Thursday, August 30, 2007

Lightning Tragically Strikes 3.5 Times in 10 days

By now everyone, soccer fans and general sports fans alike are aware of the shocking death of 22 year old professional athlete Antonio Puerta three days after collapsing on the field in front of a worldwide live TV audience. Tragic is a cliche word, but this was truly tragic, especially when you factor in that he leaves behind his girlfriend, who is pregnant with his son who will be born in October.

A little more under the radar was the abandonment of Carling Cup match between Leicester City and Nottingham Forest on Tuesday when Leicester City's 26 year old Clive Clarke collapsed in the dressing room at halftime and had to be revived with a defibrillator. He is in the hospital and still being observed and tested; we can only hope that he recovers and lives out a long and happy life.

Is that not eerie, tragic, ans scary-as-hell enough for you?

Just yesterday yet another player collapsed, this time 27 year old Zambian international Chaswe Nsofwa who plays in the second division in Israel. He collapsed during practice and was rushed to the hospital, where sadly he died.

If that's not enough, last week 16 year old Anton Reid, a Walsall trainee, collapsed and died in a training session. I kid you not.

That's four collapses and three deaths in the span of 10 days. I don't remember any majorly covered soccer collapse deaths since Cameroon's Marc Vivien Foe collapsed and died in a Confederations Cup match against France back in 2003. I have a feeling more have happened since then but are a bit more under the radar, but surely nothing like 4 in 10 days. I'm going to do a little research on this...

So sad. My thoughts and sincere condolences go out to all persons directly affected by these horrible incidents.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does this remind you of the summer where Rashidi Wheeler and Korey Stringer both died of heat strokes? Earlier that year, DeVaughn Darling died at Florida State too.

It seems like more football people took better care of their players during training after that. Maybe the recent spade of tragedies will modernize some football concepts as to playing in heat and all that (or taking care of heart illnesses).

Ironic how immediately after a summer in which FIFA tried to ban playing football in altitude because of danger to player health, so many players are dying because of, well, I guess heat, but who knows. If it turns out to be heat related, would FIFA try to make leeway so that games don't take place in oppressive heat? Probably not, hypocrites.

Kanu said...

Ahh, Moin. I have a 1/2 written follow up piece where I make pretty much the exact comments above re: the attempted altitude ban. Great minds think alike I guess.