In case you have been living in a bubble for the last few days and haven't watched the news or picked up a newspaper and don't know who Kevin Ware is, do yourself a favor and do NOT Google him. Although he is now kind of America's sweetheart, all that will most likely come up during your search are horrifying images and gruesome videos. Don't look at the pictures and don't watch the video. Trust me. (And for those who put them on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter, shame on you!) Lemme explain...
On Sunday night during the NCAA tournament's Elite Eight basketball game between Duke and Louisville, Kevin Ware had a freak injury. As he was landing after attempting to block a shot, with really no one around him, his leg basically buckled under him and broke. However, this wasn't a normal break. Not only did he break two bones, it was a compound fracture, meaning his bone broke through his skin and was showing. Six inches of bone were exposed for all to see. It was one of the most horrifying things I have ever seen I my life on TV and I wish I could unsee it. CBS did the replay twice, I think (and hope) not really knowing the awful extent of Ware's injury, and then cut to basically nine minutes of images of players, coaches, and fans, all crying and in extreme shock. His team members could barely move from the shock of seeing what happened to their friend. The opposing Duke team had a similar reaction. I looked on my TV in silence, with tears running down my face. I cried for this kid and his teammates. It was so beyond upsetting to see this happen to such a young athlete with so much ahead of him.
As more news of Kevin Ware's injury came out, I couldn't help but be fascinated by this whole injury and find myself becoming a fan of Ware's. His strength, toughness, and courage were so impressive to me. An injury like this wasn't that common in a basketball game, let alone live on TV in this capacity, with the country watching. So much was on the line for Ware and his Louisville teammates with a trip to the Final Four and even a chance at a NCAA national championship. And now he wouldn't have that opportunity with his team. This tore me apart. I am beyond sensitive when it comes to sports stuff and do enough crying during March Madness (like when the Illini lose or even when another team loses a heartbreaking loss) so Ware's injury really got to me. This kid (and his team) worked so hard to get where they are and his life will be forever changed by the severity of what happened. But he will overcome it.
What impressed me the most with Kevin Ware was how composed he was during this whole thing. He claims to have gone into shock, which I totally believe, but he seemed to be the only one not crying. He has now famously told his team while lying on the floor of the court that "I'm okay. Go out there and win." And that they did. While he was carted off to the hospital, Louisville took a huge lead over Duke and never looked back. Toward the end of the game, his best friend and roommate Chane Behanan, put on Ware's spare jersey on the sideline and got the crowd even more hyped. Goosebumps, right? Those Louisville Cardinals did what had to be done for their teammate Ware. It was inspiring. It was incredible. And I was still crying. This is what team sports are all about, right? How can you not love them?
For the next two days, every article I read about Kevin Ware made me tear up. Seeing a picture of him with the trophy in his hospital bed made me cry. Seeing a picture of him the day after his surgery, standing up using crutches already, got me. Seeing all the celebrities and athletes tweet and reach out to him made me run for the Kleenex. This kid is amazing for what he has overcome already in the last few days. An injury like his is no joke. He is a warrior and I hope that he has the speediest of recoveries. It is unknown if he will be able to play again by next season, but I really hope he does. He seems like a fighter, so I know he will do everything in his power to do so. Kevin Ware, I know you will never read this, but do your thang and get better soon. Until then, I think I may just have hop on the bandwagon just this once to root for Louisville this coming weekend. Win it for Ware.
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