Credit:@Wikimedia
By Vincent Pensabene
In the past few weeks, we have witnessed a few tragedies that have completely rattled the nation in Hurricane Harvey and Irma devastating the southern part of the United States. This is most certainly not the first, and unfortunately not the final, time that a tragedy will interrupt daily life. However, sports are here not only as a means of competition, but a way to help reconcile people throughout times of hardship.
On April 15, 2013 two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon resulting in three deaths and hundreds of injuries. While the two men responsible for this were on the run and the entire nation watched, the people were coerced in figuring out how to return to daily life. Just two days later the Boston Bruins against their divisional rival Buffalo Sabres. The result on that Wednesday did not matter to many, but the solidarity of the fans standing up and singing the national anthem was emotional to say the least.
Even the Boston Red Sox added to the healing. Just 24 hours after the entire city was on lockdown and the 2nd suspect was neutralized, the Boston Red Sox played their first game since the devastation. The Red Sox honored the real-life superheroes first responders, police, civilians, and the victims in a memorable ceremony where Red Sox icon David Ortiz uttered the famous words: “This is our [expletive]city”. As an added touch to the solidarity of Boston throughout, the team wore jerseys that read ‘Boston’ across the chest instead of ‘Red Sox’ as they have been doing.
The biggest tragedy in recent history that has struck the United States was the terrorist attacks that happened on September 11, 2001. The entire nation was completely shaken to its core and the sports world was put on hold during the aftermath. However, the country got up and did exactly what the nation does after horrific events happen, got up stronger than ever. The 2001 World Series pitted the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Yankees. On October 30, Game 3 of the World Series is where the memory happens. President George W. Bush was going to throw the ceremonial first pitch in the first World Series game in New York since the attacks. While this was not the first time that ceremonial first pitches have happened, they usually happen from in front of the base of the pitching mound. However, after conversing with Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, the President decided to throw from the mound and ended up firing a perfect strike with the stadium erupting.
These are just a few moments that happened in professional sports, however, at Saint Leo, there was the making of another moment. On Saturday, the Saint Leo men’s soccer team played against the Embry-Riddle Eagles in Daytona Beach. The team was going into the game with a record of 0-3 and a few struggles. With the recent events of Hurricane Irma devastating the state of Florida and the islands located in the Atlantic, the area was in need of recuperating and they might have just got their moment. With Saint Leo down 1-0, sophomore Guillaume Campos scored an unassisted goal in the 86th minute to tie the game up and eventually send the game to double overtime. In double overtime, at the 109th minute of the game, freshman Armin Bajric set up a header for Campos to score the game-winning goal and securing the first victory of the season, as well as going 1-0 in conference games.
Sports have the power to make people forget about the events that are happening around the world or even in their own backyards. It helps the people forget the strength and pain of real life. Places, where people are divided, seem less important and helping your neighbor is. As Houston Texans superstar JJ Watt brilliantly put it while thanking people for donating to his Hurricane Harvey relief, “The most difficult times seem to bring out the best in humanity.”
