The world awakens this morning seeking to right itself after a pair of explosions rocked Boston yesterday afternoon. Lost are three souls, with no fewer than another one hundred and thirty-two injured. Also lost in the day’s events, a nation’s sense of security when it comes to sporting events.
Long thought to be a potential target, major sporting events are often subjected to increased security measures. To date, the United States had been successful (or lucky depending upon your point of view) to avoid such disasters, however April 15, 2013 will live on in infamy as the day the sports world was no longer immune to a direct attack.
The aftereffects of yesterday’s events remain to be seen, but as families, the city of Boston and the nation as a whole mourn this loss, its fair to assume that our shattered sense of security will send ripples through the sports world. Decreased attendance can only be countered by increased protection in an effort to reassure fans that they’re safe. At what point will your trip to the stadium resemble a tour through your local prison system? At what point are fans treated like inmates? More importantly, at what point is such treatment necessary?
Long gone is the innocence of physically attending a game, ruined by the majority of fans who feel the price of admission grants them the freedom to drink like a fish and curse like a sailor without repercussion. That arrogance, until yesterday thought by most to be the worst you could encounter during a trip to the ballpark, is now miniscule by comparison to the violence seen in the past twenty-four hours. So what now?
Ultimately, too much energy is lost debating the successes and more frequently, the failures of our favorite sports franchises. That faux pas takes place on a daily basis throughout social media and on sites just like this one. I’m just as guilty as many of your reading this. We’re debating a game..something that shouldn’t be life or death. Its unfortunate that it takes such tragedy for things to fall in line once again, but it has become apparent that this is the world we live in now. So remember, the next time your headed out to Citi Field, be cognizant of those around you, because not everyone is on the same team.
Follow me on Twitter at @RobPatterson83.
