Sports are everywhere. They transcend religion, race, nationality and political affiliation. Sports are a way to heal wounds, restore hope, and bring people together in a time of crisis. Last week, France found themselves dealing with the aftermath of the worst act of violence since World War II, in which multiple acts of terror left over 120 people and many more injured. The sports world joined the international community in the message of solidarity, hope and love.
Numerous pregame shows in America showed support by shining the French flag on the field, having a moment of silence, or playing the French national anthem.
Some athletes like Ohio States’ QB Cardelle Jones, went even further in support and wrote on his sneakers, shaved symbols into his hair, or wore t-shirts before his game. Stars Lebron James and Jordan Speith expressed their condolsonces and support on Twitter.
The US military academies were particularly noteworthy in their support. The Army football team, in a break from tradition, carried the French flag, in addition to the Stars and Stripes, out of their tunnel to start the game off. Before the Navy football team ran out of its tunnel, the 16th Company carried a French flag during the traditional March-On of the Brigade of the Midshipmen. An Air Force paratrooper bearing a French flag landed on the Falcons’ home football field before kickoff.
After the devastating 9/11 attacks in New York City, baseball helped bring New Yorkers together.
MLB.com reports that during 9/11, New York City’s mayor, Rudy Giuliani, heard a cheer when revisiting Ground Zero. Inside the piles of wreckage, firefighters and construction workers were huddled around a transistor radio, cheering as Roger Clemens earned his 20th victory of the season for the Yankees.
“They were all clapping. They were clapping for baseball,” Giuliani said. “These were all sports fans. It really got their minds off of, ‘Are we going to be attacked again? Are we going to come out of this?’ It gave them a sense that life goes on.” CNN’s Steve Poloti summed it up
best when he said, “At a time when many wondered if it was right — or even safe — to gather and cheer for something as trivial as a baseball game, they helped everyone realize it was OK to be normal again.” “It almost felt defiant,” said Zeile, then an infielder for the Mets. “It was like New York saying to the world, ‘We’re going to be OK. You can hit us, but you can’t keep us down.’”
In France, the healing sport was different, but the unifying power of sports remains. Thousands of fans gathered together on the pitch after an explosion took place at the Stade de France, disrupting, but not stopping, a major international match between France and Germany.
After the 2-0 win over Germany, fans on both sides were recorded singing the French national anthem when leaving the stadium. Sports help us heal, help us process, help us overcome; they re-kindle our belief in each other at anytime, anywhere, in any mode. But the magic of sports is not inherent in the games, it is inherent in the people who play and believe in them. To all those afflicted by the recent, heinous acts of terror: hold fast, and never, ever stop believing in the power each other.”