The Best Ruined Trips

[311 words] Harry Vardon was golf’s first superstar. The British golfer had become a cornerstone of golf popularity in the United States after an American tour in 1900 that ended with him winning the U.S. Open. In 1912 he was planning a return tour to America after overcoming tuberculosis. He was to arrive to huge fanfare on the greatest vessel of his day. The voyage had to be canceled when his disease came back. Harry was devastated thinking his comeback was over. Jack Johnson was the world heavyweight boxing champion. At the peak of his fame, he too was planning to board the greatest vessel of his day on a trip. But it wasn’t an illness that keep him ashore, it was racism. The black fighter was refused passage on the vessel because of his color. As tragic as these may seem, both men would later speak about how glad…