I am a bit confused. If that is truly the front element of the lens, it shouldn't be able to focus properly after being broken in this manner. However, I did see the shots broadcast from that camera during the game after the break, and one could see the cracks in the glass, the hole in the glass, and more importantly, the sharp as a tack batter (or whatever the cameraman was aiming at) through the hole --where the glass was totally missing. All of that leads me to believe that what was broken was something akin to a UV filter not unlike what so many of us have on out DSLR lenses. If it was the actual front element of the lens, the object seen through the hole, where the glass was missing, should not have been in focus. If it is a filter of some sort,it would make a heck of an argument for using something like a UV filter all the time. Stuff does happen. Although, $20,000 for a UV filter is pretty steep.