In one of the more unbelievable accidents that I have ever heard, a Tucson high school basketball player has been left partially paralyzed after being tackled by fans celebrating his game-ending dunk....Joe Kay, who is a 4.0 student with a full volleyball scholarship to Stanford, is still in intensive care in serious condition but fortunately there seems to be signs of improvement.

It's surprising more people aren't hurt when mobs of people rush the floor or field.

I heard about this incident on the radio yesterday, just a horrible tragedy. This is one reason why fans are supposed to stay off the courts/playing fields after games...now this kid's future is uncertain.

It used to be fans would mob the court or field when a team won a title. Now they act like goons when Duke beats Slippery Rock. New law: Anyone who runs onto the court or field will be arrested. Or better yet, add these losers to the People who Should Be Shot thread!

I ran across this 2004 thread, wondered what happened with Joe Kay after his awful incident (I'm reluctant to call it an "accident") on the basketball court.

After four years of rehab and recovery, his right side is still mostly paralyzed, but otherwise he's getting along. Stanford honored his volleyball scholarship, and while he can't play on the team, he is an assistant volleyball coach, founded a student disability advocacy group and is doing well academically.

The Tucson school district and the two students responsible for his post-game injuries agreed to a $3.5 million settlement, including $600,000 from the students' parents' homeowners policies. One of them recently got around to apologizing to him.

Wow! Good for Stanford for honoring his scholarship and good for Joe for being so proactive!