Sports Tragedy
Clark Ruhland, Senior Sports Writer
April 17, 2007
Senseless. Thoughtless. Think of any other sorrowful adjective you can think of. It will leave a mark on every single one of us for the rest of our lives.
Yesterday's shooting tragedy on Virginia Tech's campus brought the entire world to a standstill, including Hokie athletics.
Only mere days before the annual spring football game, the athletic department cancelled all programs yesterday and today.
Tech's football team was scheduled for practice No. 12 of 15 on Monday. There is no update on whether the practice will be rescheduled.
Beamer and his staff were trying to reach all of his players immediately, and were able to make contact. Like everyone, Beamer was in disbelief that something of this magnitude could strike so close to home.
"How could one person cause so many senseless deaths? I'm in shock," Beamer told espn.com. "This is such a caring, friendly place. This is a college town. And now one person has an impact like this?"
Like Beamer, Tech men's basketball coach Seth Greenberg couldn't believe the events. Unlike Beamer, Greenberg has a daughter who attends the university.
"I'm numb right now thinking about the parents coming to campus to identify their children,'' Greenberg told espn.com. "It's hard to put into words. What would drive someone to do this?"
These questions may never be answered, but this tragedy will live with more than just the Hokie Nation forever. It's tough to see the university plastered over every news network in the world.
The Hokie Nation is coming together once again, but it will be a little sooner than Saturday's Spring game. Today a vigil service is being held in an athletic symbol of Tech at Cassell Coliseum.
There will be no cheering, but everyone will be a Hokie.
It's kind of strange that most students come to Virginia Tech for sports, and now in the most trying time of our lives, we will flock to the coliseum. There's one slight problem, the place only holds 10,000 people. I'm no mathematician, but there are at least 36,000 people directly affiliated with the university.
Add to that, the countless people that live in the Blacksburg, Christiansburg and the surrounding areas. Cassell will not hold that many people, but Lane Stadium will.
Sure, it'll be a shade on the windy side, but at least everyone will know they will be able to attend. Hokies will unite today at 2 p.m., but only the first 10,000 will be able to be there in person. Lane Stadium holds 65,000 people, and would be a perfect place for this type of gathering.
This is an event of monumental proportions. Beyond today, athletics in general will continue.
Like it or not, athletics are the symbol of Virginia Tech. People around the world will know how well the university moves on from this tragedy, and that will be through sports.
The State Line Classic softball game against East Tennessee State has been postponed today, football practice was cancelled yesterday, and even the minor league baseball team in Salem postponed their game last night.
Things have to move on. Classes will resume and games will be played. But this event will linger. Something needs to be done to show that the campus can be strong, and that should start with sports.
Every Hokie team, no matter what sport, should have some sort of insignia on their uniforms starting now. Black is a color of sorrow, and something as small as a sticker on a helmet to an armband would speak volumes.
The Salem Avalanche, the minor league team should do more than just postpone their game. The team should show its support and come to play their rescheduled game here at English Field and maybe even go as far as wearing Tech uniforms.
Sports bring people together, and no other example can be placed than when Major League Baseball resumed after September 11, 2001. No matter what race, age or gender, fans were one in cheering on their favorite teams.
No matter your year, major or hometown, this will happen again - and the Hokies are our team.