By Rebecca Gladden

December 13, 2004

It's hard to believe that it's been almost four years since Dale Earnhardt's unimaginable death on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

Despite the passage of time, the Earnhardt name and legacy continues to sell.

This week, TV Guide and TV Land joined forces to name "the 100 most memorable TV moments" of all time.

Earnhardt's death ranked 17th.

According to TV Guide.com, "The terrible moment of impact on that black Sunday forever shifted the way drivers - and fans - view life behind the wheel, and robbed the sport of its defining hero."

Perhaps that point was missed by the people who created the list.

Yes, Earnhardt's death was televised live in front of millions of devoted race fans, making it a "TV moment." But it was also a real life moment. A real man died; a real family lost a beloved husband and father; a real sport lost a living legend.

On the list, Earnhardt's death was outranked by the "I Love Lucy" episode in which Lucy and Ethel worked at a chocolate factory, and it placed only one spot ahead of the "All in the Family" episode that saw Archie Bunker get kissed by Sammy Davis, Jr.

In the loosest definition of the word, those sitcom moments may be as memorable as the death of NASCAR's "defining hero." To the Earnhardt nation, they are certainly not comparable in impact or import.

But how seriously can you take a list that ranks the collapse of the twin towers -- in which over 3000 people died -- just four places higher than the Beatles' first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show?

Lists like these are intended to be controversial. Controversy creates talk, and talk sells magazines. TV Guide issued a set of four limited-edition covers to coincide with the release of the list. The covers featured Elvis Presley's 1968 comeback special, the aforementioned Beatles' appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, the Star Trek episode in which Captatin Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura shared TV's first interracial kiss, and the wedding of Princess Diana to Prince Charles.

For good measure, they added a fifth "bonus" cover with Dale Earnhardt. According to TVGuide.com, that cover was "not available in most parts of the country." To get one, you would have to order the five-cover set at TVGuide.com's online store.

Of the five covers, four featured people who are deceased: Dale Earnhardt, Elvis Presley, Princess Diana, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ed Sullivan.

As unappetizing as it is, America's fascination with celebrities doesn't end with their passing; in fact, it often grows. In the twelve months ending June 30, 2002, the deceased Earnhardt's royalty and licensing fees brought in over $20 million.

Perhaps the most memorable TV moments list would have been more tasteful if the rankings had been separated into two categories: real life and fictional.

After all, does the death of Dale Earnhardt really belong on the same list as the death of Chuckles the Clown?

I hope the answer is obvious.

The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.