What's the worst sports injury you've seen in person?

festeringZit · Jan 2, 2014

I was playing racquetball tonight and a guy I was playing with (doubles) got his face sliced open with someone else's racquet. Nothing too serious, but he's going to need quite a few stitches.

But it got me thinking, what is the worst sports injury you've seen in a sport you were playing? And, what is the worst injury you saw as a spectator in person?

I've had my share of broken bones and stitches, and seen broken bones - mostly fingers from basketball...

taylor13 · Jan 2, 2014

First thing comes to mind........about 5 years ago, slow pitch softball. A guy on my team was running after flyball in outfield (chain length fence), met the ball and fence at the same time. The big problem was their was a metal post where he met the fence......stitches, black eyes. Looked bad and sounded worse

DNoonan · Jan 2, 2014

Teammate (pitcher) taking come backer to face off top of his glove....right to hospital....coach fainted

DNoonan · Jan 2, 2014

I personally took a surfboard fin to the back of the head in el sal this year which was almost bad news. Luckily an ER doc from FLA was one of maybe 12 people staying at this remote little surf spot and he had an emergency kit to sanitize it and then staple it up right on the spot. I owe that guy big time.

Defying · Jan 2, 2014

Backyard football, dude running at full speed looking for the pass over his shoulder, run right into a telephone pole, head it first... the sound was sickening...

DNoonan · Jan 2, 2014

Others that come to mind

My buddy's nostril got hit with a fin and came detached a bit on one side (board held down and then snapped back from leash after wipeout)...,always come up with hands in front of face if you don't see you board it could be popping back at you

Another buddy had a similar event between his lip and chin that was gross....I thought he was getting out to grab a shorter board, then when he was waving at me i got out and when I caught up with him I saw the carnage and had to let him know the area under his lip was split just about all the way through....

Both of those were at zuma beach in Malibu.....beach breaks can be dangerous!

Enfuego · Jan 2, 2014

taylor13 said:
First thing comes to mind........about 5 years ago, slow pitch softball. A guy on my team was running after flyball in outfield (chain length fence), met the ball and fence at the same time. The big problem was their was a metal post where he met the fence......stitches, black eyes. Looked bad and sounded worse

Mine was similar but I wasn't playing.

It was between games and I was sitting on the berm eating a hot dog beyond the left field fence. Long fly ball hit deep and the left fielder runs back and he tripped where the warning track met the grass and hit is face on the top of the left field chain link fence. His face was gashed up beyond belief.

Pretty surreal sitting only about 10 yards beyond the fence and this guy hits right where I was at.

terps1313 · Jan 2, 2014

I was playing golf about 10 years ago. My friend is hitting his shot behind a tree. All of a sudden we see him drop like he was shot. As I got near him I saw a hole in his leg. He was hit by a low liner from the hole next to us. It happened so fast the guys didn't even have time to yell fore. I could see bone in his leg and still to this day think about it every time I play.

Enfuego · Jan 2, 2014

One time I was playing basketball and the guy guarding me wasn't much of a player. Anyway, he stuck his finger out when I went left and he poked me right in the eyeball. I thought, "well, no big deal." I put my hand up to my eye and blood started pouring through my fingers. I couldn't see very well so my buddies took me to an emergency optometrist.

Long story short, it was only a scratched cornea and looked and felt worse than it was. I did have to wear a damn pirate patch for a week or so.

SoCal · Jan 3, 2014

terps1313 said:
I was playing golf about 10 years ago. My friend is hitting his shot behind a tree. All of a sudden we see him drop like he was shot. As I got near him I saw a hole in his leg. He was hit by a low liner from the hole next to us. It happened so fast the guys didn't even have time to yell fore. I could see bone in his leg and still to this day think about it every time I play.

a hole in his leg? a glf ball went clean thru his friggin leg? wft man

SoCal · Jan 3, 2014

The first football team I ever played for as a kid, about 12 yrs old. full pads etc.. during a practice some other kid, not on the team, kept riding his bike onto our practice field and interfering with the dbacks. the coaches were yelling at the kid on the bike, but he kept doing it and then riding off. Finally he comes back and one of the little dbacks just takes off running at the kid on the bike and dives into it like a tackle. one arm just got mangled inside the spokes of the bike. everything came to a grinding halt. arm just a mess. ambulance came... ugly

Enfuego · Jan 3, 2014

SoCal said:
The first football team I ever played for as a kid, about 12 yrs old. full pads etc.. during a practice some of kid, not on the team, kept riding his bike onto our practice field and interfering with the dbacks. the coaches were yelling at the kid on the bike, but he kept doing it and then riding off. Finally he comes back and one of the little dbacks just takes off running at the kid on the bike and dives into it like a tackle. one arm just got mangled inside the spokes of the bike. everything came to a grinding halt. arm just a mess.

Wow, talk about a lawsuit.

JohnnyMac · Jan 3, 2014

I was umpiring a slow pitch softball game and a guy slid into second base with metal spikes on and took a chunk out of the shortstop's knee: you could see the bone of his kneecap and the dull, pearly white color of the bone.

SoCal · Jan 3, 2014

Enfuego said:
Wow, talk about a lawsuit.

1979-ish... if i recall correctly the kid on the bike got slapped around for being an ass. double law suit in today's world

Enfuego · Jan 3, 2014

SoCal said:
1979-ish... if i recall correctly the kid on the bike got slapped around for being an ass. double law suit in today's world

Funny story though.

festeringZit · Jan 3, 2014

That reminded me of the worst basketball injury I've seen in a game I was in. One of my best friends Joel ( he's a brother and can jump) goes up high for a rebound and gets tangled in the air. This is outside on hardcourt and he lands on his left knee. Completely shattered the knee cap and ripped apart his patella tendon. It looked like he had no knee. We carried him off to the hospital. They wired all the pieces back together and amazingly was back on the court in 3 months.

akphidelt · Jan 3, 2014

Actually happened last year playing hockey. I was three feet from the guy, we were on the penalty kill, so one of our defenders skated to the puck in the corner of our zone, and just turned around and whipped that puck right in to the guys face. A direct shot. He dropped like a rock, there was blood everywhere, his face was a mess. It was disgusting. Knocked 3 teeth out, had to have surgery on his jaw. Ever since then I wear a face mask. Just not worth it. And this is the highest level of non-professional hockey in Alaska. It wasn't some novice flipping the puck in the air, it was a ripper.

neverbend · Jan 3, 2014

High school baseball. I actually fouled off a pitch and the ball hit me in the eye. Almost knocked me out and I got the only black eye
of my life.

carlspackler · Jan 3, 2014

Boy do I have a story but I am not sure if Contract Bridge qualifies as a sport.

JakeT. · Jan 3, 2014

I got hit in the mouth with a hockey stick in high school. Split me open between my lower lip and chin. Blood everywhere but the worst part was the numbing shots for the stitches.