Fernando Caceres Shooting Reminds Us Of Past Tragedies In Sports

Athletes appear superhuman to us, until tragedy strikes our heroes and we realize that they are real people, too. They can become victims to violence, as is the case with these individuals.

Fernando Caceres

The former Argentine soccer defender was shot in the head after a gang tried to steal his BMW early Sunday morning. Caceres was driving with a female companion through the streets of Buenos Aires when a car stopped in front of them. Two individuals surrounded the vehicle and after refusing to give up his car, Caceres was shot through his right eye. He is currently in a coma fighting for his life. As of this writing, six individuals, including two minors, have been detained by the authorities. This is one of those rare occasions where we agree with Maradona, who had this to say about his former teammate:

This is a time bomb, going out is a constant danger. This happens every day, nobody does anything and something must be done.

Colombian Soccer Team Murdered

Ten members of a Colombian amateur soccer team were found dead on October, 24th, 2009 in Venezuela. The team, known as Los Maniceros (The Peanut Vendors), were traveling back from a match held in Chururu, Venezuela when they were taken hostage and later executed. One of the captured players escaped, and is currently in the hospital. The authorities are blaming the National Liberation Army (ELN), claiming this tragic incident was politically motivated. This incident is further proof that sports and politics should never be mixed.

Sean Taylor

Sean Taylor played free safety for the Washington Redskins until his untimely death on November 27th, 2007. Taylor was mortally wounded from a gun shot in the upper leg after a burglary in his home. Despite the fact that we grew up as Dallas Cowboys fans, it is impossible to deny the tragic nature of Taylor’s death. Five individuals have been arrested and charged with Sean Taylor’s murder, including 16-year old Timothy Brown.

Andres Escobar

Andres Escobar played for the Colombian national soccer team in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups. He was shot and killed outside of “El Indio” Bar in Medellin, Colombia. Many speculate that he was murdered because of an auto-goal he scored on June 22, 1994 against the United States. Colombia lost the match 2-1 and did not move past the group stage, costing several powerful drug lords, who had bet heavily on Colombia, a substantial amount of money.

Munich Massacre

The 1972 Munich Summer Olympics lost its celebratory spirit on September 4 when several athletes of the Israeli delegation were taken hostage and then murdered by Black September, a militant group connected with Yasser Arafat’s Fatah organization. Eleven athletes and coaches were murdered, as well as five members of the kidnapping party, making this the darkest edition of the Olympiad games to date.