Number 3 and the Three S's By Doug Morris Those are three words that describe my reaction to the death of Dale Earnhardt. At first, my brother and RockTrax racing analyst Geof Morris and I thought Dale would make it out OK. After all, there were no serious injuries in that massive crash at lap 176 of the Daytona 500 that involved about half the field of drivers. True, in the final lap, the close competition and Dale looking out for the cars he owned -- the ones that would finish one-two in Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -- would result in a hard crash. But, we thought, he'll be OK. Dale would be just a little rattled, he'd be OK. Then, the unthinkable happened. News surfaced on the web and later radio and TV the passing of a legend. On the way home, I heard the news on a radio station out of New Orleans. Believe me, I wanted to turn back to the Rock 104 studios and deliver the news. But, I'm a race fan as much as you. And like you, I just couldn't believe it. I even knew my roommate wouldn't believe it. Mandy hadn't heard of Dale's death until I told her after she returned from a weekend trip in Baton Rouge. She, like me, was shocked. Saddened. Stunned. As many of you know, I grew up in the midwest. Living in Ohio, I'd only heard names like Earnhardt, Labonte and Petty just around this time of year -- mid-February in Daytona. Just never paid that much attention to a southern-based sport while living the life of a city-slicker. It wasn't until I moved to this region almost a decade ago that NASCAR gradually caught my attention. As it did, the legend of the intimidator caught my eye. Living here, it was hard for me not to notice the many Earnhardt t-shirts, the Earnhardt bumper stickers, caps with the number 3 italicized to the left and much more merchandise. In 1998, two months before RockTrax and Rock 104 covered NASCAR on a full-time basis, I was watching the Daytona 500. Like many of you that day, I rooted for the sentimental favorite in Earnhardt. And finally, after years of frustration and close calls, Earnhardt finally intimidated the great American race -- such a joyous occasion. Dale Earnhardt was a man you either loved or hated. But he contributed greatly to a sport that has expanded tremendously from its roots here in the South. And he is someone all of sports will miss dearly. Doug Morris is the host of Rock 104's RockTrax on WXRR-FM -- serving the Hattiesburg/Laurel area of South Mississippi. E-mail Doug at [email protected]. |
