When I heard of the attack in Brussels my first reaction was heartbreak, but what scared me the most was the apathy I felt.
My heart hurt for the people.
My heart hurt for their loved ones, but what absolutely terrified me was the “Yeah, that’s about right” thought that crossed my mind.
It’s like this happens so often now that we’re not even surprised anymore. That’s what scares me. I texted some friends that “I’m so tired of this (expletive)(expletive)”, and I am. God, I am.
I guess what this does is it brings us together. We don’t see each other as black, white, liberal, conservative, gay or straight. We see the people that were attacked, that were murdered, that were robbed of their life way before they should have been, as people. We see them as fathers, sons, mothers and daughters. We see them as humans, just like us. Just like they are. Just like they’ve always been, or were.
That’s where sports come into this. No, sports aren’t relevant in the grand scheme of things, and they sure aren’t relevant to the 31 people (as of this writing) that aren’t going to see tomorrow, because someone with built-up hatred and an agenda decided their life wasn’t worth seeing another day.
But when 137 people died in the Paris terrorist attack, people united as one throughout America. Celebrities. Political Leaders. Athletes. They were one. They were united.
Cardale Jones, a quarterback at Ohio State University, drew the “Prayers For Paris” symbol on his cleats. Cardale Jones is from Cleveland, Ohio. The odds say that Jones has no connection to Paris, or France, other than the fact that he and the ones that were left for dead by terror were human. They were people. They were so much more.
The French flag was donned by Army and Navy before their respective games the Saturday after the Paris attacks.
An Air Force member parachuted onto the field with a French flag before the Air Force took on Utah State.
The Sunday after the attacks in Paris, there were moments of silence throughout NFL stadiums. The Ravens carried the French flag onto the field with them before they took on the Jacksonville Jaguars.
So, at that moment, in each of those respective instances, the actual outcome or game play didn’t matter. People mattered.
Everything beside what the scoreboard read mattered.
What I’m suggesting is this: In the days following the attacks in Paris, two of the biggest sports in the world took time to recognize, reflect and offer thoughts and prayers for those that were affected by the massacre.
What I’m suggesting is this: In the days following this horrendous and frightful attack in Belgium, we should set aside our political agendas, labels and beliefs and see those that won’t see tomorrow as people.
What I’m saying is this: in a place where two teams, two competitors, where pitted against one another, they were one.
– Collin Brister
