Time Out For Sports Talk: Taking A Time Out From Sports Talk
Todd: Last week, we discussed that April had one of the best sports weeks contained in arguably the best sports month of the year. But for the foreseeable future, April will be remembered as a month of pointless tragedy. An act of terror taking place at one of the largest spectator sporting events in the world, which hits close to home for both Mike and myself because it happened in our very own backyard.
Mike grew up just a few miles outside of Boston and still has family living there, while I presently live about the same distance from the Hub. Both of us understand the tradition of Patriots Day, observed and celebrated by the people of Massachusetts and Maine and no one else.
It is a uniquely New England and Boston holiday marked by two sporting events: an oddly-scheduled 11 a.m. Red Sox game at Fenway Park (the only morning first pitch all year on the MLB calendar) and by the Boston Marathon, a 26.2 mile road race winding through eight different cities and towns that even the biggest detractors of long-distance running embrace on this special day.
In past years, Mike and I attended the morning baseball game and afterwards left Fenway to watch the runners as they entered Kenmore Square. Sometimes we even made our way down towards Boylston Street to get a closer glimpse of the athletes as they approached the finish line. It was always a fun and care-free day where we joined thousands of folks lining the streets of Boston and never once had a reason to think about our own personal safety.
Unfortunately, that all changed at 2:50 p.m. on Monday afternoon.
April 15, 2013 is now a date forever tinged with sadness for both Boston and the tradition of the Boston Marathon. Three innocent people unnecessarily lost their lives and countless others suffered life-altering injuries because of one cruel and senseless act. I hope the guilty party or parties associated with this are found and brought to swift justice.
While we await that news, we need to remember the heroic efforts of all the first responders at the scene who acted quickly and prevented further fatalities with their fearless actions. And just as we did following September 11 over a decade ago, we need to resume our everyday lives.
In this space, that means Mike and I will eventually return to our thoughts and opinions on the ‘toy department of life’. The games have resumed and will serve as part of the healing process as we all begin the return to some semblance of normalcy.
Perhaps the two words seen written on the shoe of Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks best echo our collective sentiment: Boston Strong.
Mike: Todd, you said it very well, this is a tragedy that hits very close to home.
But there is hope through the pain. The way the city has banded together in the face of this senseless act is heartwarming to see. And on a larger scale, to see the rest of the country and the world rally behind Boston is amazing.
This might be the only time I say this, but a special tip of the hat to the classy New York Yankee organization for organizing a special tribute on Tuesday night, playing the Fenway staple “Sweet Caroline” during their game and for displaying the Yankees and the Red Sox logos on the façade of Yankee Stadium. It’s nice to see that in the face of horror, petty
rivalries can be swept aside.
Stay Strong Boston!
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