How 9/11 Affected Sports
It was eight years ago today that the most tragic day in America happened with 9/11. A lot of things were effected by 9/11. Our airlines, our businesses, and even our faith. One of things that felt effects of 9/11 was sports. For me as a sports fan it was so hard going a week and in some sports going two weeks without watching sports. I can remember all that was on TV were stories of victims and survivors. I will always remember the day time stood still and nothing else mattered. Now lets look at how 9/11 effected sports. Lets talk about facts, ironies, and mere coincidences of what has happened in sports shortly after 9/11 and since it happened.
One of things that happened is baseball and football seasons were behind schedule and resulted in baseball’s playoffs being in the middle of November. Football had a tight schedule and the date of the Superbowl even got changed.
Two weeks after 9/11, Michael Jordan came out of retirement to play for the Washington Wizards and donated his salary to all the victims families of the attacks. Jordan played 60 games that year and played the following year. His last NBA Basketball game was at the United Center in Chicago against the Bulls.
The New York Mets wore baseball hats with the logo’s of the FDNY, and NYPD. All the baseball teams wore them but the Mets wore them for the rest of the year even though they were facing fines. Also in baseball that year Barry Bond’s, weather you like him or not gave the country something to root for as he broke Mark McGwire’s single season home run record by hitting 73 home runs.
In NASCAR before 9/11, every lap 3 of every race was a silent tribute to Dale Earnhardt who died earlier that year at the Daytona 500. After 9/11 the tribute was for the fallen heroes of 9/11. In 2002, the silent tribute stopped.
Three days after the attacks, WWE was the first sporting/entertainment event to take place in Houston, Texas. In wrestling you don’t have much to cry about but I can tell you without a doubt I had tears in my eyes watching all the superstar tributes to New York. A lot of people criticize professional wrestling and it’s antics but to me I will always remember that night as the greatest act in professional wrestling. Wrestlers and wrestling fans alike call it the greatest Smackdown in the 10 year history of the show. Since this time WWE goes over seas every year before Christmas and have a show called “Tribute to the Troops,” that has taken place either in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Now here some myths, ironies, and just mere coincidences of whats happened since September 2001. Before 2001 the Yankees won the World Series title three years in a row. Since then the Yankees have not won a World Series title. It was also in 2000 where New York sports was at it’s all time high with the Subway series between the Yankees and Mets.
When you think of people who love America you usually call them patriots. Well the 2001 NFL season is when the New England Patriots’ dynasty began and the won the Superbowl that season and they have been a dominant team since then.
The year 2001, was the last time Jeff Gordon won a NASCAR championship. All these things could be mere coincidences or just a matter of fate and destiny but it makes you think. It really makes you think about superstitions, ironies, and that type of stuff.
The final irony about all of this could take place tonight. Possibly the greatest New York Yankee of all time Derek Jeter has a chance to break Lou Gehrig’s all time hit record as a Yankee. What is special about that, is that the game is in New York at the new Yankee Stadium.
A lot of people consider athletes and celebrities as their heroes. The true heroes of this country are the ones who survived 9/11 and the ones who worked in New York to save the lives of others. On a personal note, I visited the site of where United 93 crashed in Shanksville, PA. The passengers on that plan are also heroes for giving their lives from preventing another attack on Washington D.C.
September 11th 2001 is a day none of us will ever forget. It effected our lives, our faith, our safety and it changed the way we value our freedoms as Americans. God Bless to those who lost loved on ones eight years ago. God Bless to those who risk their lives to help out and save people from the rubble. Finally God Bless America.
