“People who are used to bulls know that they can’t just stand still in front of them because they could be gored. But with the ball some people think that nothing will happen to them, but this is not the case. If they get a direct hit, it can be serious,” the mayor added.
Watch This Guy Get CRATERED By A Massive Ball In "Cruelty Free" Bull Run
Telegraph- A Spanish village’s attempt to invent a “cruelty-free” version of bull-running by replacing the animals with giant balls has ended in tragedy after two people were seriously injured.
One man was left in a coma after sustaining a serious head injury when he was crushed against metal barriers by the 300-kilogramme resin ball which chased runners around the town of Mataelpino, near Madrid during the event over the weekend.
Another man suffered three broken ribs and concussion.
The mayor of Mataelpino, whose idea of substituting in the balls – painted with bull’s faces – seven years ago has been emulated by other Spanish towns, has said the council will review its safety protocols before next year’s event.
The ball runs down more down 500 metres of sloping streets reaching a top speed of around 20 miles per hour.
But Mayor Javier Pérez de los Nietos also warned participants not to take the ball running lightly despite the absence of sharp horns and thundering hooves.
“We are going to review all of our security measures and boost the information given out because people have started coming here from all over the world. We don’t want this to become a tragic event, but rather something fun,” Mayor Pérez de los Nietos told the Spanish newspaper El País.
Videos of the event showed how the ball, three metres in diameter, smashed into metal barriers on a corner of the route, squashing a young man who sank to the ground amid screams from onlookers. He is reported to have suffered a fractured skull and placed in an induced coma by doctors fighting to save his life.
The other man who was seriously injured on Saturday has since been released from hospital.
Karma is a bitch! You take the bulls out of the bull run and replace them with massive resin balls, you offend the bull god (Apis). It’s like when you see those meat-free chicken nuggets or burgers at the grocery store. Vegan “steaks.” Don’t piss on my face and tell me it’s raining. Call it something else you motherfuckers. You can’t take the steak out of a steak and still call it a steak–it’s a new thing. Call it what it is: a shit sandwich made with beans and sprouts and barely edible nonsense that doesn’t offend people who retired from deodorant in 2003.
Similarly, you can’t take the bulls out of a “bull run” and still call it a bull run. This stupid bull-less knockoff is a BALL-run, or an Indiana Jones reenactment run. And since nobody is afraid of balls, you’re going to have some casualties. Obviously a medically-induced coma isn’t ideal. Apparently he’s in stable condition now though, so we’re good! You mess with the ball, you’re going to get the… ball. Ever heard the saying “ball don’t lie”? Fairly sure we’ve got some extra shirts lying around.
Mayor Pérez de los Nietos admitted that one change could see a different material used for the barriers, traditionally made of sturdy iron to afford a solid defence against raging bulls.
That’s your solution? Softening the BARRIERS? If you check the tape, it’s not the metal railing that sent this gamook flying; it’s the enormous ball he decided to take on, despite the fact that he’s skipped leg day at the gym for the last 18 years. If you really want to prevent these injuries, bring back the bulls. You may get a horn that connects your anus to your bellybutton, but you’re less likely to end up in a coma.
And now, a poem
Humpty Dumpty stood near the wall
Down the road came the rolling ball
It crushed him to pieces, his shorts filled with feces
I’ve watched it 10 times and continue to lawllll