10 biggest injuries in Chicago Sports history

[southsider2k5]

The Sun Times still has people reading Soxtalk...

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/12277907-41...s-injuries.html

 

Gale Sayers leads the list of the 10 most devastating Chicago sports injuries

 

By MARK POTASH [email protected] May 2, 2012 10:10PM

 

On slick, muddy grass at Wrigley Field in 1965, Gale Sayers once returned a punt with the Bears ahead 47-20 in the fourth quarter. What was the most dynamic runner in the NFL, just 22, doing back there on a bad field with a 27-point lead?

 

He was being Gale Sayers. The rookie from Kansas returned the punt 85 yards for his sixth touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers. But even George Halas had his limit. Though the home crowd was encouraging Halas to give Sayers a chance for a record-breaking seventh TD with the Bears inside the 10 later in the game, Halas wouldn’t do it.

 

‘‘Nobody was hungrier than I for Gale to break [the record],’’ Halas said after the 61-20 win. ‘‘But I never would have been able to forgive myself if he had gotten hurt.’’

 

Three years later, Halas’ worst fears were realized. On ‘‘28-toss,’’ a pitchout and sweep to the short side of the field he had run 100 times before, Sayers was running behind guard Randy Jackson when 49ers cornerback Kermit Alexander went low to take on the blocker and got Sayers’ right knee instead. The impact ruptured every ligament on the inside of the knee.

 

‘‘The knee is gone,’’ Sayers told Dr. Ted Fox, the team physician, on the sideline. And it was. Sayers was in surgery before many of his teammates were home.

 

The impact was as immense as the devastation. Though many Bears fans didn’t see the play — the game not televised locally because of an NFL blackout rule — Sayers’ injury was a blow to Chicago, the Bears and the NFL. Mayor Daley introduced a resolution extending best wishes to Sayers for a speedy recovery; it passed unanimously. Commissioner Pete Rozelle called Sayers to offer his sympathy. Alexander was as crestfallen on that day as Philadelphia 76ers coach Doug Collins was after Derrick Rose suffered a similarly devastating injury in Game 1 of their playoff series Saturday. Sayers received hundreds of get-well cards from broken-hearted kids from the Chicago Boys Clubs.

 

It was arguably the most devastating injury in Chicago sports history. Sayers returned for the 1969 season with his knee repaired (though not reconstructed, like they do arthroscopically today). The first time he touched the ball in a game, he returned the opening kickoff 69 yards in the exhibition opener at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. He led the NFL in rushing with 1,032 yards in 14 games.

 

But he was never the same. Sayers’ longest run that season was 29 yards. He averaged 24.2 yards on 17 kick returns — a far cry from the 37.7 yards he averaged as the most lethal kick returner in NFL history in 1967.

 

In Chicago, there was the same kind of sadness that hung over the United Center as Rose hobbled to midcourt before the Bulls-Sixers game Tuesday night — until Brian Piccolo was diagnosed with cancer and Sayers’ injury was quickly put in perspective. After that, there was just regret that the greatest runner anybody had ever seen would never be the same.

 

Other injuries might have been more costly in terms of championships — with a healthy Jim McMahon, the Bears could have won another Super Bowl or two. But the Sayers injury still tops the list of devastating injuries in Chicago sports. Sayers hurt his left leg in the 1970 preseason, had three more surgeries and played in only four more games before retiring before the 1972 season.

 

And contrary to popular belief, Sayers’ injury hampered the Bears’ playoff hopes in 1968. The Bears had won four consecutive games and, at 5-4, were tied for first place when he suffered the original injury. They finished 7-7, a game behind the Minnesota Vikings, whom they had beaten twice in the regular season.

 

With the Rose injury still yet to be played out, here’s the rest of the list:

 

2. Derrick Rose

Bulls (2012)

 

Fans still are in a daze over his sudden demise in Game 1 against the Sixers. But with advantages of modern medicine Sayers never had, Rose still could return with the same skills. He’ll just have to be a little smarter about when to use them.

 

3. Mark Prior

Cubs (2004)

 

Prior looked like a perennial Cy Young contender when he went 18-6 with a 2.43 ERA at age 22 in 2003. But an Achilles injury that seemed no big deal in spring training in 2004 was the beginning of the end. Beset by one injury after another, Prior was 18-17 with a 4.27 in the next three seasons and was let go in 2007.

 

4. Jim McMahon

Bears (1986)

 

Injuries to McMahon damaged the Bears’ title hopes in 1984, 1986, 1987 and 1988. If you have to pick one injury, the season-ending separated shoulder after Charles Martin’s cheap shot stands out. The defending Super Bowl champions were 6-0 with McMahon in 1986 before the injury. But they lost to the Redskins in the playoffs with Doug Flutie at quarterback.

 

5. Tommie Harris

Bears (2006)

 

Harris made coach Lovie Smith’s cover-2 defense work like no other player, including Brian Urlacher. He made the Pro Bowl in 2005 and was dominant in ’06 until he injured his hamstring against the Vikings. After surgery, he had eight sacks in 2007 and made the Pro Bowl, but he and the Bears’ defense were never the same.

 

6. Jay Cutler

Bears (2011) >>

 

The Bears were about to win their fifth consecutive game and move to 7-3 when Cutler suffered a broken thumb trying to make a tackle after an interception against the Chargers. The Bears lost five consecutive games with Caleb Hanie at quarterback and fell out of playoff contention.

 

7. Kerry Wood

Cubs (1999)

 

The No. 4 pick of the 1995 draft, Wood was a sensation at 20 in 1998 when he struck out 20 Astros and pitched a one-hitter in his fifth major-league start. He went 13-6, struck out 233 batters in 1662/3 innings and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award. But he missed the 1999 season with torn elbow ligaments and never again reached the heights of his rookie year.

 

8. Brian Urlacher

Bears (2009)

 

After finally acquiring a ‘‘franchise’’ quarterback in Cutler, the Bears lost their franchise defender after one half of the season opener against the Packers when Urlacher dislocated his wrist and was out for the season. Without Urlacher, the Bears allowed 375 points (21st in the NFL), still the most under Smith.

 

9. Michael Jordan

Bulls (1985)

 

The Bulls were 3-0 when Jordan suffered a broken foot at Golden State. Expected to miss 25 games, he missed 64. The Bulls went 21-43 without him, but Jordan rallied his team into the playoffs, where he had his monumental 63-point game against the Celtics. Jordan recovered and, eventually, so did the Bulls.

 

10. Chris Chelios

Blackhawks (1996)

 

With Chelios about to win his third Norris Trophy, the Blackhawks swept the Flames in the first round of the playoffs and led the Avalanche 2-1 in the conference semifinals when Chelios suffered a groin injury. A novocaine shot numbed his entire leg, and he missed Game 4, which the Hawks lost 3-2 in triple overtime. They lost the series 4-2, and the Avalanche went on to win the Stanley Cup.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Yeah, I guess Marian Hossa isn't a big deal or anything. Or Jonathan Toews.

[flippedoutpunk]

The Sun Times still has people reading Soxtalk...

 

bunch of creeps, we were just talking about this..

[Soxbadger]

ha I thought this was just going to be a continuation of the NBA thread.

[fathom]

Carlos Quentin in 2008

[Balta1701]

Carlos Quentin in 2008

Thomas + Ordonez in 2004, Thomas again in 2005 (same injury), Thomas in 2001.

[LittleHurt05]

Yeah, I guess Marian Hossa isn't a big deal or anything. Or Jonathan Toews.

 

IIRC, the Hawks played well without Toews, especially once they got Oduya. The Hossa injury hurt, but they weren't exactly dominating the series at that point, they were 5.5 seconds away from being down 2-0.

[southsider2k5]

Thomas + Ordonez in 2004, Thomas again in 2005 (same injury), Thomas in 2001.

 

That was probably the biggest one I can think of for the Sox. The 2005 one is overshadowed by the fact they won the World Series without him. Makes it kind of hard to argue that it was devastating.

[Steve9347]

ha I thought this was just going to be a continuation of the NBA thread.

This. They clearly get their content from this site.

 

Also - Rose = 1 in my heart.

[Buehrle>Wood]

Thomas in 2001

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

IIRC, the Hawks played well without Toews, especially once they got Oduya. The Hossa injury hurt, but they weren't exactly dominating the series at that point, they were 5.5 seconds away from being down 2-0.

 

 

Hossa's injury though, I think that was a game changer in the series. Every game was close, but Hossa would have probably put them over the top.

Edited May 3, 2012 by JoeCoolMan24

[MexSoxFan#1]

As bad as the Rose injury and the depression that set in for me was (I'm over it now), Cutler getting hurt in the NFC Championship game vs our most hated rival and eventually losing at home by a TD was the most soul crushing sports moment for me.

 

MJ retiring the first time comes a close second. I guess the Rose injury is third on my list.

Edited May 3, 2012 by MexSoxFan#1

[Steve9347]

As bad as the Rose injury and the depression that set in for me was (I'm over it now), Cutler getting hurt in the NFC Championship game vs our most hated rival and eventually losing at home by a TD was the most soul crushing sports moment for me.

 

MJ retiring the first time comes a close second. I guess the Rose injury is third on my list.

MJ retiring wasn't an injury.

 

The Cutler thing - well, I get it, but they were still losing that game and playing like s*** on offense anyway. Somehow, Hanie played ok, as well. The Rose injury stopped cold a team in game one of the playoffs, and now we get an extended funeral.

[southsider2k5]

Hossa's injury though, I think that was a game changer in the series. Every game was close, but Hossa would have probably put them over the top.

 

I think the biggest difference is no one really though this team was going to win the Cup this year. The Bulls had super high expectations this year. The Bears were one game away from the Super Bowl when Cutler got hurt.

[GoSox05]

I think the worst part about the Rose injury is that it could be a long term problem. At least into next year.

 

 

[LittleHurt05]

Hossa's injury though, I think that was a game changer in the series. Every game was close, but Hossa would have probably put them over the top.

 

It's a toss-up, but I get your point. The Hawks weren't gonna win the cup this year even with Hossa though, so that limits how 'devastating' it was.

[knightni]

Robin Ventura's ankle snapping at home plate was a big deal at the time.

[Swingandalongonetoleft]

Yeah, I guess Marian Hossa isn't a big deal or anything. Or Jonathan Toews.

 

Chicago Rush?

 

Bandits...?

 

After Rose, the ones that upset me the most were Frank Thomas in 2005 and Quentin in 2008. Thomas because I wanted my favorite athlete to cap off his career with a well deserved World Series, and Quentin because he was an MVP on a team that was riding some momentum going into the playoffs.

To be honest, I'm not sure those two weren't bigger to me than Rose this year. I got to see Jordan's Bulls do it 6 times. Rose wasn't going to touch that before the injury.

[zenryan]

Thomas in 2001

 

 

 

 

I dont know how this didnt make the list.

 

 

Thomas coming off an amazing 2000 season and only last 20 games in 2001. Sox lose the division by 8 games that year. Gotta think a full season of Frank would have been good enough make up those 8 games.

[MexSoxFan#1]

MJ retiring wasn't an injury.

 

The Cutler thing - well, I get it, but they were still losing that game and playing like s*** on offense anyway. Somehow, Hanie played ok, as well. The Rose injury stopped cold a team in game one of the playoffs, and now we get an extended funeral.

Yeah, after I posted I realized it was just about injuries but I was too lazy to change it...

 

DRose jumps to #2 in my book

 

Cutler was playing awful but when you lose by a TD, you would think maybe Cutler would connect on a play or two to change the outcome as our D picked up their play in the 2nd half.

Edited May 4, 2012 by MexSoxFan#1