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David Ortiz used profanity. Neil Diamond used music. All part of the healing process for Bostonians who lived through the Boston Marathon bombings on Monday and the unreal reality that has unfolded since.
“This jersey that we wear today, it doesn’t say Red Sox, it says Boston,” Ortiz told the crowd at Fenway Park on Saturday (April 20) for the first Red Sox game there since Monday’s mayhem that left three people dead and scores injured. “We want to thank you, Mayor [Thomas] Menino, Governor [Deval] Patrick, the whole police department for the great job they did this past week.”
“This is our fucking city! And nobody going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong.”
Perhaps Ortiz didn’t realize he was speaking to an audience that contained some who might find the language a bit much. Perhaps he didn’t care. Perhaps he felt genuine emotion that led to the language. Perhaps he couldn’t find quite the right word to convey his sentiment.
Not that any of that matters. The crowd chanted “USA! USA!” as he walked off the field.
Not that any of that matters either — except for the mental well-being of those shouting and taking in the scene.
What happened in Boston was the latest episode — in real life rather than a movie or television program — of the “war on terror.” Which is actually a war on terrorism/terrorists.
The reality of that battle is there is no finality. Not until those who would do harm have vanished from the world.
Sports teams — and other folks — around the globe have voiced their support for Boston. All well and good. There is no harm in doing so. Especially when the action is from the heart and not from the marketing department.
For those scoring at home (or elsewhere), the Red Sox did defeat the Kansas City Royals. But the Celtics lost their playoff opener in New York against the Knicks, and the Bruins lost at home to the Pittsburgh Penguins — despite a stirring rendition of the national anthem and a pregame tribute.
During the Red Sox game, Diamond performed “Sweet Caroline” — a tune that has become a staple at the ballpark. The tune also has been heard in arenas and ballparks around the nation in the aftermath of the Boston bombings. All the singing is well-intentioned as homage to Boston and its citizens, even if the behavior is nothing more than a harmonious hug.
Maybe now that Boston returns to some sense of normalcy, people will be able to focus on another American town that suffered devastation — even if not necessarily at the hand of a person or persons wanting to do harm to the United States of America.
Does anyone know the theme song for West, Texas?
Model Ashley Alexiss has come up with her own way to pay tribute to Boston.
David Ortiz’s pregame words to the Fenway Park crowd:
Neil Diamond leads the crowd at Boston’s Fenway Park in “Sweet Caroline” at Saturday’s game:
The Bruins tribute:
Another tribute at another sporting event at another moment in history. As unforgettable as the horror that preceded it was unspeakable:
So maybe some of this puts in perspective the performances of the Chicago sports teams on Saturday. Bulls lose their playoff opener in Brooklyn. White Sox fall in extra innings to visiting Minnesota on an unearned run. Cubs look inept in losing at Milwaukee. Blackhawks lose at home to Phoenix in a shootout.
Today is another day. Our lives will go on. Resilience comes in varying degrees. And it is far easier to come by in dealing with a team’s performance than it is in dealing with a true tragedy.
OK, we need to lighten up a little. Especially for those who visit here for the non-gratuitous videos (and thank you for stopping by). And a reminder that the editorial and video staffs at elliottharris.com have a very broad definition of “gratuitous”:
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