The best inspirational sports stories are the ones that take a sharp turn, right at the end.
A 77-year-old liquor store owner is in critical, but stable, condition at University Hospital after police say he was shot in the eye during an armed robbery Wednesday night.
The victim — Thomas Dotterer – not only owns the liquor store, he is also a baseball coach at Christian Brothers Academy and a member of the Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame.
Earlier, police mistakenly told NewsChannel 9 that Dotterer was listed in serious condition. (via News Channel 9)
How great is that? The guy gets shot in the eye and the info that he’s “in serious condition” is a mistake.
Listening to him talk is wonderful. He speaks candidly about the value of optimism, how all things happen for a reason and how to deal with such a violent, life-altering moment of cruelty. Then, in maybe the best swerve in local interview history, a guy who has a bruised, bandaged hole in his face reveals that BEING SHOT IN THE HEAD WITH A GUN AT HIS FAMILY’S LIQUOR STORE wasn’t the worst thing that happened to him this week.
I’ll let you discover that for yourself. Video is below.
Me too, Thomas. Me too.
[h/t to Billy Breyer]
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I LOVE THAT GUY :D
HE’S HARDCORE! HE’S HARDCORE! HE’S HARDCORE!
This made my day.
Yeah the reveal at the end was better than I could ever expect.
This made my whole year!
No! My whole life!!!
This guy is awesome. I nominate Thomas Dotterer, from my humble outside position, for a spot as an honorary WrestlingBro.
Next time I’m in Syracuse I’m going to that liquor store and buying something.
CM Punk @CMPunk
Tom Dotterer is amazing. He’s got my respect. If he needs anything from me let me know.
I demand an Odd Couple sitcom where CM Punk hangs out in Tom’s liquor store and glares at his customers!
I’d like to hope that CM Punk will send this guy a signed picture or something to hang on the store wall.
This guy makes me feel horrible for overreacting so much. But he also affirms that Rocky winning is actually worse than getting shot in the eye.
I can’t wait for Rock’s tweet about how this guy must have been shot in the balls to BECAUSE HE HAS NONE.
He got shot in his pie.
Is it irony that this guy loves CM Punk and makes living selling liquor?
IT’S LIKE RAIEEEEEEAIN
No I’m asking…is it? I don’t want to be the guy who says something is ironic when it merely like rain on a wedding day…that isn’t isn’t irony that’s an annoyance.
I think it is situational irony. You might expect a liquor store owner who happens to be a wrestling fan to hate Punk but he actually likes him. Maybe?
“Thomas said he used to be a “gloomy pessimist” with a “sweet can.” “S-sweet-sweet-sweet can.” “Can can s-sweet can.”"
As a Cuse grad, I have to say there are real crappy neighborhoods up there that I, a 200+ guy in my 20′s, would never walk through in the daytime, let alone night. Still, the end of that story was amazing! Get well soon, Coach.
You, sir, have just unlocked all 20 Uproxx badges.
Ha! I knew it had to be something wrestling related but I did not see that coming! Good stuff.
Holy Shit! I wish I had millions and million and millions of dollars so I could buy this man a ticket to Wrestlemania. I hope his eye heals perfectly and Punk treats him like royalty when he inevitably gives him tickets to ‘Mania.
my high school (i graduated i swear) plays CBA regularly. Not sure where that liquor store is exactly but it’s probably within 20 minutes of driving from my residence.
I hope Punk sends him an autographed picture and that he’ll hilariously hang up right behind the register.
This guy is tough. Real tough. A few years ago, he beat down would-be robbers. At 70! Obviously, these idiots hadn’t heard. LINK to ’06 article about the robbery: [www.highbeam.com]
By the looks of The Rock’s twitter, WWE has hacked his twitter account so The Rock can insult the old man who was shot in the eye while being robbed. Good call.
*can’t insult
Me fail English? That’s unpossible!
What a twist!
The next time someone tells me that getting upset about a wrestling match is stupid because it’s not anything serious like, say, getting shot in the face, I’m going to link them to this video.
I thought this was fake when I first saw somebody tweet about this. Wow.
WWE Champion The Rock: officially worse than getting shot in the face.
How do you deal with such tragedy like that? This man is made of solid steel and bleeds Earl Grey. I didn’t even get shot in the eye but the Rock winning has caused me to suffer a crippling depression, bouts of Diarrhea, Ryback’s eternal Pink Eye, Soreness of the Thumb and Myopic Gland Disorder.
Incredible story of Coach Dotterer a 77 year old man who was shot during a robbery. Tom Dotterer fought to survive, he lost vision in his left eye, he could have died, miraculously hes recovering, back home and the worst part of his week was seeing the former WWE Champion Cm Punk lose his Title to Dwayne The Rock Johnson. Thats unbelievable, really is a True Champion who wont quit and he certainly has a great sense of humor. We all could take a lesson from Da Coach. Enjoy life, have fun never lose your sense of humor it will get you through anything even getting shot in the face. Much Respect Tom Dotterer a Champion among Men, Toughest Man on the Planet.