Never Forget

It is inevitable that in some point in all of our lives, we all have been or will be touched by some form of tragedy.
That form of tragedy struck many people on September eleventh 2001 when the twin towers were erased from the New York skyline. Family members, friends, co workers, fire fighters, policemen and women, and so many more were taken from their loved ones on that day. The rest of the nation that was not directly impacted by that day cried with the victims. When something as terrible and heart wrenching as 9/11 has an impact on a person, how they respond to the tragedy will shape them for the rest of their life.

Now, ten years later, there will still be services for those who passed, still be people angry about the entire situation, and there will be people who will honor those who died on September eleventh 2001. One of the people who will pay tribute to the men and women who died that day is Lance Briggs, and his patriotic cleats and gloves that violate the NFL uniform policy.

Normally, the no fun league would ask Briggs to write a very large check for breaking the very strict dress code. A couple of notable situations where the NFL fashion police did come calling were when Chad Ochocinco got fined $10,000 for wearing the wrong chinstrap and threatened Peyton Manning with an alleged $25,000 fine if he wore special shoes to honor the late Johnny Unitas. But given the special circumstances of 9/11, the NFL will not be fining players who wear special gloves and shoes made by NFL licensees. And because the NFL has given the okay, other players will follow suit in remembering 9/11. Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles will wear the same shoes and gloves that Briggs has. While Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne and safety Antoine Bethea will wear similar gloves and shoes. And Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will wear shoes with stripes and the words "never forget" on them.

Despite the leniency by the NFL in this situation, some would argue that the no fun league is being hypocritical by allowing this gesture to fly while others like the Manning/Unitas gesture are not allowed. Those who take that side are correct, but if the NFL fined the players wearing this gear there would be a great deal of people across the country who would be outraged. The public relations hit that the NFL would take by not okaying the gesture would be too great to not allow this gesture to go on unpunished. Every rule is meant to have an exception, and for the NFL's dress code, allowing players to wear this gear is just that.

On the ten year anniversary of September eleventh 2001, let us all give our thoughts and prayers to the families who were hurt the most. And football starting on Sunday may be a distraction to many, however, the people of this country will never forget 9/11.