Since I’m pretty heavily invested and interested in
sports, the Marshall Plane Crash in 1970 was a seamless fit for my exploratory paper.
Before I engaged in research, my knowledge of this incident was pretty limited –
the 2006 film We Are Marshall (starring
Matthew McConaughey and Matthew Fox). I consider myself fairly knowledgeable on
sports history, and yet the most tragic sporting event of all time had slipped
through the cracks. But how was it possible that I knew hardly anything about
the worst disaster in sports history?
The plane crash occurred after a 17-14 loss to East Carolina.
Typically, the Marshall Thundering Herd would play games within driving
distance, but Carolina was just far enough away to fly. Just a few miles
outside of the Thundering Herd’s home in Huntington, WV, the plane crashed into
a hillside, killing all seventy-five passengers on board, including
thirty-seven football players. Subsequently, Marshall cancelled their remaining
game on their 1970 schedule – against the Ohio Bobcats, in Athens. Even though
Marshall managed to field a team for the 1970 football campaign, they would
never be the same.
People know all about tragic sports history – racial
problems in baseball are common knowledge for any fan, including the history of
the Negro leagues. But there’s no event that can parallel the pure destruction
that the Marshall Plane Crash entailed, yet the story flies under the radar.
Well, it flew under the radar until Hollywood finally signed on to make a film
featuring the plane crash and the resilient 1971. Instead of accurately
depicting a great story, the writers chose to make up new characters and change
crucial plot points, leaving Marshall fans and alum pretty disappointed.
More than anything, I think location and the importance of
the Marshall football program had a lot to do with keeping this story somewhat
under the radar for sports fans. If this story would have occurred at Nortre
Dame, USC, or Texas, it’d purely be common knowledge for anyone who’s ever
picked up a football. Also, as we know, issues within Appalachia are often put
on the backburner by the national media. In the end, the plane crash itself was
a tragedy, but Hollywood’s treatment of this great story was hard for
Appalachians to stomach, as well.
This is interesting. I only heard a little about it. You're right, it did not get that much attention. After reading your blog I understand the event better. This story is sad. I need to watch the movie.
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