United We Stand

Sports is meant to be a sanctuary – a getaway, a respite from the complications of the “real world” if only for a brief four quarters, nine innings, three periods or 90 minutes. And yet in that reprieve we often embody the values and channel a sense of pride that we wish we could apply every day outside of the confines of the game. Throw on a Nats cap and you’re not an individual lobbyist, contractor or legislative aide. You’re part of the camaraderie of one of the hottest young teams in baseball. Think of how the Patriots unite New England or how a college team invokes state-wide spirit. Taken to the max, the story goes that a visit by Brazilian soccer great Pele to Nigeria in 1970 briefly halted a civil war so soldiers could catch his exhibition match.

And so the crime is that much more magnified when attacking our sports and the innocent spectators who come to enjoy them. It’s an attack on the collective community. As Boston Celtics Team President Rich Gotham put it, “sports is part of the fabric of the city.” Boston indeed is on any short list of Sports Town, USA. Chances are if you run into a Bostonian in the streets of DC sporting a Red Sox hat, it’s not for fashion – most can tell you who singled home Dave Roberts in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, starting the epic comeback against the Yankees (Bill Mueller). And as storied as the Red Sox are, the city’s marathon is an iconic tradition not just across the country but around the world.

photo credit: Via: newswhip.com

The devastation of the attack has been supplanted only by the outpouring of support over the past two days. Athletes, spectators, first responders and local authorities on duty since Monday afternoon have defined the spirit of Patriot Day in their relief efforts. It probably wouldn’t surprise anyone if the city ever renamed the Monday in April closest to the 19th “Heroes Day.” And with Major League Baseball commemorating this week the anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the game’s color barrier, a similar tone of solidarity has rippled across the sports world. Flags at baseball stadiums are flying at half mast in lock step with US flags around the country. Baseball teams playing on Tuesday paused for a moment of silence before the first pitch to honor the victims. NBA and NHL teams did the same. Even in England’s Premier League, a Tuesday match between soccer clubs Arsenal and Everton (Team USA goalie Tim Howard plays for Everton) paused to pay tribute. In a telling sign of solidarity, the Boston Red Sox’s on-field rivals, the New York Yankees, draped a banner outside their stadium that read “United We Stand” flanked by the Yankees and Red Sox logos and played “Sweet Caroline” – a Fenway Park staple tune – after the third inning. A class act by city that knows first hand about attacks.

We’re all Bostonians to some extent. We’ve either lived in the area or know someone who has. We’re also runners, sports fans, marathon supporters, friends and family members who understand how violating the attacks were. And as a DC community, our memories of tragic experiences are never too far away. Sports is often seen as a means to get away. But in getting away we often unite, with Monday’s events pulling us even closer. United We Stand.

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