Just reading your post about a cup protecting sweaty balls, reminded me of this absolutely true story, Jockstrapper.
Not having played any sports which really need cock and ball protection - cricket, baseball etc. - I’ve never been into cups, preferring to keep my cock and balls ready at all times.
However, I don’t know if any cup wearer has experienced one splitting due to a heavy blow. If so I’d imagine that it would be a tad on the painful side.
A few years ago I was at a cricketing evening where two great legends of English and South African cricket, Ian Botham and Allan Lamb, were talking.
A question was asked about the dangers of being a batsman facing a hostile fast bowler who could bowl a ball above 90mph.
Botham replied that if it hit you anywhere, it hurt and if it hit you where there was no body protection it really hurt, but most batsmen learned to deal with the pain on the basis of ‘the more times that you hit your thumb with a hammer, the less it hurts‘!
He then went on to tell a story about a team mate of his, the hard as nails Yorkshire man, Brian Close. On the first ball of the over he got hit in the groin with a very fast nasty low bouncer. He doubled over in pain, sank to his knees and stayed like that for a minute or so, then stood up and continued batting. He scored runs in that over, plus the others until the tea interval was called.
He went into the tearoom, got a cup of tea, lit a cigarette and called for the team doctor. The doc came, asked Closey what was wrong and Brian unbuckled his trousers, pulled his jockstrap aside and showed the doc a very purple and swollen cockhead and foreskin trapped between a partial split in the cup which had happened when he was hit. He asked the doc to free his cock!
Botham said that everyone who witnessed it went pale, the doc freed Close’s cock, Close rearranged all his bits and pieces behind the damaged cup, finished his tea and fag and went back out to continue battling.
The simple fact that he’d carried on playing without going off hurt, scored runs, where he’d had to run 22 yards between the wickets, several of which were doubles and lasted until the official break showed just how tough he was and how little pain affected him.
BTW: If anyone wants to see the effect of a 5.5oz, nearly 3” diameter leather ball does when it hits you at speed, just Google Brian Close ball bruises, when an irate W Indies team battered Close with deliberately aimed balls. He never wore chest protection, or even a helmet. Whoever said that cricket is a game played by gentlemen got it totally wrong!
A great Yorkshire cricketing hero of mine, now very sadly missed.