THE SIMPSONS, Season 14, Episode 12: “I’m Spelling as Fast as I Can”
Aired February 23, 2003
Inside SPELLYMPIC STADIUM in SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, where the SPELLYMPICS FINALS are taking place. Host GEORGE PLIMPTON is on the stage, and LISA SIMPSON is on the podium, getting ready to spell her word, with a full crowd watching. GEORGE PLIMPTON is ready to announce LISA SIMPSON’s word.
GEORGE PLIMPTON: The word is… intransigence.
LISA SIMPSON: Intransigence… I…
HOMER SIMPSON: Am right here!
LISA SIMPSON: Dad… you do care!
HOMER SIMPSON: Damn right! You’re #1 on my menu! Now supercharge it!
LISA SIMPSON: With you here, I can’t fail! (now determined) Attention everyone, I was asked to take a dive, but I won’t do it! I-
(screen cuts to black for a few seconds. The Simpsons is interrupted by a Global TV Breaking News bulletin.)
ANNOUNCER: We interrupt this program to bring you a breaking news bulletin!
(Leslie Roberts, Global TV anchor, appears on the screen.)
LESLIE ROBERTS: Good afternoon, Canada. We have just received word that Air China Flight 503 and a Royal Canadian Air Force plane have been reported missing after losing contact with air traffic control around 20 minutes ago. Their last known location was over the Pacific Ocean, a little under 2,000 kilometres north of Hawaii. In a very shocking twist to this story, Major Russell Williams has been reported missing after several calls to his RCAF plane went unanswered. At this point, all assumptions are on the table.
- From a Global TV broadcast at 2:24 PM on February 23, 2003
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I was travelling with the team because I was gonna play in the Bulls game that Wednesday. I remember, I was getting iced down, and then, the news came on.
(pauses, then shakes his head) Damn.
- Michael Finley, from the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”
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LESLIE ROBERTS: We have received more information on the Air China Flight 503 crash… based on transmissions received from the cockpit voice and flight data recorder by air traffic control, apparently, Air China Flight 503 crashed into a Royal Canadian Air Force plane over the Pacific Ocean. It has also been confirmed that Major Russell Williams was on the Royal Canadian Air Force plane that crashed into Air China Flight 503, and he has been reported “lost at sea.” As for Air China Flight 503, the death toll is presumed to be in the hundreds.
- From a Global TV broadcast at 3:05 PM on February 23, 2003
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On February 23, 2003, Air China Flight 503, a Boeing 747, crashed into an EADS Eagle 1 aircraft of the Royal Canadian Air Force over the North Pacific Ocean, killing all 416 people on board Air China Flight 503, and all 6 people on board the EADS Eagle 1 of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The crash site was reported to be just under 2,000 kilometres north of Honolulu, Hawaii. Among those killed on the EADS Eagle 1 were a Canadian military officer, Russell Williams, and five security officers hired by the Canadian military. The group was arriving from Ottawa to pick up new Chinese Communist Party Secretary Hu Jintao and transport him to Canada, where he would have his first international diplomatic visit as Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and meet with Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien for the first time.
- From the Wikipedia article, “2003 Air China Flight 503-RCAF EADS Eagle 1 crash”
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Obviously, this is a very, very sad day for our country, for the whole world… our thoughts and prayers go out to all the lives lost in the crash, and all those still missing. This is especially sad for me, having been raised in Canada, having my entire basketball career here… this is just sad and shocking. I’m still in disbelief.
- Steve Nash, from a February 24, 2003 press conference on the plane crash in Chicago, Illinois
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We were not sure whether or not to play the game that Wednesday against the Bulls. When we heard of the crash, the Monday practice was cancelled. We held a team meeting the day before the game, deciding whether or not we were gonna play. Then, Kobe spoke up, he said, “We have to play this game, man. It’s what Russell would have wanted.” We came into that game with a lot of emotion, a lot of energy. It just felt right.
- Steve Nash, from the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”
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RAPTORS VS. BULLS: PRE-GAME CEREMONIES
February 26, 2003
United Center, Chicago, Illinois
(Raptors players and Bulls players kneel together at center)
TOMMY EDWARDS (Chicago Bulls PA announcer): Ladies and gentlemen… before the singing of the Canadian and American national anthems… a moment of silence for the lives lost in the plane crash over the Pacific Ocean earlier this week.
(moment of silence)
TOMMY EDWARDS: Thank you. (loud cheering and a standing ovation from fans at United Center) And now, to sing the Canadian National Anthem and the Star-Spangled Banner, here’s Jennifer Hudson.
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Jennifer Hudson sang “O Canada” on point that first game back man… on point. Just made that comeback game that much sweeter.
- Kevin Garnett, from the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “We the North”
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Unforgettable: Raptors beat Bulls, commemorate plane crash victims
Toronto Star
February 27, 2003
(CHICAGO) – Over the last few days, the world has reacted with shock, sorrow, and grief to Sunday’s plane crash. The sports world, as distracting as it may be from these events, has expressed many of the same emotions: their expressions of grief ranged from the typical moment of silence and standing ovation for the Canadian national anthem to a nationally televised, grand memorial ceremony at the Grizzlies’ home game against the Utah Jazz on Monday. And last night, it was the Raptors’ turn to express their grief, even if they had to do so on foreign soil.
First, a moment of silence was observed before local singer Jennifer Hudson sang “O Canada” to a standing ovation at the United Center. The standing ovation then resumed through the Raptors’ player introductions, an event that would normally be booed by Bulls fans due to the intense rivalry between the two teams in the late 90’s. And then, it was time to play the game. The result was a 104-92 victory over the Bulls, led by Kevin Garnett’s 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 steals.
Garnett said after the game that the win was “a win for all of Canada, and that I’m just happy to be able to play the game I love every day.” He also sent his condolences to the victims of the crash, specifically mentioning “Major Russell Williams… we dedicated this game to him, man. We’re dedicating the rest of this season to him. We win #5, it’s for him, you know,” after learning Williams was a Raptors fan.
Meanwhile, Steve Nash, the Raptors’ Canadian-raised star point guard, didn’t come out that strong, finishing the game with only 12 points and 5 assists on 29 minutes after fouling out of the game. Nash admitted that “it was really hard to focus with everything going on, talking to my wife, my parents, other Canadians I know,” but said that “the best way to honour Russell (Williams)’ memory is to keep playing our hearts out every night.” Nash also said that he “watched the Vancouver ceremony, and was moved by it.”
Nash also led the Raptors to wear black versions of their gear, including headbands, wristbands, shooting sleeves, armbands, kneebands, socks, and shoes, as a symbol of mourning; according to Raptors owner John Bitove, this will continue for the rest of the season. Bitove also said that the Raptors would wear yellow ribbons on their jerseys and shorts for the rest of the season to commemorate the lives lost, a move that echoes what the Vancouver Grizzlies are doing, after the NBA approved of both the Raptors and Grizzlies doing so. Bitove said that wearing the ribbons and black gear “was only right to commemorate the memory of the victims, several of whom were members of the Canadian Armed Forces.”
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls, who lost the game, participated in the pre-game ceremonies out of respect. Jason Richardson, who scored a team-high 17 points, including a breakaway 360 dunk in the first quarter, sent his condolences to the victims of the plane crash and their families, adding that “it’s sad… truly sad what happened over the ocean… just knowing that anything can happen when you fly on a plane.” It’s natural that Richardson would be thinking about that, as the Bulls will be leaving Chicago after their Friday night game against the Hawks for their Saturday night game in Washington against the Wizards; even though the loss drops them to 16-43, Richardson said that there were “other things on everyone’s mind that night.”
As for the Raptors, the win pushes them to 51-3, by far, the best record in the NBA. With the win, they have clinched a berth in the NBA Playoffs for the 7th consecutive year (the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are in 8th place in the Eastern Conference, can finish with a 50-32 record if they win the rest of their games; the Raptors will still have more wins even if they lose all of their remaining games). The Raptors will be flying to Boston for a prime-time Friday night showdown against the Celtics, where they will hope to win their 27th game in a row, while also hoping to get there and back safely.
