ASHWAUBENON When a bat flew into the arena where the Green Bay Gamblers were playing Cedar Rapids, coach Jon Cooper made the call. He sent three of his players to take care of business with sticks in hand.
The junior hockey team is getting some jeers for killing the bat. Tori Perry of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says the Gamblers should have tried to net the bat and release it unharmed.
Cooper told WLUK-TV on Wednesday that rabies is a serious concern, and his thoughts Tuesday night were not only for his players, but the hundreds of fans close to the rink at the Resch Center.
The players, with hockey sticks and full pads, might have been well protected.
But that wasnt so when San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili swatted a stray bat out of mid-air with his bare hands during a game on Halloween.
He needed rabies shots.
Video of bat on rink
Tuesday night's junior hockey game between the Green Bay Gamblers and the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon was delayed for roughly 5 minutes in the third period when a bat flew onto the ice and would not leave.
It eventually was removed from the rink. Here's how.
Be advised: Some viewers may find this video objectionable.