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Water coolers may not feel pain, but athletes definitely do. Seattle Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic learned this the hard way when he injured his foot by kicking a water cooler in frustration after a loss. This unfortunate incident has landed him on the injured list for an extended period. However, it’s not always anger that leads to bizarre injuries in sports. Sometimes, it’s joy. New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz suffered a potential season-ending knee injury while celebrating a victory in the World Baseball Classic.
There have been numerous instances of athletes suffering strange and sometimes self-inflicted injuries. Some of these injuries were quite painful, others were embarrassing, and a few just left us wondering why the athlete didn’t come up with a better excuse. Let’s take a look at a few of these incidents:
– Kendry Morales, a Los Angeles Angels first baseman, broke his leg while being mobbed by teammates after hitting a walk-off grand slam.
– Gus Frerotte, a Washington quarterback, sprained his neck after headbutting a padded wall in the end zone to celebrate scoring a touchdown.
– Bill Gramatica, an Arizona Cardinals kicker, tore his ACL in his plant leg after excessively celebrating a relatively insignificant field goal.
– Cody Bellinger, a Los Angeles Dodgers star, dislocated his shoulder during a forearm smash celebration with a teammate after hitting a go-ahead home run.
– Chris Coghlan, a Marlins outfielder, tore his meniscus while attempting to deliver a shaving cream pie to a teammate’s face.
– Lamarr Houston, a Chicago Bears defensive tackle, tore his ACL after sacking a quarterback when his team was already trailing by 25 points.
– Paulo Diogo, a Swiss soccer player, ripped off part of his finger after getting his wedding ring stuck in a fence while celebrating a goal.
– Amare Stoudemire, a New York Knicks forward, injured his hand after punching a glass case in frustration after a playoff loss.
– Blake Griffin, a Los Angeles Clippers forward, broke his hand after punching the team’s assistant equipment manager.
– Geno Smith, a New York Jets quarterback, suffered a broken jaw after being punched by a teammate over a dispute involving unpaid money.
– Kevin Brown, a New York Yankees pitcher, broke his hand after punching a wall in the clubhouse during a game.
– Enes Kanter, an Oklahoma City Thunder player, suffered a broken forearm after punching a chair during a timeout.
– Milton Bradley, a San Diego Padres outfielder, tore his ACL after attempting to confront an umpire and being spun to the ground.
There have also been instances where athletes came up with rather questionable excuses for their injuries:
– Nate Burleson, a Detroit Lions wide receiver, broke his arm after crashing his car while trying to save a pizza from sliding off the passenger seat.
– Jeremy Affeldt, a San Francisco Giants pitcher, injured himself while cutting frozen hamburger patties during a barbecue.
– Lionel Simmons, a Sacramento Kings rookie, developed tendinitis from playing too much Nintendo Game Boy.
– Hunter Pence, a Houston Astros outfielder, cut himself on a sliding glass door while at his apartment during spring training.
– Adam Eaton, a San Diego Padres pitcher, stabbed himself in the stomach while trying to open a DVD with a knife.
– Brent Mayne, a Kansas City Royals pitcher, triggered back spasms while quickly looking both ways at an intersection.
In addition to these strange incidents, there’s even a theory that Michael Jordan severing a tendon in his index finger while using a cigar slicer during a vacation in the Bahamas may have contributed to the end of the Chicago Bulls dynasty.
These stories serve as a reminder that athletes, despite their talent and physical abilities, are not immune to freak accidents or the consequences of their own actions.
