MICHAEL KIRAL

This time of the year is supposed to be a special one for sports. The NBA and NHL have made their turns for home. March Madness is just around the corner. Golf is in full swing and pitchers and catchers are ready to report to spring training. Unfortunately, this weekend was a sad one in the sports world with the passing of two legends – Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Eddie Mathews. No place more has the sadness been felt than in the world of auto racing. If Richard Petty was NASCAR’s king, then Earnhardt was its knight in black armor, spurring the sport on to greater heights. Earnhardt’s passing came during a weekend that was going to be an important one for NASCAR. The Daytona 500, the sport’s version of the World Series and Super Bowl, was going to be a jump start for NASCAR which had seen its exponential growth slowed in recent years. It was going to be the first major race under the sport’s new contract with Fox. The race was everything the sport could have asked for. Whereas last year’s was almost a one horse race with Dale Jarrett cruising to the win, this year’s featured 49 lead changes among 14 drivers. Often during the race, cars were three wide going around the track. It featured a great story line with Michael Waltrip winning for the first time in 463 Winston Cup starts. But all that was overshadowed by one of the greatest tragedies the sport has ever had to face. Top drivers have died before on the track but none have been as connected to their sport as Earnhardt was to NASCAR. For millions of race fans, “The Intimidator” was NASCAR. Earnhardt was the sport’s all-time money winner with over $40 million in earnings. His seven career Winston Cup championships tied him with Petty for the most in history. His 76 career victories ranks him sixth all-time. Like in most other sports, its hard to compare Earnhardt with drivers of other eras such as Petty. There are fewer races now and more competition. Like most legends, Earnhardt’s impact on the sport went far beyond the numbers. The sport for years had been the fastest growing in the country. Earnhardt could be compared to Arnold Palmer in golf, ones who took their sports to even greater heights. The sport was reeling from the deaths of three young drivers in 2000, however. Now comes a blow that is sure to be felt for years to come. NASCAR had already started to implement safety features to make a hazardous sports less so. Those measures are sure to be stepped up now. Just one more contribution that Earnhardt has brought to a sport that he has already done so much for. Mathews was another player who had an impact on his sport. The only player to have played for the Braves in Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta, Mathews was one of the premier third basemen of his era. He was one of 16 players to hit 500 home runs, finishing with 512 in his 17-year career, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1978. And he noted for being the first player to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. There will be other races and baseball games. But the passing of two of those sports’ legends have thrown a pall over a time that should be special for both.