By Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - SportSPORT CAN'T resurrect the dead nor can it bring back tall towers or even ease fears but it did play a part in getting life back on track in the United States after the unmitigated horror on this day one year ago.
The craven attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93 stunned us all and after the shock had passed, the world went into a mourning period and major US sports like baseball and the NFL closed down in sympathy.
However, they came back sooner than later and offered brief escapes for Americans (in particular) who were looking at a whole new world. Baseball, long touted as the national pastime, continued on its familiar path to the World Series after a brief hiatus while the more popular National Football League's (NFL) new season returned to the gridirons.
The fans came back for the escapism from grim reality that sport provides, some communal solace and rampant jingoism. Still, you couldn't blame them for their staunch patriotism - what would you do if it was your country so crudely defiled?
There was nary a dry eye in any stadia during those early comeback matches - particularly when play recommenced at Giants Stadium - a place from where the Twin Towers could easily be seen.
Huge 300-pound men openly cried and said that "sport just wasn't that important in the grander scheme of things". The tears flowed north, south, east and west when "God Bless America" was sung, a moment of silence was held or the much-travelled, tattered WTC flag made its appearance at an Olympics, a Super Bowl, a World Series, et al.
Still, those sportsmen were a little off track; sport can't change anything and it really isn't all that important but it does matter for simply those reasons; it's the same as it ever was and it provides a chance to not think too much - just watch, enjoy, escape.
After 9.11, that's a salve the US and, by extension, the rest of the world needed.
Play ball ...
