Sept. 11, 2001 will be a day that we remember for the rest of our lives. On this day, Osama bin Laden and his terrorist scum hammered not only New York and Washington, D.C., but the heart of America. The tragic image of destruction affected us all.
When the World Trade Center came tumbling down, so did an essence of American tradition and pride: sports. Not only did officials shut down sports at the professional level, but at the college and high school levels as well.
Somehow it doesn’t seem right that that this idiot and his followers can attack our way of life to the extent that we cancel America’s favorite pastimes.
As I flipped through the TV channels a few days after the tragedy, I felt a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach when the screen flashed empty stadiums across the country on a national network.
What sends a more patriotic and powerful message to the world than a jam-packed stadium of united Americans wearing our colors, saluting our flag and every single fan in the stands singing the national anthem? Doesn’t it proclaim that we as a nation will not be broken? What better way to conquer the enemy? Our stadiums need to be full of cheering fans watching and enjoying what we love.
At times I feel like I want to echo the sentiments of Emmitt Smith, running back of the Dallas Cowboys, who stated, “My initial thought was taken from the logical standpoint of listening to what the president said about how we need to pick up and move forward. But as you look at the tragic stories in depth, it just seems like a good time to spend a weekend with our family.”
Yes, we need a time of mourning. Yes, we need a time to remember, and yes, we need a time to pray. There are more important things in life than sports. But there is nothing more important than standing up for what is right. We don’t want to let the terrorists think that they have won.
America, play ball and don’t look back. Stand united and stand proud when you attend a sports event.
I, for one, am glad that sports across America will continue to resume this weekend. This will be a chance for Americans to show the world our pride and spirit. We cannot let hateful terrorists acts keep us from exercising our right to freedom.When we do, then we will be defeated as a nation.