Tragedy puts TV reporters on guard

I'm not sure there is ever a live sports event locally where Chris Maathuis isn't holding a microphone. Einstein said it was possible to be in two places at the same time. Some days, it seems as though Maathuis is in 10.

The man has enough B-roll to fill Sam Boyd Stadium.

He also woke Wednesday to the horrible events that played out in Moneta, Va., where a television reporter and cameraman were shot and killed during a live report on tourism, the gun being fired by a former colleague at WDBJ-TV who later took his own life.

That's how things usually end for cowards.

They check out before being held accountable.

"You watch that occur and remember all the live shots we have done in remote areas and think, 'God, that could happen to any of us,' " said Maathuis, sports director for KLAS-TV, Channel 8. "It's such a horrific thing. I think you're always fearful people might come up and do stupid things during a live shot, but never in your wildest dreams could you imagine someone coming at you with a knife or a gun during one."

Until now.

It's different, of course, covering wins and losses rather than the death and disaster and dreadful daily events that most news reporters encounter.

It's different, and it's not.

You can't explain lunacy. You can't always predict when the darkest of maniacal thoughts will appear.

When the craziest among us might attack.

The word fan originates from the Latin word, "fanaticus," meaning insanely but divinely inspired. I can think of more than a few fan bases who aren't all that divine.

We have seen tennis stars stabbed and first base coaches beaten and Olympic athletes massacred. Over time, sports have brought out the absolute best and worst in people, and to think such emotional and often nonsensical actions aren't at some point directed at those who write and report on athletes and the games they play is impractical.

Believe me. I have filled out enough police reports in response to threats as clear evidence.

Threats against myself and my family.

Over a particular team or athlete or column.

The crazies among us.

"I like doing live shots best because it gets you out into the community, where you can really tell a story well," said Maathuis, who has been doing so locally for nearly 19 years. "I love being among sports fans and showing their enthusiasm. Whether we are home in Las Vegas or maybe on the road with one of the UNLV teams, I want to do as many live shots as possible. Things can get a little weird when you have large crowds around you after a game or an event, but thank goodness I've never been in a position where things got really threatening."

They have for Amber Dixon, one reason the KSNV-TV, Channel 3 reporter switched from covering news to sports, who two years ago knocked on the door of a former zoo owner in Las Vegas and was greeted with a punch and the person grabbing her neck.

"To be honest, I saw what happened (Wednesday in Virginia) and was surprised it hadn't happened before," Dixon said. "You are out there doing live reports in open areas and a lot of things are out of your control. Your cameraman has his eyes focused on you during the shot and you are focused on the reporting. You don't know a lot of times what is happening around you.

"It's sad. It's scary. You have meetings and you talk to people about what could happen and then shrug your shoulders. How can you prevent something like what happened this week? You really can't. When it comes to (reporting news), you become jaded. There's just something about knocking on the door of someone who just lost a loved one. It can make for some unhappy times. I was done with those in my life, so I made the switch (to sports)."

Alison Parker was 24. Adam Ward was 27.

Both gone now.

Both shot in the head by some lunatic while doing a live interview.

A third victim, Chamber of Commerce executive Vicki Gardner, was shot in the back and, according to doctors, was centimeters from death. Thankfully, she is expected to recover.

It could happen to anyone, anywhere, any time, reporting on any sort of story. News, sports, politics, business.

Insanity isn't all that picky about whose lives it chooses to end or ruin.

"You know," said Maathuis, the B-roll king of Las Vegas, "I had a situation recently where a guy sort of snuck into a big group of people I was interviewing for a live shot and dropped an F-bomb when I asked him a question. I immediately apologized to the audience watching and our general manager had to fill out a report. When you are live, those things can unfortunately happen.

"But there haven't been too many times where we have really felt uncomfortable in a live setting about what was happening around us."

That changed for everyone this week.

In a sensless, tragic, horrific way.

Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be heard on "Seat and Ed" on Fox Sports 1340 from 2 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Twitter: @edgraney