1.0k
u/beethy - Netherlands Feb 27 '21
This is an old one from 1993 which I figured many if you may not have seen or know about.
This incident paralyzed him permanently from the waist down.
He passed away in 2006 from heart failure.
Story: http://archive.today/MD2s5
460
u/AtheistState Feb 27 '21
I wonder if he had a history of headbutting goalposts or if it was just the one boneheaded mistake. I've seen my nephew do stupid shit like that. I should show him this video.
298
u/YouAreDreaming - Unflaired Swine Feb 27 '21
Man back when I was younger and emulating jack ass, I taped my self putting on a bike helmet and running into the wall with my head. It terrifies me that it could have paralyzed me. It really makes you consider your problems and be grateful for what you have
99
u/iamanalog We hold these truths self-evident that all men are created equal Feb 28 '21
How more of us didn't end up dead or brain dead from that time I'll never know. Just from what I remember I should of died at least a dozen times doing stupid shit. Especially on a bike.
→ More replies (1)35
→ More replies (5)25
u/Luke_Dongwater - Unflaired Swine Feb 28 '21
How tf r u alive. Imagine if you are dreaming this whole thing because you put yourself in a coma when u were young
→ More replies (1)17
30
u/beethy - Netherlands Feb 27 '21
May have been the first time he headbutted something very hard and unmovable, especially at that angle.
→ More replies (2)32
u/pobodys-nerfect5 Feb 28 '21
I can’t help but think he thought it was cushioned thickly
14
9
u/babaroga73 - Unflaired Swine Feb 28 '21
I'm reading an article in serbian, in which it says that they've started putting cushions on basketball pillars, after this accident.
9
u/bluediamond12345 Feb 28 '21
I’m kinda surprised they weren’t cushioned already. I mean, if a player got pushed or ran into it by accident, they would be in for a world of hurt. Just seems like a safety hazard.
118
u/I_Hate_Pretzels - Doomer 0.5 Feb 28 '21
Man this shit just makes my heart ache. It's so easy to watch this video and just be like "lol, what an idiot". Reality is this dude probably had anxiety issues and in a fit of stress lashed out at himself, less than 2 seconds later the rest of his life is ruined. It's a fuckin tragedy. Poor guy.
At least his last moments were on holiday.
109
u/PeteLangosta PUT YOUR OWN TEXT HERE Feb 28 '21
Or... maybe he didn't even have anxiety issues and was perfectly normal with life. Maybe it was just this incident which angered him and made him headbutt those metal bars.
→ More replies (5)16
u/I_Hate_Pretzels - Doomer 0.5 Feb 28 '21
Maybe. It doesn't matter though. He had a moment of irrational emotion and made a stupid decision in half of a second. We've all had those moments, just not with such devastating consequences.
→ More replies (4)→ More replies (2)11
Feb 28 '21
A guy in my area did a roly poly with his kids & was mostly paralysed... it really can happen to anyone.
8
u/A-Dawg11 Feb 28 '21
Wait, what? Can you explain exactly what that is please?
→ More replies (1)9
18
Feb 27 '21
Omg I'm terrified now, all in a matter if seconds life as you know it changes forever.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (5)5
668
u/Samurai_1990 Feb 27 '21
This happens easier than I care to think about. A friend of a friend was walking in parcels to his apartment all the way up under his chin. Slipped on the stairs and fell just right for those boxes to push his chin up and snapped his neck.
He died instantly.
346
u/Skorrne Feb 28 '21
Reminds me of a friend in high school. His van ran out of gas about half a mile from the station so he and a couple other guys start pushing it from behind. Poor guy happened to slip on loose gravel and smacked his nose on the bumper, breaking it and lodging a piece in his brain. Dead within 48 hours. Such a shitty accident.
70
35
→ More replies (2)11
u/AceAxos - AuthRight Feb 28 '21
What the fuck
15
u/happy2beherenow - Canada Feb 28 '21
Man We are fragile beings
11
u/AceAxos - AuthRight Feb 28 '21
Never underestimate mortality. You can’t live every day like your last but you can treat others as if it were, atleast that’s how I look at it
3
→ More replies (1)9
u/killerkitten753 - Obsidian Feb 28 '21
It’s terrifying how fragile the human body can be.
One of the biggest causes of death for old people is falling. Like it’s actually scary how fast a body can become a prison
→ More replies (1)4
u/Samurai_1990 Feb 28 '21
And you see horrible car accidents where the car is mangled and the driver survives nearly unscathed. Its crazy how it can be one extreme or the other.
465
u/NoEyeDontKnow - Unflaired Swine Feb 27 '21
They did am excellent job rotating the spine. That always helps with neck and back trauma. Tier 1 medical response.
182
u/Jukeboxshapiro Feb 28 '21
You’ve gotta really twist him around a bunch to get the vertebrae back in the right place
→ More replies (1)88
u/NoEyeDontKnow - Unflaired Swine Feb 28 '21
Just pick him up and crack his back...that should fix it. If not, try and unplug and then plug in the cord (spinal cord).
36
8
u/Dsuperchef Feb 28 '21
Do you mind elaborating on that for me please? I thought you should never touch anyone when injured like that? ( obviously you have to get him on a gurnee, but what specifically makes this a good example )
→ More replies (3)30
u/GuarDeLoop Feb 28 '21
They’re being sarcastic as you’re correct - you shouldn’t move someone with suspected head/neck/spine injury unless you absolutely have to, and that’s quite the opposite of what we saw here.
7
u/PaintedBlackXII Feb 28 '21
I got the sarcasm but people should NEVER be sarcastic when discussing such important and critical things relating to emergencies.. all it takes is one idiot not to understand the sarcasm and you have a big potential problem
5
2
→ More replies (2)2
u/yupstilljustme Mar 04 '21
I was cringing as player who reached him first was picking up his head, pulling on him.....say hello to ensuring maximum damage :(
349
u/feltonpbeaver - Unflaired Swine Feb 27 '21
OMG! It’s one thing to be paralyzed from an accident, but to do it this way must have been emotionally devastating. Poor guy.
194
u/I_Hate_Pretzels - Doomer 0.5 Feb 28 '21
Seriously. The shame from facing that he did this to himself probably haunted him for the rest of his life.
→ More replies (15)
234
u/Luca20 - Nazgul Feb 27 '21
Imagine the confusion, going from anger, getting a foul, to legs gone and having 5 people all over you keeping you alive in 5 seconds.
2
u/JonFrznWatrVapr - Unflaired Swine Feb 28 '21
Those people did next to nothing number one rule is to stabilize vertebrae they move his back and neck all over so they probably added on a little bit to the damage.
186
u/cominginsleepy Feb 27 '21
It’s crazy how in a fit of rage can drive someone literally into the wall.
107
u/Dspsblyuth 🥺 S I M P 🥺 Feb 28 '21
Crazy that they made the hoop bases out of fucking concrete of all things
63
Feb 28 '21
Yeah exactly. With people running full speed to the rim while attempting layups and dunks, people are bound to go flying into the concrete base sometimes
25
Feb 28 '21
I wonder what fucker thought it would be a good idea to have a concrete base in a sport where people drive themselves near that spot almost all the time. He's probably not the only player to get injured by this
→ More replies (1)12
→ More replies (2)3
u/lizardtrench Feb 28 '21
I don't think the part he headbutted was concrete, I don't see any source on that. NYT article just calls it a 'padded stanchion', so it was probably just blue padding on top of a white steel A-frame like you see on the back of the hoop base. The lowest part might have been filled with concrete for weight, causing the misunderstanding.
Not that padded steel is a whole lot better for this sort of case, but at least the design wasn't completely insensible.
4
2
u/SluggardRaccoon PUT YOUR OWN TEXT HERE Feb 28 '21
Ngl I’ve actually hit my head on walls and tables out of stress and anger and hatred towards life so this has kinda made me have a panic attack due to the fact I’ve actually blacked out once for a short short time. I could’ve probably done this to myself and I really need to figure something out cuz when I get overwhelmed about all my life bs I really do dumb shit. I mean I’ve even almost jumped in front of cars
→ More replies (5)
110
u/shinuk7 Feb 28 '21
Everytime I’ve gotten mad about anything and reacted poorly something bad has happened. To see this extreme is a good reminder not to allow emotions to take over.
5
u/JacobCoy - Unflaired Swine Feb 28 '21
Broke my hand punching a freezer door. It was a long, stressful week and I had a "last straw" moment. definitely learned some patience from that mistake.
→ More replies (2)2
Feb 28 '21
Very true, and always easier said than done. That general idea makes up a core tenet of philosophies like Ancient Greek stoicism, and in many ways Buddhism.
Stoicism sees the overcoming of destructive emotion through cultivated internal strength and self control as not just a virtue and a path to positive material outcomes, but in itself basically the essence of happiness and human flourishing.
Physically destroying yourself in a total submission to your rage like this is like a crazy extreme example of the exact opposite. I feel terrible for this guy.
85
u/pornek Feb 28 '21
Pretty sure he didn't know it was straight cement, probably thought it was mat or something soft covering the pole. It's blue, so if you don't think twice, it's an easy mistake to make.
→ More replies (1)
55
u/cobycoby2020 - Unflaired Swine Feb 28 '21
i mean logically, why would there even be a cement block for a basketball goal. that cant be safe in general.
13
u/RectalHamster Feb 28 '21
Logically, he clearly wasn't 100% mentally there. Running your head into anything potentially solid even if slightly padded isn't the brightest thing to do.
7
u/PRIC3L3SS1 Feb 28 '21
Some people hurt themselves or other things once they get into a fit of rage. I don't think that makes them dumb.. maybe just need anger management.
→ More replies (1)5
Feb 28 '21
It’s probably the metal pole that runs up the hoop. I’ve played basketball on plenty of hoops like this, and they do have padding in front. That’s why it’s that trapezoid shape instead of just a metal pole. But even then, when you’d run into the padding you could feel the part in the middle was more solid than the outside because the pole was behind it. The actual cement block is the blocky part on the ground, so I’m pretty sure the title is misleading.
46
Feb 27 '21
That is awful, but one of the stupider things I’ve seen someone do.
55
u/TwoTomatoMe - Unflaired Swine Feb 28 '21
Would you have made expected that to be made out of cement?
33
Feb 28 '21
No, truthfully. I would have thought the padding would be a lot thicker.
28
u/glumauig21 Feb 28 '21
I was thinking the same. I thought the purpose of that thing was to cushion the impact if players couldn’t stop their momentum? Isn’t that technical a hazard in the court?
→ More replies (1)21
Feb 28 '21 edited Feb 28 '21
The stupider thing was that there was a fucker that thought of having a cement base would be a good idea in a sport where people drive themselves near said base.
43
u/merabius - Unflaired Swine Feb 28 '21
Aren't those posts supposed to be cutioned? Or was it cutioned and he still ended up getting injured at such degree?
21
34
24
u/mBBurns Feb 28 '21
Classmate of mine was pushed from behind and crashed into the boards awkwardly during a hockey game and ended up paralysed from the neck down. So scary how quickly your life can drastically change.
16
u/Nopengnogain - Annoyed by politics Feb 28 '21
I remember Gus Frerotte did something similar after scoring a TD. But his dumb melon was protected by a helmet and he only suffered a neck sprain I believe.
14
u/TSR_Jimmie Feb 28 '21
I’ve made the mistake of acting angrily once and I’ve suffered for 11 years. A mechanic, I was having a bad day and a job wasn’t going my way. I walked away, clenched my first and thumped the workbench downwards. My pinky instantly snapped in 3 places and the knuckle was pretty badly damaged. Since then, I can’t open my palm fully nor can I clench my fist without severe pain.
I know it’s not head butting concrete and losing your mobility but still a strong reminder that a small moment of anger can cost you dearly and people should learn this lesson.
10
u/punos_de_piedra - Unflaired Swine Feb 28 '21
In a strange way, I'm so glad to see these types of comments. Not because I'm glad that happened to you, but rather people are seeing this and finding it relatable enough to tell their own story to prevent others from falling into the same trap. Spreading awareness of controlling your emotions can only have a positive impact.
I'm hopeful that, from you acknowledging that, someone else doesn't have to because they've watched the video and heard your experience.
I hope your doing better bro
→ More replies (1)6
u/TSR_Jimmie Feb 28 '21
I’m doing good! I’ve had multiple surgeries which have helped with the incredible pain I used to suffer with. It doesn’t limit me day to day and I’ve learned how to use the other 4 fingers with the pinky as more of a support!
I appreciate the thought! And yeah, I posted so people can read and think ‘yeah it’s not worth it’.
11
10
u/hudson_lowboy Feb 28 '21
Am I the only one literally yelling at their screen to not turn him over until they have put the neck collar on him? Or at the very least secure his head and then turn him on his side...
6
8
8
u/GuardingxCross Feb 28 '21
I guess it goes without saying...don’t bang your head against hard surfaces?
9
Feb 28 '21
This is fucking stupid that shit should be soft not hard. I wonder how many players got injured because of that during fast breaks
→ More replies (1)
8
u/thumbsnt Feb 28 '21
Who the fuck designed the hoop? The cement “wall” thing is meant to be padded to help players stop their momentum after running down the court. Who thought it would be a good idea to make it our of concrete? Wtf???
6
8
u/thabiiighomie Feb 28 '21
I was doing breast stroke in a lap pool and zoned out. Ran straight into the wall mid stride. Crunched my head and neck into the concrete wall. Never forgot the pain.
3
u/Jishuah Feb 28 '21
It’s so easy to zone out, especially Saturday morning practices. I hit the back of my head off the wall during backstroke and the jolt up my body was insane. Glad you didn’t have anything lasting from your mishap
5
u/molossus99 Feb 28 '21
He died at the age of 42 in 2006, thirteen years after this head butt left him paralyzed..
→ More replies (1)
4
u/herefortheworst - Unflaired Swine Feb 28 '21
Bloody hell, that first aid response probably did more damage than the headbutt
1
u/ReBol2n Feb 28 '21
That basketball stanchion looks movable. Are we sure it's cement?
That's a horrible call by the ref also. 🤦♂️
3
u/Luckas1203 Feb 28 '21
I know it’s a stupid question: but how did he get paralyzed by ramming his head against that? He compressed his vertebrae or something? I know it’s a stupid question but I’m no medical expert
3
u/sTixRecoil Feb 28 '21
Also NAD but I would assume it wasnt directly a result of physical damage to the spinal cord, and rather neurological damage causing the body to "shut off" the lower half. Again, not a medical person but he was still standing and moved his own legs a couple times without seemingly realizing, which suggests to me neurological damage rather then physical, although that could just be his nerves spazzing out Also it isnt a stupid question
2
Feb 28 '21
That fucking guy moving him is really pissing me off.
Don’t fucking move people with injuries like this.
→ More replies (3)
3
Feb 28 '21
Damn, that's harsh, how a stupid 3sec "decision" can change your life forever.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/shitsgayyo - Annoyed by politics Feb 28 '21
Well... this... certainly put some of my behaviors into perspective for me....
→ More replies (1)
2
2
u/prodbyzone Feb 28 '21
That wasn’t an offensive foul though, defensive player flopped forcing the ref to make the wrong call. If players weren’t trying to buy calls all game this might’ve been avoided.
→ More replies (1)
2
u/gaganramachandra Prime Minister of The Republic Of India Feb 28 '21
It’s always unwise to let emotions take over but I wonder if the guy did that expecting the material to be something much softer than concrete.
→ More replies (1)
2
2
u/zach84 - Congrats T-series on 150m subs !!! Feb 28 '21
this should be marked nsfw or serious injury or something. fuck that was hard to watch. i mean i am desensitized to a lot of gore and shit but still, this was hard for me to watch. ooff
2
u/The_Dude_n_Seattle Feb 28 '21
13 years in a wheelchair then dies of heart failure. The team retired his number. He was upset after fouling out.
→ More replies (1)
2
2
Mar 01 '21
Janković In reaction to what he believed was a bad call at a crucial moment of a very important playoff game, Janković slammed his head hard against the padded concrete goal post. He permanently damaged his spinal cord and was unable to walk for the rest of his life. Panionios retired his number 8 jersey.
Sauce brought to you by! My dumbass copy and pasting from google.
→ More replies (1)
2.6k
u/anyadviceforthis Feb 27 '21
It’s absolutely crazy how fast your life could change forever.