The "Intimidator's" Legacy - Safety in the Raceland

Since the death of Dale Earnhardt, Sr. in 2001, NASCAR has been on the prowl to find the next "Intimidator".  Fans of "Junior Nation" want Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to take on the role his father once held.  However, many believe that no one, not even Junior, could take the place of the famous "Intimidator". 

Dale Earnhardt, Sr.'s career as a NASCAR driver took off in the 1990's.  He held rivalries with many now-famous drivers like Jeff Gordon.  Gordon was quoted on yahoo.com that, "I wouldn't have been as popular today," as he spoke of the Earnhardt-Gordon rivalry.

After finally winning the Daytona 500 in 1998, Dale Earnhardt, Sr. became unstoppable until that tragic day in 2001.  The fans went silent as the caution came out for a crash that would never be forgotten.  The Intimidator and Kenny Shrader collided in a turn.  The Intimidator's car was slammed into a wall crushing the entire front end of the car.  Only an hour later, Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was pronounced dead after crashing into a wall of the Daytona 500 racetrack.  He was killed instantly on site of the crash.  The cause of his death was "a blow to the head".

NASCAR's response to the fatal accident was immediate and swift.  Safety procautions were changed for not only drivers, but cars, pit crews, and the racetracks.  By the end of 2001, NASCAR increased safety belt standards, added an engine cut-off switch to the vehicles, and introduced safety programs.  New barriers were made for the racetracks.  Helmets became required for the pit crews.

Ten years after "The Intimidators" death, NASCAR has become a much more safe sport.  Safety is now no longer a small section to the rule book; it has gained many more pages and is now top priority.

New Technologies in Sport Media

New technologies in the sports industry today range from sporting equipment, social networking sites, and all the way to your new Smartphone Apps. 

Today, I have found a new sport social networking site.  It is called ArmchairGM.  It is a website where you can find almost any news story in the sport media today.  The link is posted below.  I found this interesting because the site is full of articles and can keep you updated on what's happening in the sport world.  To do this, all you need to do is create an account on the website and you gain full access to any article and can even add friends to your pages.

In addition, I researched a new type of technology that was used during the Olympics at Beijing.  This technology was created for the Sailing Events.  Sailors used the Dopplar Radar system to navigate and see what's going on during their trips.  However, this system is useless when there is no wind blowing.  The Doppler Lidar system was created to scan the surface of the course with laser beams and measures beam scatter to provide a real-time readout of wind speed and direction over a large area. 

These are just two of the many new technologies being brought to the new sport world.  New technologies are created everyday.

ArmchairGM

2011 Pro Bowl Streakers

During the NFL Pro-Bowl this past weekend, the NFC was on a scoring streak against the AFC.  However, that was not the only thing streaking in the third quarter of the Pro-Bowl.  To bring more entertainment to the field, a few men decided to streak during the kickoff after a score made by the NFC in the quarter.  Many people like my self thought that they just saw things running across the TV screen, but it was, in reality, men streaking across the field.  Fans and players laughed in hysteria as the men streaked.  After running through the field, the men were arrested and charged with fines.  The video of the streakers is posted below.
What are your comments about the streakers?


2011 Pro Bowl Streakers