A Day to Remember

Today is September 11 folks. Today, take a pause from whatever else is going on in your life and remember what happened on this day seven years ago. That terrible day transcended anything else going on, especially the world of sports.

Remember the lives lost on the planes, in the World Trade Center and in the Pentagon. Remember the emergency workers and volunteers who sacrificed their lives to save others. Remember the servicemen and women fighting in the Middle East as a result.

I love sports. There's few things better than a summer evening at a baseball game, a fall afternoon at a college football game or a winter night packed in a gym watching hoops. But remember, in the grand scheme of things, sports mean very little.

However, I do remember that following the events of Sept. 11, 2001, sports helped serve a purpose. An avid Braves fan, I was watching the Braves play the Mets in Queens for the first sporting event in the city following the tragedy. Players from both teams, bitter rivals at the time, embraced before the game. They cried together. And what sticks out to me the most is how the game ended. Mike Piazza, one of my least favorite baseball players of all time, absolutely crushed a game-winning homerun. The people of New York erupted with emotion. Hell, even I got goosebumps watching my beloved team lose. For that night, the final score of the game was trivial. Athletic competition lifted the spirits of a city that was on the ropes.

Sports will never make or break your life. Sure, we get passionate about our teams. But today, remember something much more important.

Don't forget to tune in tomorrow for my weekly picks. Also, if you're in Athens, make sure to head to Tasty World tonight at 10 to see Lingo. They are good friends of mine and a great band out of Marietta.