Next Wednesday is the 23rd anniversary of September 11, 2001, and a time to remember loved ones and first responders who were lost that day. Then and now, sports have played a significant role in the remembrance and healing process.
For many, sports have played a big part in the healing process, from supporting first responders to displaying the American flag during opening ceremonies at stadiums and arenas. Throughout the years, 9/11 and the sport’s healing process have been well documented by stories, exhibits, and performances at many sports venues nationwide. The New York Mets and Yankees each wore first responder hats from the PAPD, NYPD, and FDNY to show their support.
The 9/11 Memorial and Museum even had an exhibit called Comeback Season: Sports After 9/11, which, according to its webpage, “explores how sports helped the country unite and start to heal in the aftermath of the attacks.”
FROM THE EXHIBIT: In the following months, sports set an emotional cadence for a grieving nation. Ballparks, racetracks, and arenas offered fans a place to come together and cheer. The rituals of sport were extended to commemorate those killed on 9/11 and honor those who protect us. In stadiums around the country, millions found a path forward, combining reverence for the fallen with devotion to the games.
One of the exhibit’s artifacts was the helmet that New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza wore, with the lettering NYPD on it. Also significant about Piazza is this: he hit that mammoth home run at Shea Stadium in the first baseball game in New York after the 9/11 attacks. The blast brought fans to their feet, cheering in emotion.
During a 2016 interview with the MLB Network, Piazza said, “When you have a lot of people pulling for you, you feel it. It was just this incredible release of emotion…. I think you know that it became clear people just wanted to cheer about something.”
Meanwhile, the Mets’ crosstown rivals, the New York Yankees, were playing the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series at Yankee Stadium. President George W. Bush was scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Yankees Captain Derek Jeter advised him “not to bounce it because they will boo you.” President Bush urged the nation to “move forward with strength and resiliency, like New York’s first responders during the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero.”
Immediately following the attack, it was clear that sports–baseball, in this case–played an important role.
MLB.com writer Anthony Castrovince: That night, Cardinals announcer Jack Buck summed up the emotion of the occasion with the recitation of a poem at Busch Stadium punctuated by an emphatic, “Should we be here? Yes!”
The NFL’s Giants and Jets also paid tribute, with moving tributes paying respect to a healing nation, and (later) the Super Bowl halftime show featured athletes and musicians paying tribute to those who had fallen. Bono of U2 was shown hugging an American flag as he and the group performed Where the Streets Have No Name, while victims’ names were shown on a gigantic video screen. Bono’s finale was opening his jacket to display an American flag on the inside lining.
As a nation, “We Will Never Forget.”
