Slayer 0 Report post Posted September 8, 2004 I thought a good Top 25 list they didn't do on TV for their anniversary (possibly because it would have been too heavy handed) was the top 25 sports tragedies in the last 25 years. What do you think would have been on there and what list would you make? Things I can think of: 9-11 Earnhardt dies on the track Len Bias ODs Hank Gathers collapses on court Cleveland Indians boating accident Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the max 0 Report post Posted September 8, 2004 My top 5: 9-11 Len Bias Reggie Lewis Travis Roy Cleveland Indians boating accident Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Staravenger Report post Posted September 8, 2004 Not to sound stupid, but what was the Clevland Indians boating accident? I can assume it was before I became a baseball fan (unless I'm really that dumb). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the max 0 Report post Posted September 8, 2004 Three Indians players got drunk on a boat and crashed into a dock. http://reds.enquirer.com/2003/03/20/indians20.html Steve Olin and Tim Crews died and Bob Ojeda barely lived. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted September 8, 2004 whatever happened to Ojeda? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Anglesault Report post Posted September 8, 2004 Munson is one or two. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Salacious Crumb Report post Posted September 8, 2004 The car accident a few nights after the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup and ended Konstantinov's career. Who was the Lions player that got paralized during one of Sanders last seasons? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Staravenger Report post Posted September 8, 2004 I can't believe I didn't remember that (considering I've been watching sports center since 1991). Shows how some minds forget stuff, but to be fair, I was a kid then so my memory that far back isn't that great, but I knew the name Tim Crews sounded familiar. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted September 8, 2004 Munson is one or two. I had thought about that one, for sure, but if this were under the guidelines of one of those official ESPN list thingies, it would be cutting really close with the timeline, happening one month before ESPN's birth Who was the Lions player that got paralized during one of Sanders last seasons? Mike Utley, and it was in one of Barry's first seasons (1991 or so) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Czech Republic 0 Report post Posted September 8, 2004 ESPN wouldn't do it, but I'd put Owen Hart on the list. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Kaspar Kucera Report post Posted September 8, 2004 Wasn't there a fairly notable plane crash featuring a South American soccer team? Was that less than 25 years ago? Also, the Payne Stewart crash would probably count as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2004 Darryl Kile. I can't believe people have forgotten about that already. J.R. Richard's stroke would rate highly as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Baron 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2004 Dan Snyder (well maybe TSN list, but not ESPN) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Staravenger Report post Posted September 9, 2004 Darryl Kile. I can't believe people have forgotten about that already. J.R. Richard's stroke would rate highly as well. I think it has to do with people wanting to forget the incidents, but don't want to forget the person. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sfaJack 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2004 J.R. Richard's stroke would rate highly as well. Oh, good one. That one's particularly sad when you realize how it sent him tumbling from being a monster on the mound to homeless and living under a bridge in Houston. I think they're doing a movie about him sometime soon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Man in Blak 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2004 Look, 9-11 is one of the greatest tragedies in the history of our nation - does it really require mention here, especially when you could argue that 9-11 provided the groundwork for sports to help unify the entire country? Just like Thurman Munson is the standard for Yankee fans, I think Darryl Kile would top my list, with Roberto Clemente, Munson, J.R. Richard, and the Indians boat crash rounding out my "Top 5." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2004 Look, 9-11 is one of the greatest tragedies in the history of our nation - does it really require mention here I believe so especially when you could argue that 9-11 provided the groundwork for sports to help unify the entire country? A good point, indeed, but when I typed this I felt I could not leave it out, just thinking of all the stories I remember, like: - Ace Bailey being one of the planes - Boomer Esiason's charity office being destroyed (thankfully no one was killed) - The athletic connections of the guys who fought back on Flight 93 - A former Buffalo Bills player who was lucky to get his heart transplant in time, because if the plane carrying his heart had been delayed in any way, it would have been grounded by the FAA's nationwide grounding And many more The unification was a definite positive end that I would not exclude Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Edwin MacPhisto 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2004 Yeah, putting 9/11 on a list of sports tragedies is a pretty big stretch. I don't mean to trivialize the deaths of Earnhardt and the like, but c'mon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2004 I'd argue the opposite. All of that are really minor connections. If we considered a few guys with collegiate backgrounds, how many others could I include? Do Andujar Cedeno and Mike Darr count? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2004 There was a stretch from mid '00 to mid '01 where it seemed like athletes were tragically dying right and left Korey Stringer, Bobby Phills, Malik Sealy, Earnhardt, Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin Oddly enough, with the exception of Stringer, all of those involved cars Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sfaJack 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2004 What happened to Bobby Phills? I must have missed that one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest D'Lo White Report post Posted September 9, 2004 Donnie Moore Gerald McClellan Jerome Brown Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2004 Gerald McClellan's an excellent one. I can't believe I forgot that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2004 What happened to Bobby Phills? I must have missed that one. He died in early '00 when he crashed his car while drag-racing a teammate in the parking lot of the Charlotte Coliseum Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2004 Well, 9/11 did cause football to be postponed a week -- that's a big enough tragedy for me. (I know I'm going to hell, don't remind me). Add this to my list: Tom Jackson and Chris Berman getting on TV... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2004 Gerald McClellan's an excellent one. I can't believe I forgot that. And I can't believe I forgot Jerome Brown Speaking of boxing tragedies, how about Deuk-Koo Kim (the boxer who died after fighting Ray Mancini) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lt. Al Giardello 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2004 Iran Barkley as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EVIL~! alkeiper 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2004 What happened to Iran Barkley? I never heard anything. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChris 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2004 I'd put that Colombian soccer player who got murdered after scoring an own goal in the 1994 World Cup pretty high. The Drazen Petrovic crash is another one I don't see here that I would put on such a list. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Styles 0 Report post Posted September 9, 2004 How far back are we going? Lou Gehrig is right at the top for me... I guess I'll mention the death of Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler in last year's spring training due to heat exaustion and ephedra use... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
