It’s almost impossible to believe that the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001 happened 17 years ago. The tragedy brought our society and culture together in a way that has been rarely seen throughout history. One of the arenas in which the country was brought together was through sports.
To commemorate September 11th this year, ESPN will plan an E:60 special called Comeback Season in collaboration with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York. It will air at 7 PM on 9/11 and be hosted by Mike Greenberg.
Via ESPN:
On the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, ESPN will explore how sports helped the nation heal following one of the darkest days in U.S. history.
Produced in conjunction with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York, the E:60 presentation of Comeback Season – Sports After 9/11 will air Tuesday night, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, anchored by Mike Greenberg, host of the ESPN weekday morning show Get Up!
The 90-minute program will include interviews, features and memories from athletes, coaches, families and others whose stories marked key emotional milestones in sports following the 9/11 attacks.
Some of the people interviewed will include prominent former New York sports figures like Mark Messier and Joe Torre. Also featured will be interviews with people across sports who have connections to 9/11. The museum itself will also be featured as will elements of the 30 for 30 short about George W. Bush’s famous first pitch in Yankee Stadium during the 2001 World Series.
“Sports played such an integral part in the healing of America after 9/11 and our exhibition, ‘Comeback Season,’ shares and celebrates the strength of the human spirit as exemplified through sports during that time,” said Alice M. Greenwald, 9/11 Memorial & Museum President & CEO. “We were thrilled to work with ESPN to bring this landmark and deeply moving exhibition to television.”
A look inside the exhibit will also be part of the program.
“The exhibit does an incredible job telling the stories surrounding events such as Mike Piazza’s home run for the Mets, just 10 days after 9/11, and George W. Bush’s first pitch of the World Series that season. Moments like these had a unique ability to unify the nation and instill a sense of hope in the wake of the attacks,” said Connor Schell, ESPN Executive Vice President, Content.
While it’s impossible to forget what happened during that time, this should be a meaningful look back at the role sports played both locally and nationally in the aftermath of 9/11. Even all these years later, it should be a meaningful look back at the unifying role that sports can play in society.
[ESPN]
