Sports Gone Wrong: Top 10 Disturbing Moments in Major Events

This is the football injury to end all football injuries, the one that even non-fans recognize. Joe Theismann was a two-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl-winning quarterback, but most people remember him as “that guy whose leg went backwards.” Yep, the injury is every bit as gruesome as it sounds. It occurred on November 18, 1985, when Theismann was sacked by Lawrence Taylor. Theismann’s right leg got caught under Taylor’s body and, in the quarterback’s own words “snapped like a breadstick.” The response was immediate, with Taylor showing great distress and frantically waving over the medical team. The injury ended Theismann’s career and permanently shortened his leg, as the bones never recovered to their full size or strength.

Georgian luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili traveled to British Columbia to attend the 2010 Winter Olympics, but tragedy struck before his event could occur. On February 12, the day of the opening ceremonies, Kumaritashvili was training at the Sliding Centre in Whistler, British Columbia. He successfully completed twenty-five runs, but it was during the last one that the athlete made a mistake and flew off the track at 89 miles per hour. His body struck a steel pole, and while he was immediately treated by on-site personnel, his injuries were too great and he tragically passed away. A moment of silence was held during the opening ceremonies to honor Kumaritashvili, and the Georgian team was met with a standing ovation.

A Formula One legend, Ayrton Senna was a three-time drivers champion and the winner of 41 Formula One wins. During the 1994 season, Senna was driving for Williams and had won pole position in the first three races. The third occurred at the San Marino Grand Prix, which is where Senna would die on May 1. During lap seven Senna left the track and crashed into a concrete barrier at 131 miles per hour. It was immediately evident that the driver was hurt, as he was completely motionless in the cockpit. He was pulled from the car and given an emergency tracheotomy before being rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, Senna would not survive his injuries, as he had suffered substantial head trauma.

Athletes fight among themselves all the time, but it rarely spills into the stands. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened on November 19, 2004. The Pacers were in Detroit playing the Pistons when all Hell broke loose with just 46 seconds left in the game. Following an altercation between Ben Wallace and Ron Artest[d], an angry fan threw a drink at Artest. Artest rushed into the stands and attacked an innocent man, whom he believed was responsible. People defended the man against Artest, people attacked those people, and before long a massive brawl was unleashed. When it was all said and done, ten people were charged with assault, five fans were banned from The Palace, and nine players were suspended.

It was May 23, 1999, and Owen Hart was participating in a pay-per-view event called Over the Edge. Hart was scheduled to fight The Godfather and was going to make a comedic entrance by descending from the arena’s rafters, getting stuck in an apparent malfunction, and then falling into the ring. Unfortunately, the device malfunctioned for real and dropped Hart 78 feet onto the top rope. CPR was immediately administered, and broadcaster Jerry Lawler ominously claimed that “it doesn’t look good at all.” He was right. The fall had severed Hart’s aorta, and he bled to death within minutes. Hart was rushed to the hospital and life-saving operations were performed, but they were ultimately futile.

Monica Seles is a legend in the tennis world, having won nine Grand Slam titles. By 1993 she was at the peak of her career, but it nearly came to an abrupt end on April 30. Seles was playing in the Citizen Cup when a German man named Günter Parche left the stands and approached Seles, who was resting on the bench. He stabbed Seles in the back with a knife, penetrating half an inch into her skin. He had done so as an act of revenge against Seles, who had defeated German player Steffi Graf in numerous Grand Slam finals. As disturbing as the situation was, Seles recovered and returned to tennis, even winning the Australian Open in 1996.

Motorsports has seen some horrific accidents, but none quite like the Le Mans crash of 1955. It occurred in France during the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, when driver Mike Hawthorn pulled in front of Lance Macklin. Macklin swerved to avoid the braking Hawthorn and drove directly into the path of Pierre Levegh. Levegh’s car struck Hawthorn’s, which acted as a ramp and sent Levegh’s Mercedes into the grandstand. The car exploded and debris was sent hurling at top speeds through the spectators, striking and crushing dozens. Levegh was killed, as were 83 others. It remains the deadliest crash in motorsports and led to a significant redesign of Circuit de la Sarthe, which is still in operation today.

Perhaps the greatest driver in NASCAR history, Dale Earnhardt was the winner of seven Winston Cup championships. This is the most in the company’s history, a record he shares with Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson. On February 18, 2001, Earnhardt was driving in the Daytona 500 and was taking the final turn of the final lap when he bumped into Ken Schrader.[g] The accident sent Earnhardt into the concrete wall at 160 miles per hour. When both cars had come to a stop, Schrader ran to check on Earnhardt and knew immediately that he was dead. To this day, he refuses to explain what he saw. Earnhardt’s death was officially announced less than two hours later, striking a significant blow to the NASCAR community.

A professional goaltender, Clint Malarchuk was playing for the Buffalo Sabres in 1989 when he experienced one of the most grotesque injuries in sports history. A collision occurred in front of Malarchuk, sending Blues player Steve Tuttle into the net. His skate rose into the air and made contact with Malarchuk’s unguarded neck, severing his carotid artery. The result was nauseating, causing people to vomit, faint, and even suffer heart attacks. Malarchuk believed that he was going to die, but his life was saved by trainer Jim Pizzutelli, who had served as a medic in Vietnam. Malarchuk was back at work just one week and 300 stitches later, but the incident had a profound and lasting impact on his mental health.

Before we get to our last story, here are a few other notable examples.

The Diamondbacks Pitcher Strikes & Kills a Bird with a Fastball

The Boxer Rips a Chunk from the Ear of Evander Holyfield

The Red Sox Pitcher Throws the 72-Year-Old Yankees Coach to the Ground

Shane Stant[j] Strikes Nancy Kerrigan & Takes Her Out of the US Championship

The Outfielder Dislocates His Ankle Rounding First, Resulting in a Gruesome Sight

Playing out in early September 1972, the Munich massacre was a massive stain not just on the Olympics, but on the West German government. On the morning of September 5, a Palestinian terrorist organization called Black September invaded the Olympic Village in Munich. Their goal was to hold the Israeli team hostage and demand the release of over 300 Palestinian prisoners. Two Israelis were killed in the initial attack and nine more were taken hostage, kickstarting a media frenzy. However, the crisis ended in tragedy when West German police botched a rescue attempt. All of the hostages were executed, and a police officer died in the firefight. All told, seventeen people lost their lives.


Did you happen to see any of these moments live? Let us know in the comments below.