The first Sunday of the the NFL regular season is also the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America. On 9/11/2011, the NFL plans to commemorate the day with special pregame tributes in locations that were near the attacks. In Pittsburgh before the Baltimore Ravens-Steelers game and all of the 1 p.m. Eastern games, “Taps” will be played at the Shanksville, PA site where United Airlines 93 was taken down by passengers fighting the terrorists who hijacked their plane.
Before the 4:15 games on Fox which include the New York Giants-DC NFL Team contest, “Taps” will be played at Arlington National Cemetary near where American Airlines Flight 77 flew into the Pentagon.
And before the Sunday Night Football game between Dallas and the New York Jets, “Taps” will be played in Hoboken, NJ across the Hudson River where two planes flew into the World Trade Center.
All players, coaches and sideline personnel will wear a special 9/11 patch or pin on their apparel during the game.
Here are the details of the NFL’s plans.
NFL ANNOUNCES SEPTEMBER 11th PLANS TO REMEMBER AND SALUTE RESILIENT SPIRIT OF AMERICA
The NFL, its players and fans will take time to remember the courage and resilience that followed the events of September 11, 2001 with special tributes in stadium, on field and on television during all games on Sunday, September 11.
The first Sunday of the NFL regular season falls on the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001.
The games and broadcasts on that opening Sunday will unite fans to recognize those who lost their lives, honor the families who lost loved ones, and salute the American spirit, the early responders on 9/11, and other heroes that contributed to the nation’s recovery.
The schedule of games for that day was designed to appropriately commemorate 9/11 on a national level and what it represents to Americans.
- Eight games will kick off at 1:00 PM ET, including the Baltimore Ravens hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are based approximately 80 miles from Shanksville, PA (CBS).
- The 4:15 PM ET window of four games includes FOX’s telecast of Washington hosting the New York Giants.
- To conclude the day, the Dallas Cowboys visit the New York Jets on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
The NFL will unite fans on that day by synching the pregame salutes during the Sunday afternoon CBS and FOX telecasts, followed by a special Sunday night presentation from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on NBC. The special pregame events that will be televised nationally also will be shown on videoboards in each of the stadiums hosting games that day.
All games in each of the broadcast windows (1:00 PM, 4:15 PM and Sunday Night Football) will feature a special video introduction followed by performances of “Taps” from near the sites of the attacks, and moments of silence. For the 1:00 PM games, “Taps” will be performed in Shanksville, PA while the 4:15 PM games will feature a rendition from Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. The Sunday night game will include a performance from Hoboken, NJ, looking across the Hudson River to Ground Zero. Coaches, players and local first responders and other heroes will come together to hold field-length American flags for the playing of the National Anthem prior to each game.
The nationally televised Cowboys-Jets game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ will feature additional special pregame and halftime presentations.
Players, coaches and sideline personnel will wear a special NFL 9/11 ribbon as a patch or pin on their uniforms and sideline apparel. All stadiums hosting games on September 11 will feature the ribbon logo on the field.
It was announced on Tuesday that the National Football League and the NFL Players Association that it will contribute $1 million to three memorials and two charities related to the events of September 11, 2001.
The NFL and NFLPA will contribute $500,000 to the 9/11 Museum & Memorial in Lower Manhattan, and $250,000 to be divided between the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, PA and the Pentagon Memorial Fund in Washington, D.C.
In addition, the NFL and NFLPA will donate all proceeds from the sale of auction items from games played on Sunday, September 11. These items, which fans can bid on at www.NFL.com/Auction, will include game-worn autographed player jerseys, coaches and player hats, and commemorative game coins used during those games.
NFL Auction proceeds will be divided equally between Tuesday’s Children and MyGoodDeed. Tuesday’s Children is a leading organization providing support and services to those who lost a loved one on 9/11, as well as to rescue and recovery workers who responded to the events. As the principle organizer of the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, MyGoodDeed is providing a positive, forward-looking way for Americans to honor and remember 9/11 victims, survivors, and first-responders.
NFL Auction proceeds from 9/11/11 are expected to total at least $250,000. Including the $750,000 in charitable donations to the national 9/11 memorials, total NFL-NFLPA donations will reach $1 million.
This marks the second time September 11 has fallen on the first Sunday of the NFL season since 2001. The fourth anniversary of September 11 in 2005 also was on a Sunday.
2001 TIMELINE
9/9 – 9/10 Week 1 of regular season. President George W. Bush participates in pregame coin toss ceremony from the White House Rose Garden prior to the 10, 1:00 PM ET Sunday games 9/11 Terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, DC and Western Pennsylvania 9/13 NFL postpones Week 2 games 9/18 NFL announces that Week 2 games will be played on weekend of Jan. 5-7, 2002 to retain a 16-game regular-season schedule 9/20 NFL & NFLPA announces establishment of $10 million Disaster Relief Fund 9/23 NFL games resume 10/3 NFL announces that Super Bowl XXXVI would be rescheduled from Jan. 27 to Feb. 3, 2002 to retain full playoff format for the ’01 season. 10/22 NFL announces that the Pro Bowl will be moved back one week to Feb. 9, 2002 11/26 President Bush designates Super Bowl XXXVI as a “National Special Security Event,” allowing all security for the game to be coordinated by the Secret Service 2/3/02 Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans. New England Patriots won their first Super Bowl by defeating the St. Louis Rams 20-17. First time in Super Bowl history that the winning points came on the final play, a 48-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri. Pregame performances by Boston Pops, Paul McCartney, Marc Anthony, Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey (National Anthem). Halftime show by U2.
That’s all.
