Yesterday, I got an ESPN alert, giving me the saddest sports news that I’ve heard in a long, long time. Adrian Peterson’s son was beaten to death. We send out our prayers to the Peterson family, RIP “Little AP”.
Of course, it’s impossible to say that one sad event is “more cry-worthy” than the next, so I will list, in my opinion, the 10 most cry-worthy sports moments, in no order. The numbers used are just for organization, not for ranking.
1. Adrian Peterson’s son is beaten to death by Joseph Patterson, the boyfriend of AP’s ex-wife.
2. Jason McElwain, an autistic teenager, scores 20 points for his high school basketball team.
3. Jim Valvano, NC State basketball Head Coach, gives an unforgettable ESPY speech, just weeks before dying of cancer.
4. Lou Gehrig, diagnosed with ALS, gives a touching speech announcing his retirement from the MLB.
5. All-Pro Safety, Pat Tillman, takes a leave from the NFL to fight in the military, and gets killed in “friendly-fire”.
6. Len Bias dies of a drug overdose just hours after being selected 2nd overall by the Boston Celtics.
7. Torrey Smith catches for 127 yards and 2 TDs, on the same day that his brother, Tevin, died in a motorcycle crash.
8. Roberto Clemente, HOF outfielder for the Pirates, dies in a plane crash on his way to help with charitable works in Nicaragua.
9. Mike Piazza hits a home run against the Atlanta Braves, in the first MLB game played after 9/11.
10. A Western Oregon softball player gets injured while running the bases. Two opponents from Central Washington, carried her around the bases to complete her first career home run.