Sports and injuries go together like peanut butter and jelly just not as pleasantly. Few individuals that have played sports on a regular basis are strangers to injuries of one type or another. But there are those injuries which are pretty run of the mill, crazy ‘how the heck did he do that’ injuries, injuries that you have to turn away from and injuries that beg the question… seriously, buddy?

Everybody saw that coming

Certain sports are more prone to specific types of injuries. But when looking at sports injuries in general here are the most common:

• Groin strains are practically unbearable. Just ask Simon Jones and Chris Gayle.

• Former NFL player Steve Young will tell you, as will countless others that concussions are serious stuff. More is being done every day to prevent them and treat them properly.

• Sprained ankles are ridiculously common. The wearing of an ankle sports brace can help with not only recovery but prevention as well.

• Achilles tendons, when injured, can be a hideously painful end to a once promising career.

• Tennis elbow can even strike pros like Sachin Tendulkar.

• All athletes know about knee injuries. They comprise over 50% of all injuries related to sports.

• Rotator cuff/shoulder injuries have plagued Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer.

• Back pain is a problem for many athletes and non athletes alike. Just moving the wrong way can destroy a winning season. Tennis great Andre Agassi was a victim of back problems.

• Shin splints are painful reminders that the right footwear and stretching need to be good habits. Tennis player Monica Seles found that out the hard way.

• And general muscle pulls are something that every athlete has had to put up with at some time or another.

You’ve got to be kidding

Then there are those injuries that are so stupid, they’re hard to feel sorry for.

• The #1 spot goes to NFL kicker Bill Gramatica whose ACL paid for his celebratory leap in the air.

• Maybe celebrating should be outlawed. Just ask NFL QB G. Frerotte who ran smack dab into the wall padding headfirst (on purpose) to celebrate his TD. He strained his neck and was removed from the game.

Too horrible to believe

And then there are the truly devastating mishaps:

• For 78 minutes a football player that was a mere 24 year old had no natural heartbeat. Swift action and medical science saved the life of the young athlete.

• Remember those concussions? Parkinson’s Disease permanently benched one of boxing’s biggest stars shortly after retiring. After a lifetime of blows to the head Muhammad Ali was a prime candidate for the brain related disease.

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