Mariano Rivera - Could this be the END?

I LOVE Sports. All sports. Doesn't matter what kind, where it is played or by whom, I will watch it! It's an escape. An escape for the moment from the problems of our lives, the troubles, the mundain or even the happiness that we go trough day in and day out.

Days like Wednesday May 3, 2012.

We first hear of the tragic passing of Junior Seau at the age of 43 of an apparent suicide. Like the tragic suicide of Ray Easterling and Dave Duerson, all talk is pointing again to a neurodegenerative disease linked to concussions. 
 
Then we hear the  National Football League finally lowered the boom on players it accuses of participating in a bounty system in New Orleans Saints suspending them for all or part of the 2012 season. Linebacker Jon Vilma was suspended for a year without pay, defensive end Will Smith received a four-game suspension without pay. Defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove, now with the Green Bay Packers, and linebacker Scott Fujita of the Cleveland Browns get suspensions of eight and three games, respectively, also without pay.

We then turn to the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their second-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series. A TRIPLE OVERTIME thriller, the 20th longest NHL playoff game EVER before Marian Gaborik's point-blank shot 14:41 into the third OT put the Rangers ahead. They hold a 2-1 series lead. A CLASSIC!

"I can't believe it," Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist said following a game that ended four hours 34 minutes after its first puck was dropped. "It's a feeling where, usually I scream and am so excited. I was just too tired. I was just kept saying, 'Oh, my God, it's over.' It felt like it was never going to end. It's a special feeling being a goalie and playing in overtime.

No soon as that was over at about 12:15am edt or so on Thursday word comes of Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels was pitching deep into the game against the Minnesota Twins having not allowing a Hit. The last time Angels fans witnessed one at home was in 1975, with Nolan Ryan on the mound), but Weaver's accomplishment was soaked with added significance. The 29-year-old Southern California native tossed the best game of his career, against the Minnesota Twins, in front of his parents, Dave and Gail Weaver, and his wife, Kristin, who sit together for Jered's starts, 20 rows behind home plate in section 119 of Angels Stadium. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Torii Hunter caught the last out and the day was capped off with a No-Hitter.

End of a UNBELIEVABLE sports Day.

But Thursday, May 3, 2012 had its own major story as well, The great Mariano Rivera, arguably the best closer EVER in baseball in professional baseball anywhere was going through his normal workout catching BP shagged balls hit by his teammates, something, we find out, he has done for his 20 years in the game. But this night was different in Kansas City.

Mariano Rivera was tracking down a ball hit by Jayson Nix in deep center field when his right knee appeared to buckle a step before the wall. He fell to the warning track and immediately grabbed at his right knee, briefly covering his face with his glove and grimacing in pain.

Bullpen coach Mike Harkey was near Rivera when he went down, and he was the first to whistle for help. Manager Joe Girardi was watching batting practice from behind home plate and started running down, cutting across the outfield to get to his closer.

Near home plate, teammate Alex Rodriguez could be seen saying, ''Oh, my God. Oh, my God.''
Harkey and Girardi helped to carry Rivera to the cart, gently setting him into the back with his knee propped up. The cart rounded the warning track before disappearing up a tunnel.

We now find out that the 42-year-old Rivera  has a torn ACL in his right knee and will probably have surgery ending his season. Examined by the Royals associate physician Dr. Joe Noland, team physician, Dr. Vincent Key and Yankees trainers, and was sent immediately for an MRI exam at KU MedWest and results were told by Yankees manager Joe Girardi, “If that’s the report,” Yankees Manager Joe Girardi said, “if that’s what it is, that’s as bad as it gets.”

This could mean we have seen the last of Mariano as a player. He had hinted in spring training he already has made up his mind if this would be his last season and reports were he was going to leave the game at the end of this season.

If this is how it ends, how tragic and unfair, but that is the nature of sports nor life. We are just living each day and trying to do our best and sometimes what happens is fate, luck, good or bad or just the grand plan  of things.

You never know, so ALWAYS give your best and hope that is good enough!

WATCH VIDEO of Mariano Injury