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The 31 scariest moments in sports history
Fights, bites and sights-prepare to be horrified
By Joe Davidson - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:04 pm PST Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Fright night doesn't just happen on Halloween. Not in sports.
Unpredictability, shock, the extraordinary -- all are part of the allure of athletics. And some things that happen on playing fields, courts, tracks, and in rings and rinks are plain scary.
Some are just results of a heightened version of regular facets of a game: a jarring tackle or a slip and fall on the ice, maybe an epic car crash during a race.
Then there are those things that come out of nowhere: boxer Mike Tyson biting a chunk out of an opponent's ear; pitcher Juan Marichal using a bat to vent his rage on another player; a basketball fight that nearly kills a man.
Those are images and moments that jerk observers forward in their seats, making jaws drop. But they also become more, imprinting themselves on memories and etching their drama into the tablets of sporting lore.
They can be so intense that they are hard to watch -- did someone mention Joe Theismann? -- but even people who shield their eyes might peek through their fingers at the replay, so remarkable is the scene.
It's a part of sports that's tough to resist. We watch to see the achievement -- and because we know that what unfolds could be something unforgettable, even if it sends chills up our backs.
October's 31 days are capped by the spookiness of Halloween, and The Bee came up with 31 haunting sports moments. It's not meant to be the definitive list but rather a compendium of milestones that have become part of our ongoing sports conversation, entries in the book of "You remember when ... ?"
Note: These are presented in no particular order and were chosen based on the enduring presence they have maintained in the collective sports consciousness.
Here's a look:
1. 1985: Joe Theismann's leg
Joe Theismann's career comes to a horrific end on "Monday Night Football" when Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor sacks the Washington Redskins quarterback and rolls onto the back of his lower leg, breaking it. Taylor immediately pleads for sideline help for Theismann, laying on the turf in agony. Redskins lineman Russ Grimm later says the scene was the "most disgusting thing I've ever seen."
2. 1970: "The Agony of Defeat"
The name Vinko Bogataj might not be familiar, but his spectacular crash and burn in the 1970 International Ski Flying Championship in Germany surely is. It is the signature image for ABC's "Wide World of Sports" opening montage. In it, Bogataj loses control and tumbles off the side of the jump ramp, plowing through a fence near stunned spectators. The accident looks fatal, but Bogataj suffers only a concussion.
3. 2004: Basket-brawl
When NBA rivals Indiana and Detroit get into it late in a regular-season game, the real stomach-turner comes in the fight's aftermath: fans throwing objects; players throwing punches; fans swinging back.
And a national TV audience cursing the product.
League record fines and suspensions are the result, as well as a black eye on player and fan behavior.
4. 1989: Malarchuk slashed
It seems like a routine NHL collision until Buffalo Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk nearly dies on the ice. During a game against the St. Louis Blues, he is sliced across the jugular by Steve Tuttle's skate blade, which got into the exposed area below Malarchuk's mask.
Blood pools and freezes on the ice. Fearing he would die, Malarchuk asks for his mother to be called, as well as for a priest. Two fans in the arena suffer heart attacks, and teammates are physically sickened by the spectacle.
Malarchuk has 300 stitches, survives and plays again, and the NHL rules that goalies must wear neck protectors.
5. 1988: "The King" flips
Known as "The King" for his flair and impressive stock car racing résumé, Richard Petty becomes the central figure of one of the sport's biggest "Oh, my!" moments when on Lap 106 of the Daytona 500, his car slides sideways, goes airborne, repeatedly flips along the guardrail after hitting the ground, then is hit by another car. Remarkably, Petty walks away from the crash, having temporarily lost his sight because of the excessive G-forces he experienced.
Had Petty worn his trademark cowboy hat, the brim might have been frayed by this one. But not the driver.
6. 1965: Marichal attacks
While batting in a game during a tight pennant race, Giants pitcher Juan Marichal wheels on Dodgers catcher John Roseboro and smashes him on the head with his bat. Marichal claims Roseboro grazed his ear when making a return throw to pitcher Sandy Koufax and that the bat attack was a response to that.
Years later, Marichal wonders if Hall of Fame voters hold the incident against him and asks Roseboro to forgive him. Roseboro does, and in 1983, Marichal is elected to the Hall of Fame.
7. 1977: A devastating punch
Trying to restore order in a game between his Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers, Rudy Tomjanovich runs toward fighting players and is floored by a punch from brawny Lakers forward Kermit Washington. "Rudy T" asks trainers, "Did the scoreboard fall on me?" before passing out, soaked in his own blood and suffering from multiple skull fractures. He recovers to play again and, later, to coach. Washington repeatedly apologizes and is convinced the punch has kept him from meaningful NBA employment.
8. 2003: Stevens is trampled
Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens is heading for victory in the Arlington Million when his mount, Storming Home, veers to the right and dumps Stevens in the path of onrushing thoroughbreds. One horse steps on Stevens' chest, another clips his ear with a hoof, and the jockey is bounced around like a rag doll. He later admits he thought death was imminent. About a month later, he is riding again, despite having suffered a collapsed lung, compressed vertebra and assorted bumps, bruises and scratches. Storming Home, by the way, is disqualified.
9. 1997: Tyson's bite night
Outraged and later claiming Evander Holyfield was head-butting, Mike Tyson bit off a chunk of the heavyweight champion's right ear, then bit the left. After losing the fight, Tyson points to his swollen eye, allegedly caused by Holyfield head butts, and protests, "Look at me, man. Look at me. I've got to go home, and my kids are going to be scared of me now!"
10. 1988: Reynolds down
Who can blame Jerry Reynolds for taking a quick nap? The Kings are terrible, plodding along at 5-18 when Reynolds, the Kings' coach, collapses in front of the scorer's table during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He lies unconscious, leaving thousands at Arco Arena frantic about the fan favorite. Turns out his fainting spell is caused by exhaustion and a sudden change of posture on the sideline.
It is an unfunny moment for a man renowned for his humor.
These are the 21 other events that fill out the Scary 31.
11. 1978: Stingley paralyzed
Fans remember the horrific hit on New England receiver Darryl Stingley by former Raiders great Jack Tatum, the self-anointed "Assassin," and Tatum's lack of remorse over the decades.
12. 1990: Gathers dies on court
Hank Gathers, all smiles and points as an All-American for Loyola Marymount, collapses during a game his senior season. Surrounded by horrified teammates, he dies from a heart defect.
13. 1972: Nightmare in Munich
The Olympic spirit is shattered when 11 Israeli athletes are killed by terrorists, leaving ABC sports announcer Jim McKay to announce, "They're gone. They're all gone."
14. 1989: Dravecky goes down
Giants pitcher Dave Dravecky is the year's feel-good story, coming back from cancer in his arm. But the arm breaks when delivering a pitch, contributing to the end of Dravecky's career. His arm later is amputated.
15. 2001: Zanardi loses his legs
CART driver Alex Zanardi has both legs amputated after he is hit at high speed during a race in Germany. He survives the ordeal.
16. 1957: Score's career ruined
Yankees infielder Gil McDougal smashes a line drive into Cleveland pitcher Herb Score's face. Score recovers, but the left-hander's promising career is never the same.
17. 1989: Shameful fight night
It looks like a European soccer match has been plopped into the middle of Arco Arena when fans riot after Juan "John John" Molina beats local favorite Tony Lopez.
18. 2004: Skater's face-first landing
Pairs ice skater Tatiana Totmianina is dropped by partner Maxim Marinin and falls face-first in a Skate America competition. Totmianina recovers, and she and Marinin win gold in the 2006 Turin Olympics in their final amateur performance.
19. 2004: Bertuzzi clobbers Moore
Even in the rough-and-tumble NHL, Todd Bertuzzi's brutal from-behind hit that left Steve Moore with a broken neck defies belief. Even hockey goons wince.
20. 1989: Krumrie's bad break
In a ghastly Super Bowl XXIII moment, Cincinnati nose tackle Tim Krumrie plants a cleat in the turf as his body is twisted, snapping his leg in two places against the 49ers.
21. 1993: Seles stabbing
A deranged fan in Hamburg, Germany, gets behind tennis star Monica Seles and stabs her in the back during a quarterfinal match changeover. Seles later wins another Grand Slam singles title.
22. 1994: McCallum's career-ender
Raiders running back Napoleon McCallum is tangled in a pileup against the 49ers, breaking his leg and rupturing an artery. He survives but never plays again.
23. 1967: 'Tony C' beaned
If the pitch from the Angels' Jack Hamilton that crushed Tony Conigliaro's eye socket does not make one recoil, it's the subsequent image of the Red Sox outfielder's battered face that does. Altered both careers.
24. 2000: McSorley levels Brashear
Boston's Marty McSorley enhances his NHL goon image with his attack on Vancouver's Donald Brashear. McSorley still wonders what the big deal is.
25. 1994: Kerrigan attacked
Olympic skating takes a dark turn when Tonya Harding's thug friends club Nancy Kerrigan's leg in an effort to knock her out of Olympic competition. Kerrigan recovers, but Harding remains a target for one-liners.
26. 2004: Full-contact tennis
During a practice session in Rome, James Blake races to the net to return a drop shot, loses his balance and breaks his neck when he slams head-first into a post. He returns within months and later achieves a top-10 ranking.
27. 1988: Louganis hits head
In the Seoul Olympics, the world's best diver -- Greg Louganis -- hits his head on the board in the three-meter competition, falling unconscious into the pool. With stitches, he wins gold days later.
28. 1987: Jim greets Joe
Joe Montana is knocked out of a playoff game on a thundering hit by Giants lineman Jim Burt. Montana says it is the worst hit of his career.
29. 1970: Rose plows Fosse
Pete Rose always played hard. Catcher Ray Fosse finds that out when he tries to block the plate during the All-Star Game. Rose runs through Fosse to score, and the injured Fosse's career goes downhill.
30. 1999: Stewart's strange demise
U.S. Open golf champion Payne Stewart and five associates die when their Learjet loses cabin pressure. The aircraft flies on autopilot until running out of fuel and crashing in South Dakota.
31. 2003: Webber's knee goes
Kings All-Star forward Chris Webber blows out his knee in the second game of the NBA Western Conference semifinals against Dallas. The injury signaled a downward spiral for the Kings.
The 31 scariest moments in sports history
Fights, bites and sights-prepare to be horrified
By Joe Davidson - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:04 pm PST Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Fright night doesn't just happen on Halloween. Not in sports.
Unpredictability, shock, the extraordinary -- all are part of the allure of athletics. And some things that happen on playing fields, courts, tracks, and in rings and rinks are plain scary.
Some are just results of a heightened version of regular facets of a game: a jarring tackle or a slip and fall on the ice, maybe an epic car crash during a race.
Then there are those things that come out of nowhere: boxer Mike Tyson biting a chunk out of an opponent's ear; pitcher Juan Marichal using a bat to vent his rage on another player; a basketball fight that nearly kills a man.
Those are images and moments that jerk observers forward in their seats, making jaws drop. But they also become more, imprinting themselves on memories and etching their drama into the tablets of sporting lore.
They can be so intense that they are hard to watch -- did someone mention Joe Theismann? -- but even people who shield their eyes might peek through their fingers at the replay, so remarkable is the scene.
It's a part of sports that's tough to resist. We watch to see the achievement -- and because we know that what unfolds could be something unforgettable, even if it sends chills up our backs.
October's 31 days are capped by the spookiness of Halloween, and The Bee came up with 31 haunting sports moments. It's not meant to be the definitive list but rather a compendium of milestones that have become part of our ongoing sports conversation, entries in the book of "You remember when ... ?"
Note: These are presented in no particular order and were chosen based on the enduring presence they have maintained in the collective sports consciousness.
Here's a look:
1. 1985: Joe Theismann's leg
Joe Theismann's career comes to a horrific end on "Monday Night Football" when Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor sacks the Washington Redskins quarterback and rolls onto the back of his lower leg, breaking it. Taylor immediately pleads for sideline help for Theismann, laying on the turf in agony. Redskins lineman Russ Grimm later says the scene was the "most disgusting thing I've ever seen."
2. 1970: "The Agony of Defeat"
The name Vinko Bogataj might not be familiar, but his spectacular crash and burn in the 1970 International Ski Flying Championship in Germany surely is. It is the signature image for ABC's "Wide World of Sports" opening montage. In it, Bogataj loses control and tumbles off the side of the jump ramp, plowing through a fence near stunned spectators. The accident looks fatal, but Bogataj suffers only a concussion.
3. 2004: Basket-brawl
When NBA rivals Indiana and Detroit get into it late in a regular-season game, the real stomach-turner comes in the fight's aftermath: fans throwing objects; players throwing punches; fans swinging back.
And a national TV audience cursing the product.
League record fines and suspensions are the result, as well as a black eye on player and fan behavior.
4. 1989: Malarchuk slashed
It seems like a routine NHL collision until Buffalo Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk nearly dies on the ice. During a game against the St. Louis Blues, he is sliced across the jugular by Steve Tuttle's skate blade, which got into the exposed area below Malarchuk's mask.
Blood pools and freezes on the ice. Fearing he would die, Malarchuk asks for his mother to be called, as well as for a priest. Two fans in the arena suffer heart attacks, and teammates are physically sickened by the spectacle.
Malarchuk has 300 stitches, survives and plays again, and the NHL rules that goalies must wear neck protectors.
5. 1988: "The King" flips
Known as "The King" for his flair and impressive stock car racing résumé, Richard Petty becomes the central figure of one of the sport's biggest "Oh, my!" moments when on Lap 106 of the Daytona 500, his car slides sideways, goes airborne, repeatedly flips along the guardrail after hitting the ground, then is hit by another car. Remarkably, Petty walks away from the crash, having temporarily lost his sight because of the excessive G-forces he experienced.
Had Petty worn his trademark cowboy hat, the brim might have been frayed by this one. But not the driver.
6. 1965: Marichal attacks
While batting in a game during a tight pennant race, Giants pitcher Juan Marichal wheels on Dodgers catcher John Roseboro and smashes him on the head with his bat. Marichal claims Roseboro grazed his ear when making a return throw to pitcher Sandy Koufax and that the bat attack was a response to that.
Years later, Marichal wonders if Hall of Fame voters hold the incident against him and asks Roseboro to forgive him. Roseboro does, and in 1983, Marichal is elected to the Hall of Fame.
7. 1977: A devastating punch
Trying to restore order in a game between his Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers, Rudy Tomjanovich runs toward fighting players and is floored by a punch from brawny Lakers forward Kermit Washington. "Rudy T" asks trainers, "Did the scoreboard fall on me?" before passing out, soaked in his own blood and suffering from multiple skull fractures. He recovers to play again and, later, to coach. Washington repeatedly apologizes and is convinced the punch has kept him from meaningful NBA employment.
8. 2003: Stevens is trampled
Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens is heading for victory in the Arlington Million when his mount, Storming Home, veers to the right and dumps Stevens in the path of onrushing thoroughbreds. One horse steps on Stevens' chest, another clips his ear with a hoof, and the jockey is bounced around like a rag doll. He later admits he thought death was imminent. About a month later, he is riding again, despite having suffered a collapsed lung, compressed vertebra and assorted bumps, bruises and scratches. Storming Home, by the way, is disqualified.
9. 1997: Tyson's bite night
Outraged and later claiming Evander Holyfield was head-butting, Mike Tyson bit off a chunk of the heavyweight champion's right ear, then bit the left. After losing the fight, Tyson points to his swollen eye, allegedly caused by Holyfield head butts, and protests, "Look at me, man. Look at me. I've got to go home, and my kids are going to be scared of me now!"
10. 1988: Reynolds down
Who can blame Jerry Reynolds for taking a quick nap? The Kings are terrible, plodding along at 5-18 when Reynolds, the Kings' coach, collapses in front of the scorer's table during a game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He lies unconscious, leaving thousands at Arco Arena frantic about the fan favorite. Turns out his fainting spell is caused by exhaustion and a sudden change of posture on the sideline.
It is an unfunny moment for a man renowned for his humor.
These are the 21 other events that fill out the Scary 31.
11. 1978: Stingley paralyzed
Fans remember the horrific hit on New England receiver Darryl Stingley by former Raiders great Jack Tatum, the self-anointed "Assassin," and Tatum's lack of remorse over the decades.
12. 1990: Gathers dies on court
Hank Gathers, all smiles and points as an All-American for Loyola Marymount, collapses during a game his senior season. Surrounded by horrified teammates, he dies from a heart defect.
13. 1972: Nightmare in Munich
The Olympic spirit is shattered when 11 Israeli athletes are killed by terrorists, leaving ABC sports announcer Jim McKay to announce, "They're gone. They're all gone."
14. 1989: Dravecky goes down
Giants pitcher Dave Dravecky is the year's feel-good story, coming back from cancer in his arm. But the arm breaks when delivering a pitch, contributing to the end of Dravecky's career. His arm later is amputated.
15. 2001: Zanardi loses his legs
CART driver Alex Zanardi has both legs amputated after he is hit at high speed during a race in Germany. He survives the ordeal.
16. 1957: Score's career ruined
Yankees infielder Gil McDougal smashes a line drive into Cleveland pitcher Herb Score's face. Score recovers, but the left-hander's promising career is never the same.
17. 1989: Shameful fight night
It looks like a European soccer match has been plopped into the middle of Arco Arena when fans riot after Juan "John John" Molina beats local favorite Tony Lopez.
18. 2004: Skater's face-first landing
Pairs ice skater Tatiana Totmianina is dropped by partner Maxim Marinin and falls face-first in a Skate America competition. Totmianina recovers, and she and Marinin win gold in the 2006 Turin Olympics in their final amateur performance.
19. 2004: Bertuzzi clobbers Moore
Even in the rough-and-tumble NHL, Todd Bertuzzi's brutal from-behind hit that left Steve Moore with a broken neck defies belief. Even hockey goons wince.
20. 1989: Krumrie's bad break
In a ghastly Super Bowl XXIII moment, Cincinnati nose tackle Tim Krumrie plants a cleat in the turf as his body is twisted, snapping his leg in two places against the 49ers.
21. 1993: Seles stabbing
A deranged fan in Hamburg, Germany, gets behind tennis star Monica Seles and stabs her in the back during a quarterfinal match changeover. Seles later wins another Grand Slam singles title.
22. 1994: McCallum's career-ender
Raiders running back Napoleon McCallum is tangled in a pileup against the 49ers, breaking his leg and rupturing an artery. He survives but never plays again.
23. 1967: 'Tony C' beaned
If the pitch from the Angels' Jack Hamilton that crushed Tony Conigliaro's eye socket does not make one recoil, it's the subsequent image of the Red Sox outfielder's battered face that does. Altered both careers.
24. 2000: McSorley levels Brashear
Boston's Marty McSorley enhances his NHL goon image with his attack on Vancouver's Donald Brashear. McSorley still wonders what the big deal is.
25. 1994: Kerrigan attacked
Olympic skating takes a dark turn when Tonya Harding's thug friends club Nancy Kerrigan's leg in an effort to knock her out of Olympic competition. Kerrigan recovers, but Harding remains a target for one-liners.
26. 2004: Full-contact tennis
During a practice session in Rome, James Blake races to the net to return a drop shot, loses his balance and breaks his neck when he slams head-first into a post. He returns within months and later achieves a top-10 ranking.
27. 1988: Louganis hits head
In the Seoul Olympics, the world's best diver -- Greg Louganis -- hits his head on the board in the three-meter competition, falling unconscious into the pool. With stitches, he wins gold days later.
28. 1987: Jim greets Joe
Joe Montana is knocked out of a playoff game on a thundering hit by Giants lineman Jim Burt. Montana says it is the worst hit of his career.
29. 1970: Rose plows Fosse
Pete Rose always played hard. Catcher Ray Fosse finds that out when he tries to block the plate during the All-Star Game. Rose runs through Fosse to score, and the injured Fosse's career goes downhill.
30. 1999: Stewart's strange demise
U.S. Open golf champion Payne Stewart and five associates die when their Learjet loses cabin pressure. The aircraft flies on autopilot until running out of fuel and crashing in South Dakota.
31. 2003: Webber's knee goes
Kings All-Star forward Chris Webber blows out his knee in the second game of the NBA Western Conference semifinals against Dallas. The injury signaled a downward spiral for the Kings.
