Worst Sports Tragedies ever .

[WussGawd]

Originally posted by Anrhydeddu
I fully agree with WussGard on Earnhardt. Folks seem to make that death much more important than others, even within that sport. Sort of like the Elvis obsession.

Bingo. You hit the nail on the head.

[TroyF]

Originally posted by WussGawd
It's funny nobody mentioned Len Bias before now. Yeah, this changed a lot of people's minds about drug use.

I think you'll find I mentioned it in my post, right under the olympics. (about 14 posts earlier than Tucker I might add)

I forgot all about Hank Gathers, that was sad as well.

TroyF

[WussGawd]

Originally posted by TroyF
I think you'll find I mentioned it in my post, right under the olympics. (about 14 posts earlier than Tucker I might add)

I forgot all about Hank Gathers, that was sad as well.

TroyF

Yep. I realized it after I posted my comment. My bad.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally posted by Anrhydeddu
Folks seem to make that death much more important than others, even within that sport. Sort of like the Elvis obsession.

I think you might be overlooking the impact that stature in their field had on the reaction. The closest thing I can think of off-hand might have been if Pele had died during his career.

Of deaths that did occur, the most prominent at the time that comes to mind might be Roberto Clemente.

[Booj]

Originally posted by Maple Leafs
The name escapes me: there was a Carolina Hurricanes player killed in a drunk driving accident a few years ago.

That'd be Steve Chiasson.

And also the death of Charlotte Hornets' Bobby Phills in car accident

[Anrhydeddu]

Good point about Clemente. But it should be noted that his death came about 4 months after the 72 Munich games.

[BreizhManu]

Marc-Vivien Foé player of Man City and Cameroon just died today during the semi-final of the confederations cup : http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/030626/80/e3bd5.html

[Maple Leafs]

It's one thing to list some of the notable tragedies. It's another thing altogether to try to "rank" them. I just find it a little too macabre for my taste to argue over whether Munich was more tragic than Dale Earnhardt.

[GrantDawg]

Originally posted by JonInMiddleGA
I think you might be overlooking the impact that stature in their field had on the reaction. The closest thing I can think of off-hand might have been if Pele had died during his career.

Of deaths that did occur, the most prominent at the time that comes to mind might be Roberto Clemente.

Or even closer...if Micheal Jordan collapsed and died on game 7 of the NBA finals. He was the biggest man in the sport and died at the biggest event in the sport. I never liked him, but I recognize why it affected so many.

[rexallllsc]

Originally posted by Karim
The only one I can think of that hasn't been mentioned is when several junior hockey players in the WHL got killed when their bus crashed in severe winter weather.

I somehow remember Joe Sakic being involved; either he was on the bus or owned the team or something.

Fuzzy on the details...

Swift Current.

[3ric]

Originally posted by BreizhManu
Marc-Vivien Foé player of Man City and Cameroon just died today during the semi-final of the confederations cup : http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/030626/80/e3bd5.html

Tragic. I just saw the video of that - he just collapsed in the centre circle without being touched. His heart stopped during rescuitation on the sidelines.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlin...270588&cc=5739