Ever catch a ball right on the chin? It's horrifying.
One second you're thinking and breathing in a pain-free world, and then ROCK-SHOCK-KABOOM—you're blind, disoriented and vaguely expecting a second shot to slap you upside the head. It's a sensation that stays with you for some time.
Ball fear is natural, considering the immutable truth that getting smacked in the mouth by hard ovals or spherical objects is a painful and humiliating occurrence in life.
No matter how many times it happens, taking a ball to the bridge of your nose will never leave you unfazed—but it's not the end of the world. You can pick up the pieces and carry on with your life, changed forever but fundamentally unbroken.
With that, the following are athletes, fans and officials who took balls to the face, and took them like a champ.