Sports Pay Tribute to Newtown, Connecticut

On Friday, December 14, 2012, a lone 20-year old gunman walked into the Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut and killed 26 people before turning the gun on himself, according to CNN.com.  Of the 26 murdered, 6 were adults and 20 were students between the ages of 6 and 7 years of age.

  

On December 16 and 17, 2012, the NFL presented moments of silence for the helpless angels of Newtown.  Society has grown a deaf ear to violence because these tragedies are happening too often across America.  Every evening when you turn on the news the opening reports are some form of violence.  As good heart gestures, below are a few images of sports figures who offered their own tribute to Newtown:  

• St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings circle in prayer before the game.





Rams Coach Jeff Fisher & Vikings Coach Leslie Frazier




• NY Giants wide receiver, Victor Cruz, pays tribute to 6 year old victim Jack Pinto writing Jack's name on his shoes for the NY Giants vs. Atlanta Falcons game, according to Time.com.  Cruz also visited the Newtown family, according to ESPN via YouTube.

Victor Cruz's Victim Tribute

• Tennessee Titans running back, Chris Johnson, wrote all of the victims names on his shoes, according to the LA Times.com.  Additionally, Johnson called and sent gifts to victims, according to NFL.com.

Chris Johnson's Victim Tribute

Here are some other collegiate and professional sports figures who used their platform to pay tribute to the victims of Newtown, Connecticut:

• New York Yankees short stop, Derek Jeter, made a phone call to victim Vicki Soto’s mother, according to MLB.com.  He placed the call under the radar.  The only way the public had knowledge was due to Vicki's sister posting a Tweet.

NY Yankees - Derek Jeter

• Winthrop University’s head basketball coach, Pat Kelsey, personifies patriotism in his moving speech calling for change in America, according to Sports Yahoo.com.  See YouTube video.

The NFL showed solidarity in time of tragedy.  The NFL is a collision sport where high paid players are injured on a weekly basis.  Often times, many players show a lack a judgment on and off the field.  Sometimes players commit senseless acts of violence on others and against themselves.  This time the league and the players stuck together to show support for a small town with a great sense of understanding.

We know you are all in heaven now.  Rest in peace to the shooting victims of Newtown, Connecticut.