The Train Daddy is back and my Bracket was a bust. I don’t know how you fared in your pool, but my money is swimming with the fishes now. I was talking mad smack and honestly believed the cash prize and bragging rights were all mine for the taking in a group pool of 25 people. I led all the way up to the Elite 8 games and then, Game Over for the Train! Enough said.

So last month’s issue that I wrote dealt with MTSU basketball, Ambassador Rodman playing Barack Obama in a pickup basketball game and the April showers that bring May flowers and sexy girls in short shorts. This current issue I am bringing sexy back and that’s a fact, then we will discuss some of professional sport’s most gruesome injuries, some NCAA tournament breakdown, and then I will ramble about nonsense and whatever I feel like.

There is something intriguing about sports injuries and violence. Ultimately we as humans don’t want to see anyone get hurt; but then again we do. Remember back to high school when a fight would break out. Everyone had to rush to get a front-row seat. Fighting has been a source of entertainment for people since the beginning of time. Watching a man pound in another man’s face is exciting. Dana White has turned mixed martial arts into a billion-dollar business and his UFC league is more popular than ever. Dog fighting and cock fighting can both be traced back to ancient times, and was a form of entertainment for royalty. Dog fighting can be traced to China around 240 AD and cock fighting—said to be the world’s oldest spectator sport—goes back 6,000 years in Persia. Obviously illegal these days (just ask Michal Vick), like it or hate it, hundreds of generations enjoyed watching these animals battle to the death. At a NASCAR race we hope for a wreck, and not just a wreck but a multi-car pile up with fire and smoke. These things get the crowd roaring and the blood pumping. They’re exciting. Bullfighting is often considered a blood sport by its detractors, but fans regard the spectacle as a fine art, and not a sport. The bulls are baited, and then killed in a bullring for the entertainment of the crowd. People love this and the events are popular in Spain, Portugal, France and Mexico. I don’t know about you, but I will always root for the bull, and I believe it’s karma when the matador gets a horn up the . . . well, you know where. All I am saying here is people flock to danger, it’s intriguing, and when these professionals get injured doing what they do, we flood the Internet to view it. It can be athletes breaking bones, tiny jockeys getting stomped out by giant horses or Mike Tyson eating Holyfield’s ear.

Kevin Ware’s teammates react to the brutal injury he suffered in the 2013 NCAA tournament

Recently point guard Kevin Ware of Louisville suffered a nasty broken leg right in front of his own bench that had everyone stunned. Kevin was attempting to block a three-point shoot when he came down on his right leg hard and it snapped like a twig and flared around like a limp noodle. It was horrific. The four other Louisville players on the court fell to the ground and attempted to hide the tears with their hands and jerseys. Players on the bench were so distraught that a few vomited at the sight of the mangled leg. Coach Rick Pitino wiped away his tears as medical staff worked to get Ware off the court, but before exiting Kevin called over his teammates and stated “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be OK. You guys go win this thing”. Louisville ended up winning an emotional Elite Eight game over Duke and moved on to the Final Four. Ware underwent a two-hour surgery that night to repair a compound fracture in his right leg. I hope the kid makes a comeback; it’s going to be some grueling rehab for the next year.

Coach Rick Pitino

Now it’s time to share with you some of the more gruesome and well-known injuries that athletes have suffered. There is no hiding it these days with giant H-D televisions; there is no hiding it when it’s live.

Back in 2006 Villanova guard Allan Ray had his eye poked out of socket during a game vs. Pittsburgh. That’s right, eyeball popped out! Willis McGahee tore his ACL and MCL during the 2003 Fiesta Bowl and many thought it was the end. He would not collect on a $2.5 million insurance policy and therefore entered the 2003 NFL draft, and is still to this day pounding the rock.

During last NFL pre-season, Marc Mariani, a wide receiver for the Titans had an ankle break that was one of the worst injuries seen in some time on the football field. Teammates told Marc not to look at his ankle. He didn’t listen and immediately was questing if he would ever play again. Probably the most famous of injuries would have to be Super Bowl-winning QB Joe Theisman, taking a brutal tackle from Hall-of-Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor. The tackle snapped Joe’s leg in half and the injury has been voted by the NFL as “The most shocking moment in history.” The injury was career ending for Theisman.

For all you strange wrestling fans, the famous Mick Foley (a.k.a. Cactus Jack, Dude Love, Mankind) had his right ear completely ripped off while performing a stunt between the ropes. The ref picked up the ear and Foley finished the WCW match vs. Big Bad Vader. Back in 2001 Sid Vicious broke his leg during a high flying move off the ropes, maybe the worst break I have ever seen, make sure you check that one out. In 2012 South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore suffered a nasty knee dislocation against the Volunteer defense; this was his first season back after previously suffering a similar injury. The most gruesome injury to ever be caught on tape isn’t even up for debate; in 1989 Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk had his jugular vein slashed by a skate. The scene looks more like a horror slasher film than a hockey game. Once the vein was cut, blood gushed on the ice as if it was coming out by the gallon. He almost died on the ice but quick thinking by a man applying pressure and plugging the wound may have saved the goalie’s life; he was back on the ice in only five days.

It’s hard to imagine being on the wrong end of one of those gruesome injuries, but it happens.

The NCAA tournament has been exciting and Florida Gulf Coast gets the Cinderella trophy being the first 15 seed to advance to the Sweet 16, but they fell short to the real Florida team. This article will hit the stands April 4 and the national championship game takes place April 8. So right now all I have in front of me are the Final 4 matchups: Louisville vs. Wichita St, and Michigan vs. Syracuse. I don’t like making predictions but here goes, Louisville is playing with heavy hearts and will play hard for injured player Kevin Ware and get a win over Wichita St. Michigan will crush Syracuse. Ultimately I have Michigan defeating Louisville in the Championship game. Michigan is playing the best basketball out there. So only one of the No. 1 seeds made the Final 4: Louisville. Wichita St made an impressive run at the 9 seed and both Michigan and Syracuse at the 4 seed. My Final 4 was a bust on my Bracket picking Michigan St, Ohio St, Indiana and I had Kansas winning it all. That’s why the Bracket is so exciting; you are dominating your pool for seven straight days, and in one day it’s all over for you. I won’t be winning the cheddar cheese this year!

Congratulations to MTSU for an impressive season, but it closed with a disappointing end, losing the final two games. They hadn’t lost two straight all season. MTSU lost in the Sun Belt tourney to Florida International, and then was easily handled by St. Mary’s in a play-in game of the tournament. Next season, MTSU moves out of the Sun Belt and over to Conference USA. It would have been bittersweet to have taken that Sun Belt Championship.

So that’s all I got, time to wrap this thing up. Like I always say gentleman, a great idea! Life can be a roller coaster. One day you’re preparing for a basketball game on top of the world, the next day you’re in a hospital bed unable to stand. Life throws us all curve balls and we will be remembered by how we handle these situations. Never give up people. This life is too short. Remember to have fun, cherish what you love. For me it’s faith, family, friends, football and food, the 5 F’s. Remember to treat people like you would expect to be treated and if someone doesn’t abide by that rule and disrespects you, well just do what my man Albert Haynesworth did, head stomp that fool! The Train Daddy is out the station. Choo, Choo! Until next time, peace out my friends.