Freak Injuries in Sports
Paul George suffers horrific compound leg fracture.
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Paul George Suffers Horrific Compound Leg Fracture - Absolutely gruesome. Perhaps that's the best way to describe Paul George's compound leg fracture, which he suffered on a routine block attempt during a Team USA scrimmage Friday night in Las Vegas. The horrific injury created a firestorm of reaction and even triggered a George hospital visit from Floyd Mayweather Jr. The look-away moment immediately conjured some of the ugliest injuries in sports history. Unfortunately, George is far from being alone on this one. (Photo: John Locher/AP Photo)
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Kevin Ware - Just like Paul George, former University of Louisville guard Kevin Ware sustained a freak compound leg fracture while going for a routine block attempt against Duke during the Elite Eight round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament. The moment instantly drew tears from Cardinals coach Rick Pitino right on the bench. (Photo: Michael Conroy/AP Photo)
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Shaun Livingston - A picture is worth a thousand words...or in this case stomach churns. The sight of Shaun Livingston doubled over and writhing in pain after dislocating his knee back in 2007 remains one of the ugliest, freak sports injuries to date. It was nothing short of awesome to see Livingston work all the way back into becoming a solid contributor for the Brooklyn Nets last season, enough to up his value and land a deal with the Golden State Warriors last month. Props.(Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)
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Sean Payton - Athletes aren't the only ones who fall victim to freak injuries in sports. Sometimes coaches do too. That was the case for New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton back in October 2011, when he tore his MCL and fractured the tibia in his left leg after a freak collision with Saints tight end Jimmy Graham on the sideline. Amazingly, Payton still barked out play-by-play orders from the training room.(Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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Bill Gramatica - Then-Arizona Cardinals kicker Bill Gramatica was so pumped up following a successful field goal against the New York Giants in 2001 that he started celebrating on the field. Nothing wrong with that, right? But Gramatica celebrated a bit too much and wound up shredding his ACL. Freak injury? Yes. Not smart, though.(Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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Joe Theismann - Joe Theismann's career-ending compound leg fracture at the hands of Lawrence Taylor in November 1985 remains arguably the most gruesome freak injury in sports history. It was so horrific that LT immediately called for an ambulance as soon as he recorded the tackle on the then-Washington Redskins quarterback.(Photo: Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Scott Cunningham/Getty Images
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Orlando Brown - Talk about freak injuries in sports. There's no other way to describe the December 1999 in-game incident, in which an NFL official accidentally hit Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Orlando Brown in the eye with a thrown penalty flag. Irate and in pain, Brown got up and pushed the official, Jeff Triplette, down to the ground and was ejected from the game and later suspended. Brown had to sit out the entire 2000 season, still waiting for his right eye to heal. He eventually sued the NFL for $200 million and reportedly settled for an amount between $15 million and $25 million in 2002. Tragically, Brown died from diabetes complications in 2011 at the age of 40.(Photo: George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
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Tom Browning - The motion of pitching is not a natural arm movement. Sometimes it can be violent. Just ask former MLB pitcher Tom Browning. Pitching for the Cincinnati Reds against the San Diego Padres in May 1994, Browning freakishly broke his arm mid-pitch. The silence of the stunned crowd said it all. Tough break — literally — for a pitcher who once tossed a perfect game. Although he tried a comeback, Browning's nasty arm fracture was essentially the end of his career. (Photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
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Mike Cameron - Miscommunication in the outfield can lead to disastrous results in baseball. Former New York Mets teammates Mike Cameron and Carlos Beltran know that all too well. They violently collided head-on while chasing down a fly ball in August 2005, resulting in Cameron needing facial surgery from the broken nose and multiple fractures of both cheekbones that he suffered and Beltran winding up with a concussion. (Photo: Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
