There was definitely bedlam at Bedlam the other day.  The annual football game event called Bedlam at Oklahoma State University was home to a chaotic stampede of joyous fans as the underdog Cowboys won a huge victory over their rival, the Oklahoma Sooners.

Despite the announcer’s warning not to storm the field, thousands of fans did just that, some not even of their own volition.  Witnesses recount being knocked and pushed over the wall in the human wave of jubilant onlookers who rushed the field to celebrate the big victory.  The 20-30 person security crew was no match for the onslaught of humanity, and revelers pulled down goal posts in their glee.

It took more than 45 minutes for police to restore order to the chaos, and in the middle of the celebrations, at least a dozen people were injured.  Two people, including one with an existing medical condition, were airlifted to hospitals following the melee.

Two others had to undergo surgery for broken ankles, and still others were treated and released at the field.

While this is portrayed as a humorous event in the news, it is a testament to how quickly crowds can lose control.  I’ll be the dozen or so people who were injured didn’t find it amusing in the least bit.  We have been trained to look for the funny sides of stories like these, but in the process we are becoming so removed from the people involved that we forget how traumatic something like this would be.

I feel for those who were injured and hope they will return again to enjoy a game.  Perhaps this time they should go for the nosebleed seats, however.