This column has been written before. It will probably be written again. I'm writing it anyway.
This one's for Garnet "Ace" Bailey and Mark Bavis. This one's for Pat Tillman.
This one's for every athlete, coach, manager and fan who lost a spouse, mother, father, son, daughter or friend.
This one's for every fan of the Mets, Rangers, Knicks, and yes, even every Yankees fan who faced the sheer panic and confusion as the Twin Towers crumbled, the city that never sleeps stopped and our world forever changed.
We got him.
Of course, "we" didn't get Osama bin Laden. That triumph belongs to a small team of U.S. Navy SEALS who got the job done with discipline, stealth and precision.
But the death of the al-Qaeda leader 10 years after the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001 finally brings closure to the families and loved ones of the nearly 3,000 people who were lost.
And there is no question that it brings us, as Western society, closer together.
In the days following the World Trade Center attacks, we heard on SportsCentre and read in newspapers that the terrorist strike "put things in perspective" and sports "don't really matter."
To some extent, that's true. But it also overlooks the powerful role the sports world can play in the aftermath of tragedy.
Bailey and Bavis were scouting for the Los Angeles Kings when they were killed in New York.
Their friends and colleagues around the NHL and beyond responded by setting up charities, golf tournaments and other fundraisers which have resulted in millions of dollars for worthy causes ranging from children's health care to tuition money for bright young students.
The Pat Tillman Foundation, created in honour of the former Arizona Cardinals safety who was killed in Afghanistan, has raised millions of dollars to help military veterans and other students attend university.
The rallying power of the sporting world is something to behold, and never has it been more clear than in the days and months after Sept. 11.
But it goes beyond the charity work.
Look at the fans in Philadelphia singing God Bless America with Kate Smith and Lauren Hart on Monday night.
Witness the "USA! USA! USA!" chant during the ninth inning of the Phillies-Mets game Sunday after the news of bin Laden's death came over the public address system.
Go back 10 years and you'll remember that many mourners came together for the first time at the ballpark.
Sports have the ability to unite us, give us hope and set us free from our burdens, if only for a couple of hours.
Sure, it's just a game. But thank God for that.
***
In less than three weeks at the Mercury, I've been beyond impressed by the online presence of Estevan's various sporting groups.
Everything from Estevan Minor Baseball to the Estevan Woodlawn Golf Club has a website with updated, relevant information.
Having schedules, rosters, stats and key dates readily available is invaluable for a sports reporter, and I want to thank these groups for 小蓝视频 on the ball - er, trackball.
Here's a quick look at where you can find local sports organizations on the web.
Estevan Motor Speedway has posted their 2011 race days, driver profiles, past results, photos and Access 7 broadcasts on their site at http://estevanmotorspeedway.com
The Estevan Minor Hockey Association has their constitution, upcoming events, team and executive contacts and photos at http://estevanminorhockey.com
Minor baseball has house league schedules, tournament info, contacts, maps and more at http://estevanminorbaseball.com
Estevan Minor Football recently re-launched their site, which features upcoming events, team information, registration forms and news at http://estevanminorfootball.com
Woodlawn has green fees, course details, coming events, contacts and an online booking system at http://estevangolf.com
The Estevan Curling Club's website lists upcoming spiels, winter league information and club contacts.
It's very likely that there's another site I haven't stumbled across yet, and if I've missed your group, please let me know.
Sadly, the next website I visit won't be any of these. Time to find out if my playoff hockey pool is 小蓝视频 put on life support yet after Detroit and Washington both fell behind 2-0 on the weekend.
Josh Lewis can be reached by phone at 634-2654, by e-mail at [email protected] or on Twitter at http:/twitter.com/joshlewis306. If he doesn't answer your call on the first three rings, don't hang up - his arms are still sore from digging snow.
