The win of the University of Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball team in the Midwest Regional at Lucas Oil last Saturday was almost completely overshadowed by a gut-wrenching injury to Cardinal sophomore guard Kevin Ware. Trying to block a shot, Ware lost his balance and buckled his right leg against his body weight at a right angle. He broke the leg in two places including a compound fracture that had his tibia sticking out of the wound. His team mates, the Duke players, the crowd, and the coaches were all in shock. Even Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski was choking back tears. As Ware was being taken to Methodist Hospital he pleaded with his teammates to “just win the game.”
His teammates heard him and inspired by his courage, went on to pound Duke 85-63. The TV crew decided to cut the replay of the injury after two showings. (What good taste!)
Kevin Ware underwent emergency surgery and a rod was inserted into his leg bone. His rehab will take about a year but he will recover. He will be at Methodist at least until the end of the week.
Of course the most sickening sports injury ever televised was the one suffered by Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann in 1985. Playing the New York Giants and their Hall of Fame monster linebacker Lawrence Taylor, Theismann was running for extra yardage, having slipped out of a tackle when a crowd of Giant defenders led by Taylor piled on the quarterback buckling his leg and snapping the tibia so loudly that you could hear the crack ten feet away. Theismann screamed in agony and when they unpiled viewers could see his leg and foot hanging in two with the bone sticking out. The injury was career ending for Joe but he went on to become a popular broadcaster. As you may have seen, Joe Theismann’s prostate is now his health issue. Even now, the memory of seeing Joe suffer that injury is enough to make Redskins fans gag.
Indiana University
All Americans
Congratulations to Hoosier Big Red basketball players junior Victor Oladipo and sophomore Cody Zeller for being named to the Associated Press 2013 All-American team. Oladipo, a guard, was named to the first team, and Zeller, a forward, was named to the second team. Oladipo may elect to enter the upcoming National Basketball League college draft
The Indianapolis Colts Add a Receiver
The Indianapolis Colts have added receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey to their roster. Heyward-Bey was the seventh pick of the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He is a big fellow at 6’ 2” and 216 pounds and possesses big time speed. In his four seasons with the Raiders he caught 140 passes for 2,071 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’ll join Reggie Wayne and T. Y. Hilton as the starting wideouts.
There will be a whole bunch of new faces on the Colts roster, and this is before the draft and college free agents are available.
snicewanger@yahool.com