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Hank Aaron is a legend and an example of courage and grace rarely equaled in sports. A small footnote to his legacy is that he was indirectly partially responsible for Monday Nitro's very existence. A brief thread.
Bill Watts became the Executive Vice-President of WCW in 1992. He had an old-fashioned style that rubbed many the wrong way. At this time Hank Aaron was also an executive in the Turner organization working for the Atlanta Braves.
In 1993 Mark Madden (yes, that Mark Madden) sent Aaron an interview Watts had conducted before getting the WCW job (I believe it was with the Torch) where he complained about businesses not being able to discriminate against people based on color.
He also made other racist and homophobic remarks. Aaron pushed for Watts firing and, depending on who you believe, Watts was either forced to resign or left the company feeling betrayed by higher ups in the organization.
This left a job opening in the EVP position that was, somewhat surprisingly at the time, given to @EBischoff, putting him in the famous meeting where he told Ted Turner to compete with WWF they needed to be live on Monday nights.
Thus Nitro fans can indirectly thank Hammerin' Hank for Nitro and the best years of WCW. RIP to a true icon and class act both on the field and off who made an unlikely impact on the wrestling business as well.
