WILLIE PILE
CFL.ca
Rarely during a football game do I pay attention to the scoreboard or videoboard, but this past week at the Labor Day Classic in Hamilton, the Ticats ran a brief video of Quarterback Kevin Glenn and Linebacker Otis Floyd thanking the fans for their support and specifically some 1,000 or so union workers who had been laid off or had their hours cut back, whom they provided tickets for. The two players referenced their hometown of Detroit and how they are no strangers to tough times, specifically in an auto industry-based town, and wanted to show their appreciation and provide some relief in a time of need.
Even Adriano Belli, the Argos All-Star Defensive Lineman, reserves a section at every home game for the families of the SickKids Foundation, which he supports through his Big Kiss Fund. Although I’m sure there are other instances of philanthropy by our players throughout the league, these are the ones that are in my immediate view and these men deserve a ton of credit for their gestures. They didn’t need to do it for publicity or notoriety, as they have been top players in the CFL at their positions for some time. Rather, they saw an opportunity where they could do their part to help bring happiness, even for only three hours, to the lives of Ontarians, and they are to be commended.
This got me to think about the role sports can play in helping to provide joy in times of despair. At no time was this phenomenon exhibited more, than during the post- 9-11 days and months. The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon galvanized the United States and brought everyone together to show their patriotism and heart to help others in need. However, before the sports contests could even be played, the real heroes took front and centre-stage.
Who could forget the first responders who rushed into the World Trade Center and did all they could to save lives, even at the expense of their own? Or the thousands of volunteers who descended upon the Lower East Side of Manhattan and Arlington, Virginia, to counsel and serve meals to the firefighters and police officers who were working around the clock sifting through the rubble?
I recall being in college at Virginia Tech at the time and thinking the best thing I can do is pray for the families who lost loved ones and for the volunteers who were at Ground Zero and at the Pentagon, searching for survivors.
It has been eight years since the terrorist attacks and I still get upset, as they hit so close to home both literally and figuratively. The city I was born and raised in, New York, and the area I called home, Northern Virginia, were both in need of something to take their minds off the events that had occurred. Little did I recognize that my opportunity to help would come just a few short days later as our first game after the attacks would be played at Rutgers University, a mere 30 minutes from Ground Zero.
Never before had I seen so many U.S. flags waving and NYPD and FDNY hats at a sporting event, showing support of the service men and women who risked their lives to save others. The patriotism and jubilation displayed by the fans and both teams let me know just how important sports can be and its role in providing a break from a sometimes harsh reality.
However, the harsh reality isn’t always a devastating event, or unemployment, or even a recession; sometimes the harsh reality is the sport. As athletes we are conditioned to combat a setback by moving on to the next opportunity to redeem ourselves, whether it’s the next play during the game, or the next game itself. Fortunately for us Argonauts, the most recent setback at the Labor Day Classic won’t sit on our minds for too long as the rematch will occur just four days later.
As in the post- 9-11 days and months, where a nation banded together and showed their unconditional support for each other, so too must us Argonauts show our support for each other; each doing our individual part to right the ship and help the team string victories together.
There’s still half a season to go and with critical games on the horizon, the opportunity to put ourselves in playoff contention exists. Yet, as one of my favourite sayings goes, “The opportunity of a lifetime only exists within the lifetime of that opportunity.” For us, the first opportunity is this Friday night, September 11.