Earnhardt's death didn't affect "the sports world" much at all, since only a very small subset of the *world's* sports-interested population cares one whit about Nascar. Ayrton Senna's death was a much, MUCH bigger deal to the actual (as in "not only North American") sports world. You guys really need to remember that even the English part of the web is, in fact, world-wide.

And Steve Irwin still trumps any race car driver, I'd wager.

The WORSE that could happen? I do no think that be the phrase you look-a for.