Jack's horrifying picture of Maradona got me thinking of some of those moments in sport where you just cringe when watching it. I remember Greg Norman's choke in the 1996 Masters as being like watching someone drown in quicksand.
Jana Novotna's collapse in a Wimbledon final against Steffi Graf (I think) was another moment that was painful to watch. I'd also rate watching Hansie Cronje giving evidence as truly cringe worthy (though part of you also wanted to kick him in the shins )
Any other nominations?

1-richard osborne at the scg vs geelong when he had the fit, caused from a head collision
2- james hird getting his face re-arranged vs freo
3- cant remember the name of the player, but the pommy who at the gabba went to slide and field a ball when his leg just stuck in the ground and the rest of his body kept going. i will never forget the slow mo replay.
4- the pacers/pistons brawl late 2004. absolute disgrace. any player that goes into the crowd should be banned for life. not that i didnt expect something like it. half the league is made up of criminals.
5- AARON BADDELEY TAKING DRIVER

QUOTE: butchy @ Jan 18 2005, 09:06 AM

3- cant remember the name of the player, but the pommy who at the gabba went to slide and field a ball when his leg just stuck in the ground and the rest of his body kept going. i will never forget the slow mo replay.

Has the same initials as me S. Jones. I think his name is Simon.

For me I would have to say that footage Wide world of sports shows of that guy plowing into the pommel horse.
Also seen some pretty gross things on videos a friend of mine has of competitors (armwrestlers, kickboxers) just snapping bones.

This reminds me of the Geelong player a couple of years ago on the MCG had his foot look like it was hanging by the skin. Can't remember his name, he's retired now. Had to have the bone fused.

* Any knee injury played in slow-mo, shocking stuff. Can't watch it.

* Darren Cresswell knocking his knee-cap back into place at Optus Oval vs Carlton

* The infamous S. Waugh / Gillespie collision in Sri Lanka. Waugh's nose has never looked the same.

* Janet Jackson's boozy at the Superbowl. Technically this is still a sporting event

QUOTE: Upanddown23 @ Jan 18 2005, 08:19 AM

Has the same initials as me S. Jones.  I think his name is Simon.

For me I would have to say that footage Wide world of sports shows of that guy plowing into the pommel horse. 
Also seen some pretty gross things on videos a friend of mine has of competitors (armwrestlers, kickboxers) just snapping bones. 

This reminds me of the Geelong player a couple of years ago on the MCG had his foot look like it was hanging by the skin.  Can't remember his name, he's retired now.  Had to have the bone fused.

geelong player was jason snell.

also, forgot the major ones...
jason dunstall fractured skull
jason dunstall knee no 1
jason dunstall knee no 2
jason dunstall collarbone

still brings a tear to the eye when i think about each of these dark days

Senna's last corner...

plugga tackling "plugga" at the SCG...

QUOTE: Elizabeth @ Jan 18 2005, 07:40 AM

Senna's last corner...

Reading that just sent a chill down my spine. I remember that night like it was yesterday.
Reminds me of Berger's crash at the same corner when he plowed into the wall in his Ferrari and it burst into flames. He was unconscious and it seemed like an eternity before the marshalls got there. We were just waiting for the announcement that he was dead, which thankfully never came.

Also Lauda's crash. He also was knocked unconscious and another driver had to stop and pull him from the burning wreckage.

Another I just remembered, Gilles Villeneuves crash. I can remember that car tumbling and disintegrating with Gilles broken seatbelt and his body being thrown amongst the wreckage.

I guess Zanardi's crash should also be in there, as well as Gardner at Laguna Seca and Wayne Rainey.

For some reason motor racing throws up a lot of these moments.

Veefore,

Yet it is exactly that which draws us to the sport.

Villeneuve's crash that unfortunately killed the Marshall at Albert Park will always stick in my head. I went to the GP on the Saturday and my group walked the entire track looking for a spot where there would be some action - Spent the Saturday standing next to that Marshall. It was/is a great spot for overtaking, being a tight corner after a long straight.

I would love the smashes in F1 if you could give me an iron clad guarantee that no-one gets hurt.

Liz.

P.S. Villenueve finally back into F1 this year (Sauber) - he is one of a handful that could compete with Shuey in equal cars. Unfortunately I think the Albert Park death took the edge off his driving. He'd be cursing leaving BAR, because it actually looks like they might be right up there this year.

I was involved in a discussion with a couple of mates after the round last weekend about sporting cultural differences such as the lack of black swimmers, white sprinters etc. Someone mentioned how they could never imagine a black Formula One driver but I suspect Nikki Lauda was rather black after that crash. Sorry.

For some reason motor racing throws up a lot of these moments.
I would think that reason is rather obvious Veefore.

When Scott Prince (now playing for the Wests Tigers) was playing for the Broncos he broke his leg in a real stomach churner. Anyone old enough to remember the 1975 Grand Final will remember a full pelt head clash between Ted Goodwin and Ian Schubert that rattled the stands.

Speaking of Crispy Critters,

Remember the Bennetton pit stop where there was a methanol fire. About 8 mechanics dancing around trying to put flames out that no-one could see...

Peter Caven's nose after plugger gave him an elbow. He just had a gaping hole in the middle of his face.

Craig kelly knocking out Ben Doolans teeth. You could see them flying through the air.

Alistair Lynch in last years grand final - what a way to bow out! What a DH!

[P.S. Villenueve finally back into F1 this year (Sauber) - he is one of a handful that could compete with Shuey in equal cars. Unfortunately I think the Albert Park death took the edge off his driving. He'd be cursing leaving BAR, because it actually looks like they might be right up there this year.

[/quote]

problem is f1 will never be equal. if it was, schuey wouldnt win half the races he does. not saying he isnt a great driver, just that he would retire a bit more, and the likes of fisichella and trulli who are awesome drivers would win a heap of races too.

Terry Aldermans clash with that pommie pitch invader at the WACA in the mid 1980's, dislocating his shoulder.

Jeff Thomson and Alan Turner at the Adelaide Oval in 1977. Thommo's shoulder was never the same again.

Brett Ogles club/tree/knee incident at the Australian.

Aranxa Sanchez-Vicario...nasty at any time.

what about when hooksie was walking on or off the field (can't remember which) and he swung his bat to belt the gate but missed and copped that sheila standing at the gate full in the face...

dont knock arantxa sanchez.
she's a hotty compared to conchita martinez

what about when hooksie was walking on or off the field (can't remember which) and he swung his bat to belt the gate but missed and copped that sheila standing at the gate full in the face...
That was Dirk Wellham wasn't it? Anyway it was a shocker and the punishment was not much.

Away from painful moments for a minute but I find it annoying these days when sportspeople earning millions whine and whinge about their lot in life.
That tennis player that pulled out claiming heat exhaustion without a ball even being hit. What the?
Cricketers that complain about the heavy playing schedule then sign a contract to play county cricket in England. What the?
Anything that Lleyton Hewitt says.

Anythings hot when standing next to Mauresmo... Jennifer Capriati walks into a bar, and the barman says "Why the long face..."

Senna crash - I fell asleep watching it, and woke up moments after while the cars were circulating behind the pace car. I had that eerie feeling - i just KNEW something was wrong the moment i opened my eyes. Sad day for motorsport. Zanardi's incident was terrible, but that's what you will get in the stupid oval-track racing.

Same can be said for Eddie Lawson's crash (not Rainey as previously commented). Gardner/Doohan's incidents can't be compared - they are still somewhat able to move around freely today.

McCosker being nailed by Bob Willis in the Centenary Test, breaking his jaw. Ruddy thing went onto bowl him too. Lifted morale in the second dig when he went out to bat at No 10 and guided Marshy to his ton.

Often cringe at presentation ceremonies following sporting events. Players are interviewed as though the world really wants to hear what they say. With few exceptions, professional sportspeople are not successful because of their eloquence. Major cringes are only avoided when you hear the same cliche as has been spoken a million times before and you become desensitised to it.

Another one was some Russian platform diver didn't jump out far enough and his double turn and pike became a half turn and bang! Noggin severely damaged and he may even have died.

I was actually talking about Gilles Villeneuve who was killed in a frightening F1 crash that happened right in front of the cameras where you could see everything and knew that he was going to die even before the crash was over, not Jacques, but that was a horrible crash too.
I remember the Benneton fire, but is was petrol and you could see the flames, the Americans with their CART and Indy Racing Leagues are the ones that use methanol.

Gardners crash may have only broken his leg, but it was sickly to watch.

Motor racing has never been fair and it never will be. It is never just driver against driver. From the very beginning it has been equal parts machinery and man.

My Mum says the worst one she saw was a motorcycle road racing one where the rider was travelling at about 140kmh in a tight pack of about 24 bikes and was pushed off the track onto the dirt then thrown over the handlebars back into the middle of the track and the middle of the pack of bikes, landing on his head and right shoulder and cracking his helmet and fracturing his neck and tearing ligaments in his shoulder, as well as grinding way his leathers and gloves and taking large patches of skin off that bled profusely over his white and blue leathers.
Personally I try to block that one out! Especially the $3000 repair bill. Now that really hurt.

Ben Johnson winning gold at Soul, then being disqualified.

Ian Chapell, when hosting 'The Wide World of Sports', going off with a bunch of 'F' words in what he thought was a commercial break.

QUOTE: peanuts @ Jan 18 2005, 11:59 AM

Often cringe at presentation ceremonies following sporting events. Players are interviewed as though the world really wants to hear what they say. With few exceptions, professional sportspeople are not successful because of their eloquence. Major cringes are only avoided when you hear the same cliche as has been spoken a million times before and you become desensitised to it.

Aaaah yes, Steve Bracks presenting the Heineken Trophy to Ernie Eels was one I remember fondly.

Jerry

Anyone see that American sprinter during the most recent Olympics carry on like a pork chop when he false-started?

In the end he lay down on the track and refused to move, continually shouting "I DID NOT BREAK, I DID NOT BREAK".

Surely that was Patrick Johnson's distraction, causing him to come 7th of 7 when the race was finally run.

George Costanza streaking onto Yankee Stadium in the pink body stocking...

George Constanza dragging the Yankees World Series trophy behind his car in the Yankees car park.

QUOTE: Jerry Springer @ Jan 18 2005, 01:47 PM

Aaaah yes, Steve Bracks presenting the Heineken Trophy to Ernie Eels was one I remember fondly.

Don't forget Nick "Falder"!

What about Tony Greig commentating on Channel Nine during a Mercantile Mutual match (now ING Cup) at the North Sydney Oval in the mid-90's. Between overs, the camera scanned across to show a wedding taking place in the adjacent gardens, between a white groom and bride of Asian appearance.

Thinking he was in the middle of a commercial break, he said something like "here we go, another arranged marriage. She was probably flown in, yesterday...oh look at her, she's not bad for a mail-order bride".

Not surprisingly, he got into a lot of trouble.