2009 Sports Year in Review: Top 10 Gruesome Injury Videos of 2009

Injuries are a part of sports and a strange part of the sports fan experience. We may be loathe to admit it, but we can have a strange fascination with sports injuries. For instance, when many football fans heart the name Joe Theisman, they don't think of his Super Bowl win with the Washington Redskins, they think of the brutal leg injury he suffered at the hands of New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor (the scene was recently immortalized in the opening of the hit 2009 film The Blind Side).

So with that caveat, here is a list of the most gruesome injury videos of 2009. There's something compelling about this videos. It could be because we're fascinated by people who are willing to sacrifice their well-being in order to fully test their potential. Or it could be plain old morbid curiosity.

Either way, here are the Top 10 Sports Injuries of 2009:

1. Derrick Roland Leg Break Video: It's hard not to wince as you watch the Texas A&M basketball player breaking both the fibula and tibia in his right leg


2. Jens Voigt Tour de France Crash Video: During Stage 16 of the Tour de France, German cyclist Jens Voigt lost control of his bike and skidded along the road.

3. Eric Wood Leg Break Video: The Buffalo Bills Right Guard Eric Wood suffered a horrific broken leg injury in today's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was so graphic that CBS chose not to run a replay.

4. Marcin Wasilewski of RSC Anderlecht Broken Leg Video Footballers may have a reputation for diving, but it's safe to say that Wasilewski wasn't feigning injury after this nasty tackle.


5.  EJ Henderson Leg Break Video  Minnesota Vikings middle linebacker EJ Henderson suffered a gruesome leg injury during his team's Week 13 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The Vikings linebacker tried to make a tackle of Cardinals running back Tim Hightower when his left leg twisted violently. Henderson had to be carted off the field.


6. Tomas Vokoun Hit in Head By Stick Video This injury wasn't ugly as much as it was weird. The Florida Panthers goalie had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher after he was hit in the head by the stick of teammate Keith Ballard during the first period of the Monday night's Florida Panthers-Atlanta Thrashers game.

7. Jahvid Best Concussion Video The Cal running back was catapulted into the air on a hit from behind that sent his entire body into a mid-air cartwheel before landing awkwardly on his neck.

8. Endy Chavez Collision Video Seattle Mariners outfielder Endy Chavez was injured after colliding into teammate Yuniesky Betancourt during the Mariner's 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday night. Both players crashed into each other while trying to field a fly ball. Remarkably, Betancourt managed to make the catch.

9. Leon Washington Leg Break Video Yet another brutal football injury. New York Jets running back Leon Washington suffered a gruesome broken leg injury during his team's Week 7 game against the Oakland Raiders.

10. Corey Hill Leg Break Video Technically, this MMA injury happened in December 2008 and not 2009, but  it's so horrific it's worth inclusion.