Two Tragic Anniversaries

Sorry, but I'm going to be kind of morbid today.  But there's a good reason for it.  I want to look back at two events that shook the sports world to its core and forever changed their sport.  The first is the 50th anniversary of the crash of Sabena Flight 548, which killed all 72 people aboard, including the entire U.S. figure skating team.  The second anniversary is much more recent, and one many of you probably remember: Dale Earnhardt's death on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

Now I'll be honest, I didn't really know that many details about Sabena 548 until a few days ago, when various websites and publications put out their tributes to those killed in the crash.  I knew that the entire U.S. figure skating team died in a plane crash in 1961, but that's about all I knew.  So, with the help of my trusty friend Wikipedia (as well as the articles on ESPN.com and in Sports Illustrated), I can now provide some background.  The plane took off from JFK (it obviously wasn't called JFK yet, but that's what I know it as, and I don't like "Idlewild") en route to Brussels on Feb. 15, 1961.  The figure skating team would then eventually make its way to Prague for the World Championships.  Everything was going fine until they were just about to reach the Brussels airport.  While waiting for a clear runway, the plane began to move erratically before crashing into a field, killing everyone aboard instantly, including all 18 members of the U.S. figure skating team and 16 coaches/officials/family members.

The crash was so devastating, the World Championships were cancelled.  The sport also lost an entire generation of athletes.  Most of the 1960 Olympic team retired after the Games, including gold medalist Carol Heiss, so the 1961 World Championships were supposed to be the first showcase of that new generation on the international stage.  Instead, U.S. figure skating was decimated.  Many of the 1960 Olympians were forced to come out of retirement, and a number of junior skaters were rushed into the senior ranks.  After dominating the sport in the 1950s, the U.S. only won one medal in 1964 (a bronze), and didn't win another gold until Peggy Fleming in 1968.  A number of foreign coaches also moved to the U.S., since all of the top coaches died in the crash, as well.

As a result of the crash, the U.S. Figure Skating Association declared that no team traveling to an international competition would ever all travel together again.  That rule is still in effect today.  In addition, a scholarship fund was established.  That fund is also still in existence, and it has helped a number of promising young American figure skaters through the years.  A film about the crash is making its one-night-only debut tonight, and in January, the entire 1961 World Championships team was inducted as a group into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame.  A fitting tribute.

I wasn't alive in 1961, but the other anniversary I remember very vivdly.  It was Feb. 18, 2001.  As usual, NASCAR opened its season with its premier event: the Daytona 500.  The Intimidator's black #3 was running third late in the race, behind two cars that Earnhardt owned: Michael Waltrip's #15 and the #8 car driven by his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr.  Earnhardt Sr. decided to hold his own position and "block" other drivers attempting to pass, so that Waltrip and Junior could duke it out for the win.  Earnhardt was doing a great job of blocking, but on Turn 3 of the final lap, his car was bumped by fourth-place Sterling Marlin.  As he tried to straighten out, Earnhardt was hit by Ken Schrader and his car slammed into the wall.  He died instantly.

Seconds later, Michael Waltrip won his first career race in his 463rd career start.  But as he was looking for his car owner in the Winner's Circle, he wasn't there.  Earnhardt, one of the popular drivers in NASCAR, was gone.  Of course, nobody told him until hours later.  But even now, it's impossible for Waltrip to celebrate.  Not only did he pick up his first career win, but it came in the Daytona 500.  However, that victory will always be marred.  Nobody remembers Michael Waltrip won the 2001 Daytona 500.  People only remember it as the race where Dale Earnhardt died.

Earnhardt's car owner and friend Richard Childress immediately retired the #3, changing it to #29 when Kevin Harvick took over in the car the following week.  He also reversed the color scheme, going from black with white numbers to white with black numbers.  As far as everybody is concerned, that was the right thing to do.  Nobody has even thought about putting that number on the side of a NASCAR again.  The black #3 will always belong to Dale Earnhardt.  When the NASCAR Hall of Fame opened last May, he was a no-brainer to be included in the inaugural class of five.

Starting the following week, there was no commentary on the third lap during the TV coverage of every NASCAR race for the rest of the season (the tribute was later extended to also honor the memory of those lost on 9/11).  Fans would stand and hold up three fingers during that entire lap.  They'll repeat that tribute on Sunday.  As for the race itself, check back next time for my preview.