I n d ep en d e nt
September 2011
S t u de nt
V o i c e
o f
B o is e
S tat e
Sin c e
12
Boise, Idaho
1933
Issue no.
10
Volume 24
w w w.arbiteronline.com
First issue free
Tales, triumphs,
tragedies, of a difficult
decade
John Garretson
Online Sports Editor Sept. 11, 2001. 8:15 a.m. The day seemed almost too perfect. A cloudless, bright blue sky composed with the breezy autumn weather that swept into my small hometown of Cranford, N.J. But something was off. My teacher broke down in tears in the middle of class when the school’s secretary whispered in her ear. That moment in time still resonates in my head. The World Trade Center Twin Towers were hit this morning, we were told. “How could that be possible?” I thought to myself. Every time I went to “Take Your Child to Work Day,” I would gaze at the two monumental structures from my dad’s 60th floor office across the street. Built with steel that looked like it touched the sky, it was the centerpiece of New York City, the roots holding it down in its concrete jungle. The national travesty did not sink in until later that day, when television stations controlled the channels with instant coverage of the rubble and wreckage, the debris-filled smoke plaguing every street corner in a 20 block radius, victims laying helplessly in the streets waiting for the next available paramedic. Thankfully, my dad had entered our front door without a scratch but there was this draining sense of anguish in him that no father wants his son to see. I needed a distraction, something to take my eyes off the devastating attacks. There had to be a baseball or football game on ESPN, there’s always some sporting event on. Continuing to flip through the channels, there was no sight of jerseys, referees or fans, just continuing coverage of the hijacked planes and the victims they took with them. There had never been a day without sports, at least from what I could remember. That was the day our coun-
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try became vulnerable -- the day the earth stood still. Not to detract from the emotional loss of the collapse of the World Trade Center or the understated effort put in by New York City’s finest to preserve their city and help those in dire need, but sports is the unofficial glue of this country. When times get tough, you always have your team to rely on. Being down for the count was not an option. A ninth inning rally of patriotism, support and unity flooded the gateways that paved the way, even against the odds. America needed its sports back. And it came back more passionate than ever. Before the Sept. 23 game against the New England Patriots and New York Jets (a longtime rivalry) both sides were holding hands during the iconic Star Spangled Banner, a site that may never be seen again. Watching Mike Piazza of the New York Mets donned in NYPD logos slam a game-winning home run in the eighth that Friday night gave even Yankees fans a reason to cheer. Moments of silence were practiced at events across the country. It was an era of a rekindled identity forever unmatched. A decade later, the daily work days continue to pass as we go about our business. We still acknowledge and support the war efforts abroad and the work of our local heroes. But there’s something in this 10 year span that sports offered to our nation: a stadium to mourn our losses, a place to commend the bold and a venue to believe in a brighter future.
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