The response to the Boston Marathon bombing makes me proud to be an American, and sports played a huge part in that.
To see such an outpouring of support after the tragic events that took place in Boston on Monday was a breath of fresh air.
While watching the horrifying images and hearing testimonials from people who were steps away or in the path of the explosions, it made me remember how sports were affected by the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
The NFL delayed its season by a week, numerous college sporting events were put on hold and the New York Mets and Yankees along with the rest of the MLB showed their support for the victims of the attacks by donning New York police and fire department hats.
It was a time in American history when sports still went on, but everyone knew something bigger had occurred — something that was a matter of life and death.
Sports are an escape from reality. Spectators only have to focus on what happens between the lines.
The Boston Marathon is the equivalent of a holiday in Beantown — forget about the Bruins, Patriots, Red Sox and Celtics, kids get days off from school to take in the 26.2-mile trek around the city.
It’s a big deal.
The explosions Monday were different from the events of 9/11. Not only did a heinous act occur on American soil, it happened during an athletic event in one of the biggest sporting cities in the world.
Boston athletic teams came out in droves to stand up for their cities.
The Celtics and Bruins canceled their contests scheduled for Monday night, new Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola vowed to give $100 to a Boston Marathon relief fund for every pass he catches in 2013 and the Red Sox’s third baseman Will Middlebrooks tweeted, “I can’t wait to put on my jersey today … I get to play for the strongest city out there.”
The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have one of the biggest rivalries in all of sports — their fans flat out despise each other. But on Tuesday night, the animosity between both teams was forgotten.
After the third inning in the game between the Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks, the Red Sox anthem, Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” played over the loudspeakers.
Instead of booing, the sound echoing around Yankee Stadium was the crowd singing in unison. For one night, at least, the rivalry was forgotten.
To put it in perspective, it’s like the entire crowd of Alabama fans in Bryant-Denny Stadium singing “Hey Fightin’ Tigers” at halftime. Think about that for a second.
And the Yankees’ support for Boston was just the tip of the iceberg for the MLB.
Every stadium from Seattle to Miami played the song to remember what happened the day before in Boston.
It was like there were 16 Fenway Parks on Tuesday night. And it gave me chills.
College sports teams also took action. Louisville wore its patriotic uniforms against Kentucky, and Vanderbilt wore its red, white and blue uniforms to show support for the victims of the bombings.
Even across the pond, English soccer club Arsenal sported black armbands to remember the Boston Marathon victims.
Tragedies like the one that occurred Monday give us much more perspective. To see athletes and fans not care about who won on the scoreboard is refreshing.
This week has hopefully made American citizens, athletes and fans across the country realize we’re all on the same team. And that’s what makes me honored to be an American.
Micah Bedard is a 22-year-old history senior from Houma.
