The Scariest Moments in Sports History
Halloween is only a couple of weeks away which means everybody is in the mood to be frightened. But in sports, sometimes the scariest things that happen are not the same as those in our favorite movies and TV shows. Check out some of the scariest moments in sports sure to send chills down your spine.
Clint Malarchuk’s Throat is Slit on the Ice
In 1989, Buffalo Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk was defending the net when a freak collision sent an ice skate blade into the jugular of Malarchuk, severing his carotid artery. It was not pretty. He lost massive amounts of blood — as much as one third of his entire body’s worth — all over the ice, and the spectacle led to fans in the stands becoming sick at the sight. Luckily he survived, going on to play a few more seasons and coach in the NHL.
Monica Seles Stabbed on the Court
Monica Seles was basically the Serena Williams of her day. She was dominant in the sport of tennis, defeating any and all comers. This led to a rivalry with Steffi Graf, which one deranged fan took to the next level when he ran out onto the court in Hamburg, Germany and stabbed her directly between the shoulder blades. She let out a blood curdling scream that still haunts the nightmares of any who witnessed it. She was rushed to the hospital, surviving the ordeal and making a comeback a couple of years later. The worst part is that the attacker got off scot-free thanks to the vagaries of German law at the time, prompting Seles to boycott the country entirely.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. Dies Doing What He Loved
Dale Earnhardt Sr. was one of the most celebrated drivers in all of racing history, earning nicknames like “The Intimidator” and “The Man in Black.” Seemingly unstoppable, he dominated the sport for the better part of three decades. But one fateful day at the 2001 Daytona 500, he made what seemed like light contact with a rival driver that sent him out of control, colliding with another car before slamming into the wall at some 160 miles per hour. The scariest part was waiting along with tens of thousands of fellow fans for news, which was unfortunately that he had died on impact. The only positive outcome was that the sport was made safer for future drivers due to the incident.
1972 Munich Terrorist Attacks at the Olympics
Perhaps the scariest moment in sports history was the terrorist attacks on the Israeli Olympic team in 1972, known as the Munich Massacre. Palestinian terrorist group Black September took 11 of the Israeli athletes hostage and killed them, along with a West German police officer. The Olympics were suspended that year for the first time in history, and a memorial service attended by 80,000 spectators and 3,000 athletes was held at the Olympic Stadium.
