The Man in Black has become a memory in black and white and color. His picture takes up full pages in sports sections and the covers of The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated. But this and the hours of television coverage that have aired and will come this weekend are not enough. Adam Gold is asking callers how to honor Earnhardt. He suggests putting him immediately into racing's Hall of Fame and retiring his No. 3 forever.
Most callers agree.
Those are sensible suggestions. It's the kind of thing that's done for heroes in other sports, but they seem not to fit the man who was still running hard at 49 despite having won seven Winston Cup Championships. Earnhardt, a man known to push other cars off the track, probably wouldn't like the idea of his number being lifted out of Winston Cup racing for good. There are no rafters in racing. Your number is best honored by hanging it on a hood.