This Sunday means more than just another NFL start

As is the case with any NFL Sunday, there will be joy and there will be tears as favorites fall and underdogs rise this weekend.

But this is not an ordinary NFL Sunday. This season-opening Sunday happens to fall on Sept. 11.

Twenty one years ago on Sept. 11 the most horrific terrorist attack on American soil took place. Thousands lost their lives and countless others were changed forever - including mine - when planes were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon. 

Another, were it not for the heroics of its passengers that brought it down in a field in Pennsylvania, was believed to be headed for White House. By the way, if you haven’t seen the great 2006 docudrama “United 93” directed by Paul Greengrass, I highly recommend it as it is about those very heroes — heroes who stood together in the worst moment of their lives. 

“Stand together” — two of the most important words in the English language. Once we all knew what they meant and we took them to heart. 

We certainly knew what they meant that day. It didn’t matter who you voted for, where you went to church, how much money you had, what color you were. We were all Americans and we’d been attacked, and that was all we needed as we stood in unison.

But, as time will do, it erodes. And while we all are still Americans, our differences began to rise back to the forefront as the years went by. Now, sadly, it seems many only remember that feeling of unity when it’s time to celebrate another anniversary of 9/11.

Was there some distrust of people not from this country after 9/11? Of course, but we also came to realize the many true friends we have around the globe and that many of those friends, though different in nationality, were here with us all along.

My dear late dad used to say we grow stronger when we make new friends who come from a different background than ourselves. They teach us things we did not know and we do the same for them.

I suspect he’d say something like, “What the hell good is it being different if all we’re going to do is fight about it?”

The late Republican President Ronald Reagan would spend every day at odds politically with Democrat Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill. Yet, almost every evening they could be found having dinner together.

We had that same togetherness throughout our entire society for a while after 9/11. We can have it again. We should have it again. And, call me overly optimistic, but I believe we will have it again.

We have to have it again.

I believe there are still more good people in the world than bad. And, as we found after 9/11, sometimes the neighbors we think might be bad were thinking the same of us, but when we got together we realized we were all pretty good people.

All of the athletes playing in high school this weekend and many in college weren’t even born when 9/11 happened. A lot of the pros were toddlers or barely more.

Those of us who remember 9/11 when it happened owe it to them and all of the other youngsters out there to bring those feelings of unity back. We have to show them that working together brings much more positivity.

You know, the way championship sports teams do.

So, as we watch gladiators in various uniforms clash this weekend, let’s not forget that in the end the reason for their success is unity. Let’s not forget that will also always be the reason for our success as a society.

And let’s never forget 9/11.