A photo of Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Korey Stringer bent over gasping for breath during a vigorous practice drill appeared on the front of the Beacon Journal’s sports section on Thursday, the day the newspaper reported the Warren native’s death from heatstroke.
The photo was taken Monday and appeared Tuesday in a Minnesota newspaper. Teammates ribbed Stringer about his apparent struggle in coping with the workout and the heat, according to subsequent media reports. Stringer, a 335-pound player, was determined to finish Tuesday’s workout, his teammates later said, but instead collapsed and was taken to a hospital, where he died early Wednesday.
The photo’s use as the dominant image on the sports section front bothered a couple readers. One caller said it was “a little shabby, a little classless on the part of the Beacon Journal.” An e-mail writer described the photo as tasteless and insulting to Stringer’s memory and his fans.
The photo was not used simply for shock value, although no doubt it was uncomfortable for many people to see. Sports Editor Larry Pantages said the photo’s use was justified. “It was a tough decision,” he said. “The picture will be the definitive way that the news story will be remembered.”
The photo was used by other media in the area and across the country. Pantages argued that it was an essential part of reporting on Stringer’s death because of teammates’ accounts of his reaction to it.
Deputy Sports Editor Frank Corsoe conceded “it’s not a pleasant story.” The sight of Stringer’s obvious physical distress is common at NFL camps as players undergo the preseason rigors of getting into shape, Corsoe said.
Other photos of Stringer were available and several appeared with the package of stories about his death. Those stories included reports of family and friends in Warren mourning his death.
A photo of Vikings Coach Dennis Green, Moss and wide receiver Cris Carter addressing a press conference captured the pain caused by the unexpected death.
Yet none of those photos is as graphic and grim as the one showing Stringer gasping for breath.
Unfortunately, no one paid much attention to that image while Stringer was alive.
On Friday, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue called on all teams to re-evaluate their procedures for training during summer heat.
