt. The only time I think I've seen animal control kill the animal(s) was they beekeeper guy earlier this year. But can you imagine the crowd's reaction if someone just took a bat to a squirrel on the field?
Yeah. That's why I could side with PETA if they made a stink about this.
posted by hincandenza at 03:49 AM on November 02, 2009
PETA my ass, put any of them in a room with one of those flying rats and they'll be calling for pest control themselves. Prior to blowing my back out, we would get these calls at the FD. We would corner the bat on the wall. One of us would stand under it with a pillow case, while the other sprayed it with a co2 extinguisher. They fall right in the pillow case, you take it outside and let it go. Those nasty things still make me itch when I think about it.
It was still a nice swing by ginobili.
posted by jojomfd1 at 06:41 AM on November 02, 2009
Not such nice creatures, indeed. Down here, they kill.
posted by owlhouse at 07:51 AM on November 02, 2009
By contrast, whenever these incidents happen in baseball, there's a jovial atmosphere as the crowd roars at the antics of the critter- squirrel, cat, raccoon, whatever- as it dances around the field and eludes the grounds crew, and always ends with a nice net or ushering into a secured area.
Baseball is played outside. Not that many people have the same reaction to little critters once they are inside. And, plus, it was a freakin' bat.
posted by bperk at 08:12 AM on November 02, 2009
LOL, nice job of swatting a bat out of mid-air. Though to be fair, the bat was probably pretty disoriented as he was totally out of his natural habitat.
The player swatted it down, he didn't stomp on his head...PETA has no reason for complaint here.
I think the hand sanitizer is the least that should have happened. I'd probably want to take a shower after contacting the bat like that!
posted by dviking at 10:55 AM on November 02, 2009
Yeah. That's why I could side with PETA if they made a stink about this.
For killing a bat by accident? Have you never set a mouse trap?
I had a house that bats constantly got into. Broom and towel were my disposal method of choice, never killed one either. Drunken bat wrangling was a surprisingly good time.
posted by tron7 at 11:03 AM on November 02, 2009
Drunken bat wrangling was a surprisingly good time.
I've heard it called a lot of things, but really?
posted by yerfatma at 11:24 AM on November 02, 2009
It should be pointed out that I was drunk, the bat was not.
posted by tron7 at 12:13 PM on November 02, 2009
Tennis rackets work very well. (not for the squeamish)
Used to deal with the flying mammals at a lake cabin, the animals can do quite the damage to a wooden structure.
posted by dviking at 02:55 PM on November 02, 2009
Looking at the video I don't think he meant to kill it, but that was one hell of a reflex swipe to get it. Didn't he play for the Transylvania Royals as a teenager?
posted by irunfromclones at 03:44 PM on November 02, 2009
I watched the video several times and all I could focus on was a severe case of male pattern baldness. Poor Manu!
posted by dusted at 01:30 AM on November 03, 2009
I watched the video several times and all I could focus on was a severe case of male pattern baldness. Poor Manu!
I was honesty thinking the same thing which is why IMO he cut his hair very short...so that the severe case of male pattern baldness wouldn't look so severe.
posted by BornIcon at 01:31 PM on November 04, 2009
Awesome.
I like how the coach rushed out with hand sanitizer.