Collision Could End Up Being Quite the Blessing

L.A. Times Archives

Nov. 20, 2000 12 AM PT

Kansas City tight end Tony Gonzalez crashed into a sideline photographer and knocked him unconscious during a Nov. 11 game at San Francisco.

It may turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to freelance photographer Mickey Pflegler.

Gonzalez was shoved out of bounds by a linebacker. He smashed into Pflegler, sending the 51-year-old photographer, laden with cameras, into a seizure.

Pflegler was taken to a hospital, where doctors found no serious injuries. But because of the seizure, they ran a brain scan.

“Something showed up, and they weren’t sure what it was. But the doctors were concerned enough to check me into the hospital and do an MRI the next day,” Pflegler said from his San Francisco home Sunday.

That test revealed a brain tumor. Doctors did not describe the size of the tumor, “but it looks pretty big,” he said. He will have a biopsy Nov. 30 to see whether it is malignant.

“The approach I’m taking is, I’m a believer things happen for a reason, and this looks like a good reason,” he said.

“This happened so I’d get that scan and find it, and hopefully it’s at an early stage.”

Gonzalez was troubled from the moment he hit Pflegler.

“He had this dazed look,” Gonzalez recalled. “He started shaking. I was still trying to talk to him, ‘Are you all right? Are you all right?’ And he didn’t answer me. I’ve hit people on the sideline before, and usually they get right up. I was expecting him to get up, and I was going to help him up. But I looked at his eyes, and they were rolled back. The next thing I know, the ref is pulling me away, saying I needed to get to the huddle.”

Gonzalez was bothered during the rest of the Chiefs’ 21-7 loss and on the flight home. He instructed his California assistant, Denise White, to call the hospital.

“You start second-guessing yourself,” Gonzalez said. “Maybe I could have avoided him or tried to fall to the side. Now he’s in the hospital.”

When Pflegler arrived home from the hospital, a bouquet with a note from Gonzalez was waiting:

“I am so sorry about our unfortunate meeting. I truly hope you are OK and doing well. Please keep us updated on your condition.”

On Tuesday night, Gonzalez was stunned to hear about the brain tumor.

“I definitely believe in a higher power, which is God, and everything happens for a reason,” Gonzalez said. “I don’t know if I saved his life.”

Gonzalez tried to contact Pflegler last week.

“I tried calling him and left messages. But his voice mail was filled,” Gonzalez said. “I sent him a football, saying I was sorry. Words can’t describe how I felt. Running into him was a blessing in disguise.”

FUNNY, THAT’S WHAT SHAQ ALWAYS SAYS

Donovan McNabb, running from sideline to sideline, scrambled nearly 25 yards on a seven-yard touchdown run, lowering his shoulder and breaking a tackle for the final two yards, in the third quarter of Philadelphia’s 34-9 victory over Arizona.

He threw an air ball as he tried to celebrate the touchdown by shooting the football--free-throw style--over the goal post.

“It was very windy out there,” McNabb joked. “I have to blame something.”

WINNING MAKES IT EVEN MORE REWARDING

A 16-13 victory over the Bengals allowed Patriot left tackle Bruce Armstrong to walk off a winner in his 207th game, breaking defensive end Julius Adams’ club record. “It is not about me,” Armstrong said. “We can have a couple of drinks tonight, and instead of crying in our beer it will be a little sweeter. I don’t like losing, never have.”

Armstrong has been on the losing side of 118 of those 207 games, so he might not like losing, but he sure must be used to it.

MOSS KEEPS ROLLING ALONG

Viking receiver Randy Moss caught five passes for 106 yards in a 31-17 win over Carolina to become the second NFL receiver to break the 1,000-yard barrier in each of his first three seasons.

John Jefferson gained more than 1,000 yards from 1978-79. Moss has 58 catches for 1,026 yards.

“I don’t really look at that as anything big,” Moss said. “It’s no trophy, no ring or anything. When John Jefferson was in the record book, he probably didn’t think another guy would come along to join him.”

YOU BETTER HAVE THAT LOGO SHOWING

Jack “The Assassin” Tatum, the former Oakland Raider safety whose hard-hitting style made him one of the game’s most feared defensive backs, is still handing out punishment to players.

He’s one of the league’s fashion police.

Tatum and 30 other former players work part-time tracking down offenders who wear their socks too low or don’t tuck in their shirts. They have issued $1.1 million in fines to 163 players so far this season to make sure that uniforms are properly worn and the logos of corporate sponsors are visible.

“They don’t give me too much lip,” Tatum said.

“But I don’t put up with a lot, either.”

In addition to making sure the uniforms are being worn properly, inspectors such as Tatum, former New York Giant running back Joe Morris and former Miami Dolphin wide receiver Nat Moore check on whether the coaches’ headsets have the proper Motorola Inc. insignia visible, and the Quaker Oats Co.’s Gatorade tubs are clearly marked.

“A lot of companies pay an awful lot of money to have their logos displayed by the NFL, and we have to protect their rights,” Morris said.

EXPERIENCE IS NICE, BUT NOT REQUIRED

Of the 31 head coaches, only seven played in the NFL, an all-time low.

Four of the seven were defensive backs: Jeff Fisher of the Titans, Dick Jauron of the Bears, Tony Dungy of the Buccaneers and Dick LeBeau of the Bengals.

Two others were linebackers, Bill Cowher of the Steelers (who performed mostly on special teams) and Jim Haslett of the Saints.

The only former offensive player is also the one who probably was the best known as a player, Dan Reeves of the Falcons. Reeves was an all-purpose running back for the Cowboysin the ‘60s.

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Running Wild

Fred Taylor’s 234 yards rushing against the Steelers Sunday ranks 12th in NFL history. It was also the sixth rushing performance of more than 200 yards this season. In 1997, there were a record seven 200-yard rushing performances. The 200-yard rushers this season and in 1997:

2000 Yards

Corey Dillon: 278

Fred Taylor: 234

Edgerrin James: 219

Marshall Faulk: 208

Charlie Garner: 201

Duce Staley: 201

1997 Yards

Corey Dillon: 246

Napoleon Kaufman: 227

Eddie George: 216

Barry Sanders: 216