Darrell Davis: There’s pain in the game

Watching sports isn’t for the squeamish. We were reminded of that again when Dallas Cowboys receiver Allen Hurns had a leg buckle straight sideways while being tackled during an NFL playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Hurns’ grotesque injury rivaled those of Washington Redskins quarterbacks Alex Smith and Joe Theismann, who suffered fractured legs 33 years apart. Football isn’t the only sport with horrific injuries, which can be attested by anyone who remembers Montreal Expos outfielder Moises Alou dislocating and fracturing an ankle while running the bases, or Quebec Nordiques goalie Clint Malarchuk having his neck slashed by a skate blade.

Watching on TV makes it worse because the networks revel in showing the plays over and over, in slow motion, from numerous angles. Viewers can almost hear the skin and bones breaking, but none of the accompanying screaming. The pain must be unbearable. It’s etched on the faces of the teammates and opponents who gather around the fallen athlete, showing support and being grateful it’s not them.