Stupid Injuries!

So, as training camp and the preseason approach, everyone’s top concern is getting their players to the regular season injury free.

Injuries while playing in the regular season are hard enough to endure, but injuries that happen during camp and the preseason can be heart breaking. The Broncos have had their share of these injuries:

Quentin Griffin fractured this fibula on the first day of Training Camp in 2003.

Mike Anderson was lost of the 2004 season when he injured his groin in the final 2 minutes of the last preseason game (on a punt protection play).

Gerard Warren dislocated his toe during training camp last year.

And then, we have the off-the-field injuries, like Brian Griese tripping over his dog (or knocking himself unconscious on TD’s driveway) or Big Ben recklessly driving a motorcycle without a helmet — right into a moving car. Most of these are gut wrenching for fans, because they seem so meaningless and random.

As there is little to do this week (TC is still a couple weeks away), I checked around to find some of the most random, silly and/or humorous non-sports injuries and came up with a surprisingly long list. Here are my top ten dumbest non-sporting injuries:

10. Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa once threw out his back with a sneeze.

9. Cincinnati Reds’ pitcher, Scott Williamson, had his 2002 baseball season end when he accidentally slammed a bathroom door against his foot – breaking two toes.

8. Spain’s Santiago Canizares had to sit out of the 2002 World Cup in Japan & Korea after dropping a bottle of aftershave on his foot.

7. In 2003 Jaguar’s coach, Jack Del Rio brought in a wooden stump and an axe to illustrate his ‘Keep Chopping’ philosophy. He could never have foreseen his punter, Chris Hanson attempting a hearty swing after practice. The punter missed the wood and chopped his leg — landing him in the hospital.

6. During the off-season, Maple Leaf’s goalie Glenn Healy suffered a deep cut to his hand while attempting to repairing his bagpipes — I guess that makes up for all those bagpipe gigs he missed due to hockey related injures.

5. Kansas City Royals’ catcher, Brent Mayne, missed a month of the 2002 season after wrenching his back when he turned his head to check for traffic while crossing a street.

4. Lionel Simmons, not long after being named NBA Player of the Week, missed two games with wrist tendinitis caused by hours of playing Nintendo Game Boy.

3. American goalkeeper Kasey Keller needed an unscheduled trip to the dentist in 1998 after knocking out his front teeth while pulling his golf bag from the trunk of his car.

2. Former Liverpool reserve ‘Keeper Michael Stensgaard’s Anfield career was brought to an untimely end after he managed to dislocate his shoulder while erecting an ironing board — I just wish I had a youtube video of that move!

1. Padres’ Adam Eaton stabbed himself in the stomach while trying to remove the plastic around a new DVD with a pairing knife — the injury required stitches.

…and so you don’t think I’m picking on athletes with bad luck, I ran across this gem of a story related to FAN related injuries!

Two middle age fans celebrating Alan Shearer’s opening goal for England against Germany in the Euro 96 semifinal, each broke a leg while preforming their customary celebratory ‘jump’ in front of their TV.

Now folks , that’s hard core!

Let’s just all hope and pray that our Broncos can avoid stupid injuries this camp and preseason. This is not the type of top ten list I want to see any of our Broncos making.

Stay safe, guys!