This is Why We Will Never Forget
Analyzing the Athletic Impact on NYC After 9/11
The beautiful game of basketball. After 125 years of studying, playing, and loving a sport originally made for providing “athletic distraction” to some troublesome students, we have seen it grow into so much more than that. Whether some view it as a form of entertainment, an escape, a life journey, a source of motivation, or, in most cases, just a casual activity for the weekend, the impact that the game has had on hundreds of millions of lives around the world is amazing. From the U.S, to Australia, to China, to Canada, to Spain, and even Israel, basketball is able to reach so many people in so many unique ways, and that’s including me.
All of us have something that we hold incredibly close to our hearts. Whether it’s a physical object or not, isn’t important, as these things can do everything from help us cope with rough spots in our lives, to making our best days even better. For me, one of these few things is basketball. Any form of it, really. Watching the NBA on TV, playing at my hoop at home with my sister, competing for my school team, or just shooting by myself in a completely empty gym, it doesn’t matter how I am able to reach and connect with the game. Basketball is my escape and my heart. There aren’t many things that I love more than just shooting at a court without anyone else. Coming off a tough day, especially, my first instinct is to pick up a ball and head to the gym, where I know that there are no distractions. Just me, the ball, the hoop, and my imagination putting scenes into my head of me hitting impossible game winning shots in the NBA. Now, in the same way that the game of basketball plays an important role in who I am, all sports offer people an option of escape and comfort, at the very least.
Sports have the power to unite people and even nations. Just look at the World Cup for example. In a world where it is so hard to find a news story on in the morning that isn’t about war in the Middle East or terrorist attacks hitting a new location, we are able to forget all those worries and enjoy the competitive nature that is found through the World Cup. And in 2001, when terror struck our country unexpectedly, the way we viewed and valued sports shifted instantly.
Tuesday, September 11th, 2001. Many adults were on their regular morning commute to work, without worry. Maybe with a bit of stress, as I’m sure that’s common for the average person in New York while trying to get to work, but everything was normal. The traffic was probably bumper to bumper, kids were at school, radios were on in cars, horns were blaring, and people were yelling just like any old Tuesday morning in the Big Apple. Eight o’clock: work starts. Eight fifteen: coffee’s in the cup, and the work day has officially begun. Eight thirty: nothing. Eight forty-five:, unexpected horror. A hijacked American Airlines passenger jet collides with the North Tower of the World Trade Center. A frenzy is sparked within a city where constant chaos and non-stop movement is the usual, but this chaos was unimaginable. After seventeen minutes of hell, terror strikes again. 9:03: a second passenger jet collides with the South Tower of the World Trade Center, and the breath is completely sucked out of New York City. People observing everywhere from the streets below, to their TV screens at home, both in the city and in other states, watched in complete and utter disbelief and sadness. For a few hours, or what probably seemed like all eternity, the United States of America stopped moving. Following this, a plane hit the Pentagon, and another, believed to be heading for the Capitol Building, went down in Pennsylvania. With all these tragedies happening within the span of two hours, the immediate response of New York and the U.S.A was one without direction, and one without hope. However, in the few years after 9/11, this country experienced one of the most united and patriotic times in recent history, and many factors played a role in the rebuilding of a broken nation. From financial support, to political backing, and every piece of the puzzle that is completely necessary to bounce back from an event as cataclysmic as 9/11, one of the most overlooked was the effect that sports had on the city of New York and its people. Sports didn’t help literally rebuild the city. It didn’t directly fund the four billion dollar bill that was left as a result of the attacks. But it did rebuild one thing that could not have been brought back any other way: people’s morale. It brought back the voice in their heads that would tell them once again, “Hey, you know, everything's alright.” And for that, we, as a nation, are incredibly grateful.
It was late in the summer of 2001, and the sports world was receiving an incredible amount of attention. Records were being broken, unforgettable matches were being played, the NFL season was starting up, the MLB season was well underway, and the NBA offseason was coming to a close. Every sports fanatic, especially those of New York City, could not have asked for more. Barry Bonds set the single season record for most home runs, Michael Jordan played with the idea of another NBA comeback, the Williams sisters competed in the most-viewed women’s tennis final in the history of the U.S Open, and that’s just to name a few great memories of what sports, in the year of 2001, had in store. In fact, during this time period, all eyes were on the sports world, including those of President George W. Bush. To mark the beginning of the NFL season, he held an event at the White House on September 9th, 2001, in which he would determine which teams would receive the opening kickoff for the next ten games. Despite the fact that he originally had plans to fly to Florida that night in order to discuss education reform, he was able to make room for this event.
“This is a great day for NFL fans. Here we go!” he exclaimed, reassuring the people that all was taken care of in the United States of America and that all they had to worry about was how well their NFL teams would do in the upcoming season. After all, it was a time when CNN broadcasts--CNN broadcasts--were being interrupted for sports news, so everything must be okay, right? Right?
September 10, 2001. New York Giants vs. the Denver Broncos, at Invesco Field in Denver. Through a long and hard fought game in which the Giants played very well, the Giants would end up taking a loss due to a late game scoring surge by the Broncos. They traveled back home on a plane stunned with utter silence, but these players had no idea that this would serve as a foreshadowing for the next couple of days for the players, the team, the city of New York, and the country.
As their charter plane landed at Newark International Airport on Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 and it’s 37 passengers awaited take off at the gate. Among these passengers were four men armed with knives and box cutters disguised as cigarette lighters. Then at 7:39 A.M, the gate agents invited all to board the flight. Little to their knowledge, this would be the start of one of the three attacks known today as 9/11 (Saslow).
People on the streets watched, in silence. People at home watched, in silence. People across the globe watched, in silence. I mean, when something to the degree of September 11th occurs, what is there to say? In the few days immediately after the country was attacked, that was the exact reaction. Everything stopped. Flights were cancelled, the sports world took a one week leave, and the boroughs of New York were paralyzed, to say the least. More than anything, the goal for everyone was to just get back to normal. If that could be accomplished, then an incredible amount about how strong America is would be proven. And so, the process began (Murphy).
In the sports world, everything was put into perspective. During the few days leading up the 9/11, it was as if sports was the only thing that mattered. However, that mood was very quick to change, as players realized just how small their day jobs were in the grand scheme of things, but also how big of a role they played in times such as late-2001. When baseball returned about a week after the attacks, it returned with an exclamation point at Shea Stadium. Mike Piazza, a former catcher for the New York Mets, hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the 8th inning during a win versus the Atlanta Braves, a game which made so many people feel like things were back to the way everyone wanted them to be, a September 10th world. Although the season that the Mets had wasn’t a terribly successful one, the contributions that the organization made toward the city overshadowed anything else. During baseball’s absence, Shea Stadium was turned into a rescue area where vital supplies and resources were held in order to be transported to those in need (Jordan). As for the Yankees, their season would turn out to be much more successful, as this very talented, title-contender team would make a World Series run about a month after 9/11. They found themselves in a very heated series with the Arizona Diamondbacks. All the home runs, RBI’s strikeouts, and diving catches aside, the most memorable and iconic moment from this series came in game 3. President George W. Bush threw the first pitch just a month and half after 9/11, a sight that would leave nearly 50,000 people, and more, with chills. After being taken to an intense game seven, the D-Backs would eventually get the better of the Yankees.
In the few months after the 2001 championship, Joe Torre, the manager of the Yankees at the time, said that people constantly came up to him and told him how sorry they were about his team’s loss. He then discussed how it was about those World Series games in late October of 2001, more than anything. It was about how those games made people feel in the moment.
“You’re telling me we lost?” he asked. Yes, the Yankees did lose the World Series despite battling through tough times both on and off the field. More importantly, however, those games made people grasp a sense of normality again in a time where everyone was numb. In the shadow of the attacks, there is no greater gift that could’ve been given to the citizens of New York, and that is most definitely no loss.
The NFL also took Week Two off, as the former league commissioner, Paul Tagliabue, decided that this time would be used to regain focus on what was most pressing.
“We had to pause and make sure everyone had our priorities straight, make sure we understood how unified we needed to be, understand where we were at,” he remarked (Lupica). Upon returning, the Jets would make New York proud and complete a successful playoff surge, while the Giants’ would fall to a record of 7-9, in which Jim Fassel, the head coach of the team at the time, backed his team up by saying that that season was, “one of my fondest memories as a coach, because our guys kept going, even when the games didn’t feel so important” (Saslow). However, the New England Patriots’ season would become one of the biggest American stories post-9/11, as a rookie quarterback named Tom Brady led his team against the odds to their first Super Bowl win (Jordan). And for the New York Knicks, they were playing good ball. All in all, no matter the result of these teams’ seasons, they will always be remembered for their role in reestablishing normal life to a countless number of American lives.
W.C Heinz, one of the great sportswriters of all time, who was also a war correspondent for the New York Sun, sums up the job that was laid upon all the people of America, not just the professional athletes, with this one quote:
You know what the response of the ballplayers and the athletes should be to what we’ve all seen this week, what we’ve all felt? To come back when they come back and do the best job they can. It’s all most of us can ever do. It’s always the best way to fight back in this country, whether you’re a policeman or a fireman, or a plumber or a doctor. Get up and go back to work and do the very best work you’re capable of doing and be grateful you still can. Play the best game. Write the best story. Then get up tomorrow and do it again. People keep talking on the television about how America can go on. That’s the only way America can go on. Do work you can be proud of. Be proud of product, not self. If the things I saw in war taught me anything, they taught me that.
Looking back on the tragedies of this day, we are able to reflect on how we as a nation recovered and returned to “normal” life. It was the doctors, the athletes, the statesmen, the housewives, the teachers, the first-responders, the volunteers, and everyone inbetween that sacrificed for the greater good of the country, and because of this, our country entered one of the most patriotic times that we have seen in recent history (Lupica).
Obviously, the security increase that was seen and felt throughout the country was incredible. When George W. Bush came out and famously said, “You are either with us, or against us,” he meant it, and the extra precautions that were put in place because of 9/11 validated this statement. The lasting effects of the attacks were bittersweet, at least in terms of the sports world. Sports made us feel so secure and normal again, even in the few years after. But when you show up at a sports stadium and can’t walk in without being padded down and having your bag vigorously checked, it doesn’t make us think about the way things used to be. Packing thousands and thousands of people into an enclosed arena is no easy task, especially when the thought that anyone of these people could be a threat is running through your mind. That’s the bitter part. What’s so sweet, however, is the flip side of this topic. Sports games are one of the only places in the world where we regularly pause, reflect, recognize, and thank those who serve or have served our country. From the national anthem, the honor guard, God Bless America, and everything in between, one thing will always remain, and that is the patriotism that fuels this country (Murphy).
Every year, the NBA promotes their league through a campaign known as, “This Is Why We Play,” where short videos are put out on YouTube, commercials are aired via television, and so on. These videos contain highlight clips from the stars in the league, clips of players reaching out and helping in the community, and on occasion discuss pressing issues in today’s world. To show the passion that comes along with the game of basketball, to show that the NBA is very much involved in local communities all over the nation, or to show that the NBA is simple more than basketball, whatever the point of these campaigns may be, they are always a success when it comes to reaching out to and inspiring the viewer. After 9/11, the phrase “We Will Never Forget” was brought about and used often in the country. This phrase had a similar effect on the general public, both nationally and internationally, as the NBA’s “This Is Why We Play” campaign. I mean, each were put out there for the same reason. Just as “we play” for the love of the game, for the passion of the game, and for one another, we will never forget those near 3,000 people who innocently lost their lives. And with some help from the countless, fond memories many have of the tough time, sports allowed us a way of reminiscing in a September 10th, 2001 world, while also motivating us to move on, and become stronger.
All of us have something that we hold incredibly close to our hearts. Whether it’s a physical object or not, isn’t important, as these things can do everything from help us cope with rough spots in our lives, to making our best days even better. For me, one of these few things is basketball. Any form of it, really. Watching the NBA on TV, playing at my hoop at home with my sister, competing for my school team, or just shooting by myself in a completely empty gym, it doesn’t matter how I am able to reach and connect with the game. Basketball is my escape and my heart. There aren’t many things that I love more than just shooting at a court without anyone else. Coming off a tough day, especially, my first instinct is to pick up a ball and head to the gym, where I know that there are no distractions. Just me, the ball, the hoop, and my imagination putting scenes into my head of me hitting impossible game winning shots in the NBA. Now, in the same way that the game of basketball plays an important role in who I am, all sports offer people an option of escape and comfort, at the very least.
Sports have the power to unite people and even nations. Just look at the World Cup for example. In a world where it is so hard to find a news story on in the morning that isn’t about war in the Middle East or terrorist attacks hitting a new location, we are able to forget all those worries and enjoy the competitive nature that is found through the World Cup. And in 2001, when terror struck our country unexpectedly, the way we viewed and valued sports shifted instantly.
Tuesday, September 11th, 2001. Many adults were on their regular morning commute to work, without worry. Maybe with a bit of stress, as I’m sure that’s common for the average person in New York while trying to get to work, but everything was normal. The traffic was probably bumper to bumper, kids were at school, radios were on in cars, horns were blaring, and people were yelling just like any old Tuesday morning in the Big Apple. Eight o’clock: work starts. Eight fifteen: coffee’s in the cup, and the work day has officially begun. Eight thirty: nothing. Eight forty-five:, unexpected horror. A hijacked American Airlines passenger jet collides with the North Tower of the World Trade Center. A frenzy is sparked within a city where constant chaos and non-stop movement is the usual, but this chaos was unimaginable. After seventeen minutes of hell, terror strikes again. 9:03: a second passenger jet collides with the South Tower of the World Trade Center, and the breath is completely sucked out of New York City. People observing everywhere from the streets below, to their TV screens at home, both in the city and in other states, watched in complete and utter disbelief and sadness. For a few hours, or what probably seemed like all eternity, the United States of America stopped moving. Following this, a plane hit the Pentagon, and another, believed to be heading for the Capitol Building, went down in Pennsylvania. With all these tragedies happening within the span of two hours, the immediate response of New York and the U.S.A was one without direction, and one without hope. However, in the few years after 9/11, this country experienced one of the most united and patriotic times in recent history, and many factors played a role in the rebuilding of a broken nation. From financial support, to political backing, and every piece of the puzzle that is completely necessary to bounce back from an event as cataclysmic as 9/11, one of the most overlooked was the effect that sports had on the city of New York and its people. Sports didn’t help literally rebuild the city. It didn’t directly fund the four billion dollar bill that was left as a result of the attacks. But it did rebuild one thing that could not have been brought back any other way: people’s morale. It brought back the voice in their heads that would tell them once again, “Hey, you know, everything's alright.” And for that, we, as a nation, are incredibly grateful.
It was late in the summer of 2001, and the sports world was receiving an incredible amount of attention. Records were being broken, unforgettable matches were being played, the NFL season was starting up, the MLB season was well underway, and the NBA offseason was coming to a close. Every sports fanatic, especially those of New York City, could not have asked for more. Barry Bonds set the single season record for most home runs, Michael Jordan played with the idea of another NBA comeback, the Williams sisters competed in the most-viewed women’s tennis final in the history of the U.S Open, and that’s just to name a few great memories of what sports, in the year of 2001, had in store. In fact, during this time period, all eyes were on the sports world, including those of President George W. Bush. To mark the beginning of the NFL season, he held an event at the White House on September 9th, 2001, in which he would determine which teams would receive the opening kickoff for the next ten games. Despite the fact that he originally had plans to fly to Florida that night in order to discuss education reform, he was able to make room for this event.
“This is a great day for NFL fans. Here we go!” he exclaimed, reassuring the people that all was taken care of in the United States of America and that all they had to worry about was how well their NFL teams would do in the upcoming season. After all, it was a time when CNN broadcasts--CNN broadcasts--were being interrupted for sports news, so everything must be okay, right? Right?
September 10, 2001. New York Giants vs. the Denver Broncos, at Invesco Field in Denver. Through a long and hard fought game in which the Giants played very well, the Giants would end up taking a loss due to a late game scoring surge by the Broncos. They traveled back home on a plane stunned with utter silence, but these players had no idea that this would serve as a foreshadowing for the next couple of days for the players, the team, the city of New York, and the country.
As their charter plane landed at Newark International Airport on Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 and it’s 37 passengers awaited take off at the gate. Among these passengers were four men armed with knives and box cutters disguised as cigarette lighters. Then at 7:39 A.M, the gate agents invited all to board the flight. Little to their knowledge, this would be the start of one of the three attacks known today as 9/11 (Saslow).
People on the streets watched, in silence. People at home watched, in silence. People across the globe watched, in silence. I mean, when something to the degree of September 11th occurs, what is there to say? In the few days immediately after the country was attacked, that was the exact reaction. Everything stopped. Flights were cancelled, the sports world took a one week leave, and the boroughs of New York were paralyzed, to say the least. More than anything, the goal for everyone was to just get back to normal. If that could be accomplished, then an incredible amount about how strong America is would be proven. And so, the process began (Murphy).
In the sports world, everything was put into perspective. During the few days leading up the 9/11, it was as if sports was the only thing that mattered. However, that mood was very quick to change, as players realized just how small their day jobs were in the grand scheme of things, but also how big of a role they played in times such as late-2001. When baseball returned about a week after the attacks, it returned with an exclamation point at Shea Stadium. Mike Piazza, a former catcher for the New York Mets, hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the 8th inning during a win versus the Atlanta Braves, a game which made so many people feel like things were back to the way everyone wanted them to be, a September 10th world. Although the season that the Mets had wasn’t a terribly successful one, the contributions that the organization made toward the city overshadowed anything else. During baseball’s absence, Shea Stadium was turned into a rescue area where vital supplies and resources were held in order to be transported to those in need (Jordan). As for the Yankees, their season would turn out to be much more successful, as this very talented, title-contender team would make a World Series run about a month after 9/11. They found themselves in a very heated series with the Arizona Diamondbacks. All the home runs, RBI’s strikeouts, and diving catches aside, the most memorable and iconic moment from this series came in game 3. President George W. Bush threw the first pitch just a month and half after 9/11, a sight that would leave nearly 50,000 people, and more, with chills. After being taken to an intense game seven, the D-Backs would eventually get the better of the Yankees.
In the few months after the 2001 championship, Joe Torre, the manager of the Yankees at the time, said that people constantly came up to him and told him how sorry they were about his team’s loss. He then discussed how it was about those World Series games in late October of 2001, more than anything. It was about how those games made people feel in the moment.
“You’re telling me we lost?” he asked. Yes, the Yankees did lose the World Series despite battling through tough times both on and off the field. More importantly, however, those games made people grasp a sense of normality again in a time where everyone was numb. In the shadow of the attacks, there is no greater gift that could’ve been given to the citizens of New York, and that is most definitely no loss.
The NFL also took Week Two off, as the former league commissioner, Paul Tagliabue, decided that this time would be used to regain focus on what was most pressing.
“We had to pause and make sure everyone had our priorities straight, make sure we understood how unified we needed to be, understand where we were at,” he remarked (Lupica). Upon returning, the Jets would make New York proud and complete a successful playoff surge, while the Giants’ would fall to a record of 7-9, in which Jim Fassel, the head coach of the team at the time, backed his team up by saying that that season was, “one of my fondest memories as a coach, because our guys kept going, even when the games didn’t feel so important” (Saslow). However, the New England Patriots’ season would become one of the biggest American stories post-9/11, as a rookie quarterback named Tom Brady led his team against the odds to their first Super Bowl win (Jordan). And for the New York Knicks, they were playing good ball. All in all, no matter the result of these teams’ seasons, they will always be remembered for their role in reestablishing normal life to a countless number of American lives.
W.C Heinz, one of the great sportswriters of all time, who was also a war correspondent for the New York Sun, sums up the job that was laid upon all the people of America, not just the professional athletes, with this one quote:
You know what the response of the ballplayers and the athletes should be to what we’ve all seen this week, what we’ve all felt? To come back when they come back and do the best job they can. It’s all most of us can ever do. It’s always the best way to fight back in this country, whether you’re a policeman or a fireman, or a plumber or a doctor. Get up and go back to work and do the very best work you’re capable of doing and be grateful you still can. Play the best game. Write the best story. Then get up tomorrow and do it again. People keep talking on the television about how America can go on. That’s the only way America can go on. Do work you can be proud of. Be proud of product, not self. If the things I saw in war taught me anything, they taught me that.
Looking back on the tragedies of this day, we are able to reflect on how we as a nation recovered and returned to “normal” life. It was the doctors, the athletes, the statesmen, the housewives, the teachers, the first-responders, the volunteers, and everyone inbetween that sacrificed for the greater good of the country, and because of this, our country entered one of the most patriotic times that we have seen in recent history (Lupica).
Obviously, the security increase that was seen and felt throughout the country was incredible. When George W. Bush came out and famously said, “You are either with us, or against us,” he meant it, and the extra precautions that were put in place because of 9/11 validated this statement. The lasting effects of the attacks were bittersweet, at least in terms of the sports world. Sports made us feel so secure and normal again, even in the few years after. But when you show up at a sports stadium and can’t walk in without being padded down and having your bag vigorously checked, it doesn’t make us think about the way things used to be. Packing thousands and thousands of people into an enclosed arena is no easy task, especially when the thought that anyone of these people could be a threat is running through your mind. That’s the bitter part. What’s so sweet, however, is the flip side of this topic. Sports games are one of the only places in the world where we regularly pause, reflect, recognize, and thank those who serve or have served our country. From the national anthem, the honor guard, God Bless America, and everything in between, one thing will always remain, and that is the patriotism that fuels this country (Murphy).
Every year, the NBA promotes their league through a campaign known as, “This Is Why We Play,” where short videos are put out on YouTube, commercials are aired via television, and so on. These videos contain highlight clips from the stars in the league, clips of players reaching out and helping in the community, and on occasion discuss pressing issues in today’s world. To show the passion that comes along with the game of basketball, to show that the NBA is very much involved in local communities all over the nation, or to show that the NBA is simple more than basketball, whatever the point of these campaigns may be, they are always a success when it comes to reaching out to and inspiring the viewer. After 9/11, the phrase “We Will Never Forget” was brought about and used often in the country. This phrase had a similar effect on the general public, both nationally and internationally, as the NBA’s “This Is Why We Play” campaign. I mean, each were put out there for the same reason. Just as “we play” for the love of the game, for the passion of the game, and for one another, we will never forget those near 3,000 people who innocently lost their lives. And with some help from the countless, fond memories many have of the tough time, sports allowed us a way of reminiscing in a September 10th, 2001 world, while also motivating us to move on, and become stronger.
Works Cited
Jordan, Andrew. "Remembering September 11, 2001 and Its Impact on American
Sports." Bleacher Report. Bleacher Report, 12 Sept. 2010. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
Lupica, Mike. "Lupica: Playing games doesn't help relief efforts; money does." NY Daily
News. 04 Nov. 2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
Lupica, Mike. "September 11 and the Healing Power of Sports." Sports on Earth. N.p., 09
Sept. 2016. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
Murphy, John. Personal interview. 20 Mar. 2017.
Saslow, Eli. "A whole new game." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 11 Sept. 2011. Web.
21 Mar. 2017.
Jordan, Andrew. "Remembering September 11, 2001 and Its Impact on American
Sports." Bleacher Report. Bleacher Report, 12 Sept. 2010. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
Lupica, Mike. "Lupica: Playing games doesn't help relief efforts; money does." NY Daily
News. 04 Nov. 2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
Lupica, Mike. "September 11 and the Healing Power of Sports." Sports on Earth. N.p., 09
Sept. 2016. Web. 21 Mar. 2017.
Murphy, John. Personal interview. 20 Mar. 2017.
Saslow, Eli. "A whole new game." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 11 Sept. 2011. Web.
21 Mar. 2017.