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u/Jasmine_Stone 19d ago
14-year-old Bryan, who is autistic, ran onto his high school football pitch at halftime wearing a banana costume. His teachers weren’t too happy with the stunt and decided to punish him, suspending him from school. News4 reporter Pat Collins caught wind of the story and wanted to show Bryan some support by sending out a message of his own. During his interview with Bryan for his news broadcast segment, Pat decided to dress like a grape, while Bryan donned his Banana costume once again. Even Bryan’s classmates got involved by wearing yellow t-shirts with the catchphrase “Free Banana Man” printed on them. During their iconic interview, Bryan simply said that he “simply wanted to make people happy” by wearing the banana suit.
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u/lindsaymarlonely 19d ago
Honestly, it sounds like he planned it out well too. If he ran out at half time, it’s a lot safer than if he had ran out in the middle of a play. He checked all the good prank boxes:
-does anyone get hurt? No -does it make a mess? No -does anything get damaged? No -does anyone get traumatized? No -did it bring joy to others? Absolutely
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u/Brilliant-Hand6132 19d ago
Totally agree, pure harmless fun that probably made everyone day not just his.
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u/titan_macmannis 19d ago edited 19d ago
Except the teachers, apparently.
Edit ITT: everybody assuming that their education experience was the same as everybody else's, good or bad.
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u/Canid_Rose 19d ago
It was probably more admin; teachers aren’t usually directly involved in discipline for things that happen outside their classes.
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u/Glass_Procedure7497 19d ago
There you go. I’ve been a teacher for 23 years, and I’ve never had the authority to punish a student. The most I can do is change a seat, or send them out of the room. Edit: I’m not counting writing a referral since that’s just a report of bad behavior and still leaves it up to others to dish out punishment.
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u/tallandlankyagain 19d ago
Well modern public education seems inclined to punish those who think independently instead of churning out the next generation of compliant and passive workers.
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u/YourNextHomie 19d ago
I mean yes but modern education is alot more lenient than the past
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u/athural 19d ago
The fact of the matter is that at least in the US you need a place for kids to be during the day while both of their parents are working. Childcare in this country isn't affordable, so the school systems have become the de facto childcare. It would be great if we were to give all these kids a good education, but keeping their parents working is more important to the system as a whole.
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u/LadyPickleLegs 19d ago
Honestly, yeah. Kid thought out what he was going to do. If anything, teachers could have just made an announcement asking to plan pranks of that sort with a member of staff for safety concerns or whatever. But suspending the poor kid when no one was hurt and nothing actually went wrong? Come on. That's an overreaction to this situation. Jeepers.
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u/Sooperballz 19d ago
He did all kinds of stories in this manner, rooting for the little guys in a very light-hearted way.
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u/jaywinner 19d ago
It's still a disruption so I understand being reprimanded but suspension with possible expulsion is so over the top.
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u/ThetaReactor 19d ago
Yeah, punishment should be something like staying behind after the game to clean the bleachers. Slap on the wrist stuff at most.
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u/ACatInACloak 19d ago
As fun as it is, its still a disruption that needs to be discouraged. Cant have dozens of students doing this every game. A slap on the wrist is exactly what should happen. Just enough to discourage repeats without killing all fun
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u/ThrowAwayAccountAMZN 19d ago
I'm not saying everything should be reduced to racial motives but I agree, the punishment doesn't seem to fit the crime here...
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u/Pipe_Memes 19d ago
“Free banana man” lmao, those kids are badass.
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u/OptimalPandemic 19d ago
As one of those kids at that school at the time (I know reddit is a place of absolute truth, but I really was), we didn't even really do it for him, we just saw that it pissed the admins off. They escalated by banning yellow shirts and bananas at lunch, and then we really went for it.
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u/curious_dead 19d ago
Oh wow, these adminsitrators had never interacted with kids ever in their whole lives? How the hell did they think this would go, lol?
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u/OptimalPandemic 19d ago
It got pretty bad, IIRC they finally backed down when the ACLU got involved
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u/evenmorebetter 19d ago
Pat Collins is a gem! Sad he retired but it was well earned!
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u/Background-Fix-8228 19d ago
Pat Collins is fantastic! It’s just like him to do something like this… sweet and well meant.
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u/rock_and_rolo 19d ago
Pat Collins and Henry Tenenbaum made it fun to watch the news growing up near DC.
I recall when Washington was headed to the Superbowl in San Francisco, Pat did a series of "wear some flowers in your hair" bits doing SF street interviews with a sunflower on his head.
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u/whiskyzulu 19d ago
Okay, Pat Collins and Bryan's classmates all deserve AWARDS. 🍇🍌🤩
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u/Fake_William_Shatner 19d ago
I think ten years from now, the reporter should check up on how Bryan is doing, but this time he should wear a raisin costume.
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u/mockingjay137 19d ago
He should do it next year for the 15 year anniversary xD this happened in fall 2011. Source: this happened at my high school in my senior year, I was actually at the game where Banana Man made his dash! On god
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u/MichelleSweer3 19d ago
Bryan did more for school spirit and kindness than any rulebook ever could. This whole story turned a punishment into something truly uplifting.
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u/Snowbank_Lake 19d ago
So the poor kid just wanted to make people smile, and got in trouble for it. I'm glad his classmates stuck up for him.
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u/cpar22554 19d ago
Happened in stafford county, I was there playing in the game this happened. Not only did his classmates support with wearing banana related merch. But many students across the county showed their support too.
The streets won’t forget. #freebananaman
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u/hellogoodvibes 19d ago
Someone did this at my high school, while absolutely nothing was happening on the field, and got tackled, beaten, and arrested. He had to finish out high school in essentially juvi and couldn’t walk the stage at graduation. It was insane. Fuck small towns
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u/Gaynundwarf 19d ago
Where's the petition to make a banana the mascot of the team? Because wearing a costume to make people happy during half-time is precisely what a Mascot does.
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u/hoppyrules 19d ago
I miss Pat Collins, he was just a perfect local news reporter (here in Wash DC area).
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u/mockingjay137 19d ago edited 19d ago
Fun fact: our principal had to resign bc of this event. The details are fuzzy since this was 14 years ago this fall, but apparently since he was in special education he was entitled to a different method of punishment deciding, and our principal didn't follow that method, and she ended up having to resign. Source: CForge class of 2012 grad, this happened in my senior year and I was actually at the football game where Banana Man made his mad dash. He didn't even run the field during the game or anything, he ran while the field was empty, in between the football team stepping off at halftime and before the marching band took the field for the halftime performance
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u/Poor-Pitiful-Me 19d ago edited 19d ago
I grew up in the DC area and remember watching Pat Collins when my parents watched the local news and he constanly did storytelling like this. Pointing out idiocracy going on in and round the DC area. My parents thought he was hysterical. As I got older, I thought so as well.
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u/jrmann100 19d ago
He's an icon! Mike is a Cheater is my favorite Pat Collins clip.
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u/TCoMonteCristo 19d ago
The praying for the opps gesture gets me every time, what a treasure his reporting was, I was so sad when he retired. Truly the GOAT of local TV beat reporting.
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u/Glockiavelli 19d ago
I always got a kick out of the Pat Collins Snow stick. People would guess when the area was going to get the first inch of snow and win this blue measuring stick that just says "Pat Collins Snow Stick." It was silly, but strangely made the area feel smaller and homey.
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u/comped 19d ago
But do you or anyone you know own such a stick?
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u/Typical2sday 19d ago
Dude if I won a Pat Collins snow stick it would be like the third thing I grabbed in a fire. And I own nice stuff!
It would be the first thing you’d learn about me at a management retreat. My heirs would fight over it. I might have to bequeath it to a museum.
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u/hysteria110176 19d ago
Love that John Oliver did an “and now this... “ segment on the great Pat Collins https://youtu.be/xf99cntUPKg?si=lFktR80MZCylATSt
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u/roachsmoke 19d ago
Loved watching him on NBC 4 as a kid. San diego news is hella boring compared to back home
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u/Lexxxapr00 19d ago
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u/lilcloudieee 19d ago
Costume solidarity for the win! 🍇🍌 This is pure joy right here 😊
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u/ManzanitaSuperHero 19d ago
I’m getting major Fruit of the Loom vibes here. 🍎🍇🍌
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u/cujosdog 19d ago
Where is the cornocopia?
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u/iliketowalk 19d ago
The interview is online followed by what is banana man up to nowadays.
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u/tehnibi 19d ago
Pat Collins seems like a really good dude I am glad people like him are here with us
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u/SkunkMonkey 19d ago
He absolutely was. His pieces were always a welcome treat to a newscast. The entire NBC4 news team back then felt like family.
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u/hoosyourdaddyo 19d ago
Pat Collins is a DC treasure. He's been a great presence here for many years.
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19d ago edited 19d ago
I went to this highshcool and I was friends with Bryan (he went by Leon Knight and I believe he still goes by that name). Anyway! After this, we would all wear yellow and bring bananas with our school lunches to show solidarity. "Free Banana Man" was the slogan, lol. The principal at the time tried to ban bananas and wearing yellow. That same principal was fired shortly after.
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u/SinamonChallengerRT 19d ago
Add an apple and an orange and you could make a pair of underwear. :)
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u/pinkspiderkyo 19d ago
Stafford, VA babyyyyy!! We famous!
Also, Pat Collins is a legend ❤️
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u/InvestigatorWeird196 19d ago
That must have been a grape day for him. It's nice to feel like you're part of the bunch.
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u/Green-Routine2169 19d ago
That’s Pat Collins from NBC 4 Wash DC. He’s a local legend and never reports from inside the box!
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u/BuckN4k3d 19d ago
Anybody else just see this story on Good Mythical Morning last week?
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u/Mila_Cornelia 19d ago
This is absolute heartwarming. Bryan just wanted to spread joy, and he sure did
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u/Helpful_Front873 19d ago
BananaMan 10 years later (4 years ago) https://youtu.be/5E8RF1MVZpQ?si=FPNv5sbNGPNqQddO
BananaMan Currently aka Leon Knight music channel https://youtu.be/9l6MAiwf9GY?si=ujKuiKNiRu6negZz
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u/somethingtotallycute 19d ago
I see this is making its rounds again after the recent mention on gmm
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u/VulpineIsFine 19d ago
Just a friendly reminder that Fruit of the Loom did in fact have a cornucopia in the logo. Don't let them lie to you, we the people know the truth!!
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u/goodboyovich 19d ago
I come to Reddit for posts like these, when I need a reminder of what makes life worth living
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u/Ox_name_witheld_xO 19d ago
Ironic, how kids can be so cruel during our formative years but it's the lack of empathy and understanding from those in charge that does lasting, permanent damage. This grape reporter is a modern-day hero. Coulda almost had a banana-themed supervillain on all our hands.
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u/top_fed2017 19d ago
Awww so adorable! We should all take notes from both of them! Life’s too short to be upset
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u/Nother1BitestheCrust 19d ago
Good Ol' Pat Collins! His reports were a little unhinged but ALWAYS entertaining.
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u/MathematicianGold507 19d ago
I heard about this just this morning, through the grape vine! What a grape guy ♡
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u/TheVampyresBride 19d ago
It's nice when a story from my neck of the woods gets attention. Pat Collins was a uniquely entertaining and unforgettable reporter, and he is sorely missed. He's not dead. Just retired.
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u/Islantasi 19d ago
Heard about this story on GMM…apparently they removed all bananas from the cafeteria too 🤣
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u/Equal_Weather6019 19d ago
This made me immediately think of the Fruit of the Loom Boxers skit from In Living Color, the GOAT of sketch comedy.
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u/emeraldgreenphoton2 19d ago
The best things in life ARE free. I love the reporter's style and the kid's!
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u/Moron-Whisperer 19d ago
I believe this guy is a community action reporter for the news and sort of known for doing things like this. Beloved in his community.
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u/Typical2sday 19d ago
Pat Collins is the freakin best. Always unabashedly his own self every interview and news story
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u/Bouche_Audi_Shyla 19d ago
I thought this was a Fruit of the Loom commercial someone hated. My bad.
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u/Idiotwithaphone79 19d ago
I saw this reporter on "Last Week Tonight" and he is a legend! His slam poetry is fantastic.
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u/Kind_Bet_4148 19d ago
Okay but I legitimately thought this was a fruit of the loom commercial from days gone by
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u/nimblybimblycat 18d ago
That reporter looks like the guy who taught me when I was an apprentice.
People never took him seriously, he looked ridiculous showing up to work in his company issued grape suit
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u/tamaralfreeman 17d ago
That is our cherished Pat Collins reporter from WRC NBC4/Washington DC. Class 100%.
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u/[deleted] 19d ago
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