Posted on 09/11/2006 7:31:33 AM PDT by goarmy
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Giants coach Tom Coughlin was in Jacksonville on Sept. 11, 2001. His son Tim, a bond trader, was somewhere in the south tower of the World Trade Center.
Amani Toomer looked out the window of his New Jersey home and watched in disbelief as the towers fell.
In Washington, LaVar Arrington felt a shudder as a jet slammed into the Pentagon.
Five years later, the 9-11 terrorist attacks feels like yesterday to members of the New York Giants. Over the week that followed, there would be a trip to ground zero and firehouses where widows of fallen firefighters cried on their shoulders.
When Coughlin looks at his grandchildren, Andrea and Timmy, he knows they exist because his son found a way down from around the 60th floor after hijackers crashed two planes into the buildings.
"To be honest with you, I'm very aware of the miracles that have taken place in my life," Coughlin said. "And that certainly is one of them."
Across the NFL on Sunday, teams observed moments of silence, rolled out U.S. flags and arranged for jet fighters to fly over stadiums to commemorate the five-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani officiated at the opening coin toss of the Colts-Giants game at Giants Stadium on Sunday night, and a moment a silence was held. Kate Mara, the granddaughter of late Giants Wellington Mara, sang the national anthem as honors guards from area police and fire departments presented the colors.
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(Excerpt) Read more at sportsillustrated.cnn.com ...
Do any of you Freepers have a link to the story, photo, or video of Shockey's TD in the 3rd quarter? For those who missed it, Shockey scored on a nice pitch-and-catch from Eli, strolled over to the Marines watching the game beyond the pylons, and gave one of them the football and embraced him. The guys in the booth were touched by the amazing gesture, too.
GOD BLESS AMERICA.
"I had never liked Shockey until I saw him give that ball to our military hero but I have respect for him now..."
My sentiments, exactly.
The Pats-Bills game opened with a flyover by a B-2 bomber. On the way to the Stadium, I saw a football shirt "Tillman", #40 with a sign directing people to http://www.themissingpatriot.com/..... saw a few Tillman shirts in the crowd including one that was "U.S. Hero" #40...
At the end of the game, some of the players made a circle at the center of the field and knelt down in apparent prayer. No announcement, no fanfare, just a simple gesture by some very large men that had just finished a close game where they crashed into each other for 3 hours....
Looks like Shockey may have grown up finally.
GREAT STUFF! I'll spread the word about the site. Thanks.
I am hoping that Bob Kraft puts Tillman's 40 (the black one shown on the site) up in the stadium. It is not retiring the number, just honoring Pat Tillman. It should be done in every NFL stadium in the league.
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