A Los Angeles Dodgers sideline reporter learned this week that sliding isn’t easy after he fractured his arm and several ribs going down the slide at the Milwaukee Brewers stadium.
David Vassegh’s unfortunate — but also hilarious — trip down the slide Wednesday was captured in a video that’s since gone viral.
His fellow Dodgers’ announcers shared the clip during a broadcast of Wednesday night’s game between the Brewers and Dodgers. They noted that Vassegh was very excited about the slide before it showed him who’s boss.
“David Vassegh’s been talking for three days about going down the slide here in Milwaukee. I’ve never heard somebody so excited about doing anything,” Joe Davis said.
He and others in the broadcast booth started laughing as they transitioned from the slide video to a live shot of Vassegh on the field sporting a new cast on his right arm.
“Hi guys,” Vassegh said cheerfully before explaining his plight.
“Hey, I do my own stunts, Tom Cruise style. I try to play it up ‘Shaqtin’ the Fool’ style, and you’re looking at the fool,” he said, referring a popular segment on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” in which Shaquille O’Neal makes fun of athletes who’ve made silly mistakes.
Vassegh told his fellow reporters that his crash into the wall at the base of the slide left him with a right arm fracture and six fractured ribs. He has since tweeted several laughing face emojis and seems to be in good spirits.
The slide at the Brewers stadium is not open to the general public, but it’s often enjoyed by visiting-team personnel, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The home team does allow some fans to enjoy the treacherous attraction. “The Brewers sell behind-the-scenes packages that include a trip down the slide,” the Journal Sentinel reported.