One Year Later: The worst and best of humanity

Endurance: The Boston Marathon in it of itself is a stunning test of human power. It pits armatures against a course that has been known to take down professionals and involves so many people that they are forced to start in 3 or more waves of runners that rush across the starting line as if they are all one living breathing creature.  

And it is like this that they run for hours winding past barricades that hold back even more people who are inspired by this spectacle, this testament to that human power. So the runners run forward and they are carried by the cheers of these spectators and the counting clock and the nearing finish line. But in their way they tackle climbs and steep downhill’s that sting these runners aching legs and apply even more stress to their deeply tested joints. They huff and puff through the scream tunnel in Wellesley, the halfway point of the race and then turn towards Boston where they know an even louder cheer and an even bigger crowd will await them. 

These thousands of runners climb heartbreak hill and then eventually break towards Boylston street where they know their race has ended and their life has added a new chapter not only to their own story but also to that of this storied race. 

116 years after the Boston Marathon was first run, 23,000 runners participated in its 2013 renewal and much like nearly every marathon since the dawn of the information age, this event took control of much of New England and was covered extensively by most every news outlet in the area.

The race began with a moment of silence for the victums of the Sandy Hook Shooting and started on time with the first wave of wheelchair racers leaving Hopkinton just after 9:15. Roughly 15 minute after that, the band of 51 elite female marathoners got on course and 30 minutes after that then men started the race. As the armatures started later in the day, this race seemed perfect. Unlike prior races, the temperature this time around teetered around 50 degrees Fahrenheit and caused these runners to race in a rather comfortable atmosphere.

This air temperature also helped the elite runners who finished the course in very quick time with Lelisa Desisa winning the men’s race, Rita Jeptoo winning the women’s race and Hiroyuki Yamamoto and Tatyana McFadden winning the men’s and women’s wheel chair race respectively.

As these runners crossed the line there was jubilation on their part and congratulations from these fans gathered at the line to not only cheer for them but also their loved ones who would soon be finishing. 2 hours later however, the story unfolding in Copley Square would change from one about endurance to one about…Terror: At 2:49 April 15^th, 4 hours and 9 minutes after the 117^thBoston Marathon began, Boston was forced to deal with one of its darkest days since Revolutionary War times. That moment, that midafternoon moment was frozen in time by the terrifying work of two men and the two weapons of mutilation they constructed, planted and detonated in the middle of a massive crowd. That moment, 2:49PM, April 15^th, 2013, was the last moment that 3 innocent victims witnessed and the moment that hundreds of others will associate with the physical and mental pain that it brought them.

But as we think back, as we remember that terrible day, we did not know any of that. Within minutes of the attack, it was reported that 2 explosions had occurred at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Many reports said that it was due to an electrical malfunction but as helicopters flew in and began grabbing aerial footage of the affected areas, the sidewalks stained with blood and littered with mangled bodies it soon became a pretty obvious fact that this was no accident. These explosions were ones set off with an intent to injure and maime.

As they recognized this, many medical personal and even more unassociated bystanders rushed to aid those who were injured. But for those not immediately dealing with those who were felled by the blasts, they had their own problem to deal with. At 4 hours race time, roughly 5,000 runners were still on course unaware of what had happened at the finish line. As they quickly surveyed what had just taken place and then began to realize the possibility of additional attacks, the decision was made to end the race right then and there. 8 minutes after the bombs went off, a police lockdown was set up around the finish line and many runners were actually stopped by police forces near Commonwealth Avenue.

Across this, the metropolitan center of New England, confusion and fear ran rampant. The Boston Bruins who were scheduled to play a game against the Ottawa Senators cancelled the game less than an hour and a half before it was scheduled to begin and most everyone in and around the city began frantically watching news outlets devoted entirely to the crisis. They desperately tried to contact their loved ones.

But elsewhere, the brutality of the bombing was seen not through a TV screen but instead first hand by doctors. In the end 264 people were transported to 27 Boston area hospitals where injures caused mainly by nails and what were described to be metal ball bearings inserted in the bombs were heroically dealt with by doctors at some of the best hospitals in the world.

But for far too many, medical care could only go so far. Upwards of 16 people lost limbs as a result of the bombing, even more suffered severe burns and countless others needed blood transfusions to save their lives.

But in Boston, this week of terror was not over. Less than 4 days later, news outlets once again lit up with stories regarding the terrorist attack in Boston. This time however, the sounds these stations were relaying to their viewers were those of gunfire. To provide background to this aspect of that week, things started around 10:30PM when it was reported that an MIT police officer had been shot and killed in his vehicle by two unidentified men. Going chronologically, this rampage was updated about a half hour later when a Chinese entrepreneur was carjacked near Boston University. According to a later report done by the Boston Globe, the man was approached by two younger men wearing black hoodies. They told him that they would taking his car and not to resist because of one thing. They were “the Marathon Bombers”. Over the next hour or so, the bombers and their hostage drove back into Boston where they forcibly withdrew 800$ from the man’s bank account and then released the man at a Shell gas station about 15 minutes after midnight.

But for these bombers, the icy grip of terror that they held over this town would soon be forced to cease in its existence. As it stood, the owner of that car left his cell phone on and in the car with the bombers. After escaping, he rushed to a pay phone where he called 9-1-1 and notified them that his car had been stolen by people claiming to be the bombers. Using a stunning blend of technology and brains, the FBI (who had taken over the investigation the day before) located the two brothers and dispatched an army of SWAT and local police officers to an urban neighborhood in Watertown. At 12:45 AM on Friday April 19^th, the two men opened fire on police officials, discharging hundreds of rounds of ammo and hurling several “grenades” and at least one additional pressure cooker bomb at officers.

For a little less than 15 minutes, those officers and the bombers traded an estimated 200+ rounds of ammunition, awakening those within immediate earshot of the firefight and plunging them into a state of confusion and terror that seemed out of place in such a peaceful part of this country. For those not within earshot of the standoff, they were provided with a harrowing bout of news coverage and conflicting stories set to explain what was happening at that moment. Even by mid-morning we did not know for sure what was happening. According to some, the bombers had robbed a convenience store and were confronted by police officials who did not know who these men were quite yet. Then there were rumors that the bombers had been camped out in Watertown and that officials had raided their home. And yet, the overall consensus was that however all this happened, there had been a gunfight in Watertown, at least one police officer had been injured, one of the bombers had been killed and another had fled the scene.

And then, at roughly 9AM, Governor Deval Patrick did the unthinkable. Using reverse 9-1-1 calls, Patrick ordered residents of Watertown, Allston-Brighton, Boston, Belmont, Brookline, Cambridge, Newton, and Waltham to shelter in place, meaning that they were not to open their doors to anyone except uniformed police officers with official identification.

For nearly 12 hours, it was illegal to go anywhere in the biggest city of New England and so we all sat a watched the news, stewing in our fear and wondering what more could happen to this city.

As the day went on, we learned about that MIT officer killed by the bombers (Sean Collier) and watched as the story about this whole situation began to solidify. However, the citizens of Watertown were once again startled by gunfire around 6PM when officers located and worked to arrest that one surviving bomber who was quickly reported to have been hiding out in a boat in a Watertown resident’s back yard. This time, the violent response by Tsarnaev was minimal as after being pelted with a volley of shots and at least two flash grenades designed to stun Tsarnaev, he eventually gave up but still did not leave the boat. It would take an close to 2 and a half more hours before a negotiator managed to get Tsarnaev to leave the boat.

For Boston residents, what happened during those 5 days in April changed their lives forever

For Martin Richard, Lingzi Lu, Krystle Marie Campbell and Sean Collier however, their lives would end during that span.

For their families, their city and this country, the theme of the ensuing, months and even years was and will be…Healing: Before the lockdown was initiated, before the names of those killed in the attacks were listed, Barack Obama addressed the country. “The American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight,” he said. “And Michelle and I send our deepest thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims in the wake of this senseless loss. Today is a holiday in Massachusetts -- Patriots’ Day. It’s a day that celebrates the free and fiercely independent spirit that this great American city of Boston has reflected from the  earliest days of our nation. And it’s a day that draws the world to Boston’s streets in a spirit of friendly competition.  Boston is a tough and resilient town. So are its people. I'm supremely confident that Bostonians will pull together, take care of each other, and move forward as one proud city. And as they do, the American people will be with them every single step of the way.”

On that day, in a cavernous Boston church, the President of the United States of America addressed this city and tried not to end the pain its people felt that day but instead tell them that this nation was praying for them, wishing for them, and questioning just as they were what had just happened.

As the terror of April 15^th melted away, the brutal scene at the finish line – those sidewalks stained with blood, the barricades beside the street scattered as those trying to help the fallen frantically tried to scale them – was cleaned up and the sterile, official process of crime scene investigation was initiated, we were left with one piece of this tragedy that would take much longer to eliminate and frankly might never be eliminated. That is, the feeling of loss and sadness unique to tragedies like these. In those days and weeks after the Marathon Bombing, the days and weeks after the Watertown Shootout, the names and the stories were highly prevalent in Boston. We learned about 3 people, Martin Richard, Krystle Campbell, Lingzi Lu and Sean Collier and said that these people were too young. We heard about people who lost limbs, had their lives changed forever and felt sorry.

For many, once the 9 block area around the finish line was reopened a few days after the attacks, the finish line became sacred ground. People from across New England flocked to Coply Square to show that they wanted to respect and honor the victims of these attacks, slowly creating a massive shrine to those that fell in Copley Square. Leaving behind sneakers inscribed with messages of condolence, baseball caps bearing similar messages and massive poster boards where people wrote messages to anything in relation to the attacks, we saw a long, winding example of how tragedies like these bring out the best in many.

As church services continued to ring out across Boston, as the sports world joined together to honor the victims, there were no grand instances of people tarnishing this healing with bloodthirsty calls for vindication and war. We cheered when Djhokhar was captured the Friday after the attacks and moved on with our thinking of the victims. Though we boycotted Rolling Stone when it published its article and cover about the bombings, months after the attacks, there were no riots and once again no consuming anger. In Boston we are tough but there was a recognition in those days that anger was what drove these brother’s to terrorism and therefore was a feeling without place in the minds of those trying to cope with the attacks.

As the people of Boston now find themselves 1 year removed from that week, they know that forgetting those events would be dishonoring to the 4 people who died and hundreds more who were injured. Instead, they, we understand that remembering, refusing to forget those emotions is the path this tough town must take.

For years to come, endurance will be an emotion annually felt throughout Boston and the sports world as this grand race is run again and again. At the same time, the race will from now on also serve as a reminder of our toughness and our weakness, further healing what will never completely vanish. All that we may hope is that never again we feel the emotion of terror that we felt that day. 

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One Year Later: A season of victory and healing

Part One: The Team

There are times in each of our lives when the happiness we feel cannot be described. But in this case the thing is in most cases what makes that kind of happiness so indescribably memorable is the negativity and horror that preceded it. Not a single person in Massachusetts escaped last April without bearing the newly opened scars solicited by the brutality of the Boston Marathon Bombings of April 15th 2013.

What happened that day killed 3 people and mutilated the bodies and minds of hundreds and even millions across this city and nation. You didn't have to be there in Copley Square, we all felt it, we all panicked and sat glued to our TV screens as Boston was shut down and the Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics cancelled all their games for the week.

"They killed an 8 year old, my son is 8 years old." David Ortiz was reported as saying in the dugout prior to his now famed "This if our f*****g city" speech.

But while the days separating us and that dreadful day turned into weeks and then months we never forgot but we did move forward turning instead to focus on a team that symbolized the spirit of this town. You can knock the Red Sox down but you will never take them out.

They were the only team in baseball without a losing streak longer than 3 games and never went almost 3 months without losing back to back home games. They came back in 27 games. They nabbed 13 walk-offs and above all lost just 65 games. When you look back, so many facets of this, longest season in Red Sox history made it memorable.

You had the beards which were spearheaded by a Mike Napoli who, despite his struggled clocked 23 home runs in 2013. You cheered as David Ortiz recorded his 7th career 30 home run season and you watched with glee as he began his near 10 game playoff tear following his Game Two ALCS grand slam. We watched Johnny Gomes who spent all year magically making something out of nothing en route to a spectacular 5 pinch hit home runs. His Red Sox were 8-1 in games he started in this playoff run.

And then there was the defense.

Boston sported 2 gold glove award winners in 2013 as Dustin Pedroia played what seemed to be a career year in the field committing just 5 errors in 160 games played. That translates out to about to just .031 errors per game. But in a similar fashion to David Ortiz, Peady lead by more than just example. He was a driving force in the clubhouse and knew from day one the potential that the Red Sox had cultivated in the offseason.

"He had faith in the team even in spring training. In mid-March, Pedroia went to dinner with his agents, Cherington and the team’s owners. They were discussing his eventual contract extension, but he made it clear, even then, that he expected the Red Sox to win – and win big." Fox writer, Ken Rosenthal said in an article the day after the Sox victory. 

As for Boston's other gold glove winner: Shane Victorino, he was as good if not better than Pedroia. But in in a different way.  

Shane notched 122 starts in 2013 and batted just 6 points shy of 300. He belted 61 RBI's in 2013 providing quite a security policy for leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury. As for the defense that got him recognized in the postseason gold glove voting, he made a name for himself by plying right field the same way one would play center. That more often than not translated into running headlong into walls as if the simply were not there.  

Yet the Flyin Hawaiian always came up smiling. Apparently, he likes the feeling of broken ribs. He committed just 3 errors while being responsible for 264 of the near 1,700 that the Red Sox recorded in 2013. That is approximately 15% of team outs all recorded by a man who played just 110 games and spent that time in the outfield.  

He represented his city as well joining the ranks of supporting Bostonians with his post-game comments following Game Six. 

"We are affected in the tragedy, Boston strong" Shane Victorino screamed extending his fist high into the air thereby saluting his town. "That's all I'm gonna say!"

Yet while all the additions that the Red Sox made in preparation for what would be their 3rd Championship run in the past 10 years it was the subtractions that may have went the farthest towards bettering this team for the long run. Fact is, most Sox fans expected the run we saw this year...2 years before it happened. Between Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzolez and the expected excellence of the entire Sox pitching staff, the Red Sox were the overwhelming favorites to win it all in 2011. But as we know things did not work out that way. The 2011 Red Sox surrendered a 9 game September lead in the wildcard to miss the playoffs all together. As Bobby Valentine guided the Sox to a 69 win season in 2012, Kevin Youkolis was dished away to Chicago and nearly 200 million dollars’ worth of contracts were unloaded on LA via the famed Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzolez and Carl Crawford trade.

Beckett and Gozolez in particular were the polar opposite of the surprisingly compatible clubhouse that existed this season. Fact is they would have scoffed in disgust if you asked them to grow a beard and as they did in 2011 they might have even killed the healthy team building themes that brought this 2013 club together.  

By completely erasing the bad names assembled on that so called 2011 "dream team" it made room for the actual dream team of 2013. Sure there were the additions: Mike Napoli, Johnny Gomes, Koji Uehara, Shane Victorino, David Ross and even Mike Carp but as you look at the numbers it would be safe to say that what made this team so great was the resurgence of the talent they had already cultivated.  

That fact is highlighted best when you look at the gleaming numbers of the Red Sox starting pitching. 

The only difference in starting pitching personnel between 2011 and 2013 was the presence of Josh Beckett. Lester played in 2011, Buchholz and Lackey too. They all were there yet in 2013, those 3 Sox went a combined 33 and 24 through  73 starts in 2011 while flipping it all around 2 years later with 37 wins and just 22 losses. Not only were the 2013 Red Sox putting up wins but they were doing it in every single sort of situation that was put before them. They never quit and when they needed to any Boston starter could realistically be asked to play 8 innings and they would do just that. Much like the framework that guided the LA Dodgers to their spectacular mid-season turnaround over in the NL, the Red Sox relied on the relentless work of a whole host of aces to bring home the wins.

The 2013 Red Sox season was just 15 days old when the bombs went off but even then, even with just over 2 weeks of real game action under their belt, the Red Sox knew one another like family and were ready to take their city on their shoulders and do whatever was necessary to give their fans something to cheer for. 

They hit 178 home runs, came to bat 5651 times and won a total of 108 games over 7 months of near game per day action.  

Yet when future generations look back on this, the greatest statistical, team turnaround in the history of American sports, it will be that last win those last 6 runs and that Koji Uehara strikeout that is remembered. 

The Boston Red Sox are the World Champions but for the hundreds of human beings throughout this organization that has now won 3 titles in 10 years it cannot be stressed how much more occurred this year than could be summed up by those few words. 

Part Two: The Fans

Prior to 2013, there had been 2 championship parades in Red Sox history.

In 2004 the entire city of Boston was gripped with delirious excitement as despite the violent riots that occurred following their championship just days earlier, millions took to the streets to celebrate the breaking of one of the most depressing curses in sports history.

3 years later we were back again cramming ourselves into the streets of Boston for yet another (abridged) rolling rally parade. But in 2013, the feel was different. Unlike in 04' and 07' no one expected the 2013 Red Sox to win in the fashion that they did this year and for that reason, the excitement felt throughout Boston was almost concrete.

I was there, feeling the atmosphere and forgoing the pain of waking up at 7 AM on a Saturday all in hopes of simply being there. I was and throughout my years of living I have never been in a situation quite like this. From the first minute you even made a move towards the city of Boston the presence of Red and White pride was firmly personified. As one marched through the train stations of greater Boston you could not see the floor as from above all that was visible was a sea of humans clad in jerseys all breathing a sense of relief, satisfaction and pure joy almost 2 hours before the parade even started.

People came from far and wide to see today's celebration but for many, it meant so much more. As tough as Bostonians are what happened on April 15 was a moment of true terror in which the very worst and the very best of human nature was showcased. Our leaders flocked to Boston to heal our frayed nerves and remember our murdered friends but despite the words of Barrak Obama and regardless of the comedic sympathy expressed by nearly every TV host nationwide it was shown following the attacks the true unifying prowess that the insanely competitive joy of sports can bring to any city.

When you look back on this year it is the "One day closer to the parade!" phrase repeated time and time again by this Sox team, it was the "This is our F*****G city battle cry made by David Ortiz and then the screams of joy we witnessed as the dugouts emptied time and time again throughout the 2013 season. Amidst all the sadness, the action, the wins and the commitment to the game on the part of the Red Sox provided relent to the pain of those involved with the tragedy. And that was the greatest gift this team made to its city.

“There is nothing better than to be Boston Strong,” 29 year old parade attendee Liz Perkins aid. “We said it all season.” 

Pedroia backed up that mentality earlier on when during the pre-parade rally he took to the podium and delivered as much a speech as his miniature frame could muster.

“We played for the whole city, what the city went through. Hopefully, we put a smile on ... everybody’s face. It was special. We wanted to do this and make it right for everybody.” He said.

Once Pedroia and his teammates took to the streets, they were rapidly assaulted with a defining barrage of cheers and fists raised to the air as one. We saw Johnny Gomes and Mike Napoli showing their happy blend of childish nature and obscene immaturity as they pumped up the crowd and we felt Jacoby Ellsbury feeling of the awkward situation while fans near the Prudential Building screamed "STAY! STAY! STAY!".

But the celebration was interrupted for a necessary acknowledgement of sorrow as the first of the 25 duck boats crossed the Marathon Finish line.

The boats came to a complete stop before any did cross the, still painted, yellow and blue finish line. Through the crowd it could be seen that the World Series Trophy had been taken from its home on the boat with Jacoby Ellsbury and as it was, Johnny Gomes and Jarrod Saltalamaccia unceremoniously took to the street and came to a halt before the finish line.

With the trophy in one hand and the famed 617 Jersey that had hung in every Boston dugout since the attack in the other, the two items were placed on top of one another and after some adjustments of the jersey, Gomes stood back and put an arm around Saltlamaccia as the near 6,000 in that portion of the route sang an assisted version of God Bless America. Tears were plentiful.

But alas the parade soon resumed as in congruent action with that, so did the cheers, the high fives and the constant ringing of "BOSTON STRONG"

There were people hanging from windows, people piling into tiny balconies and a human behind every window with a view of the parade route. I Phones dotted ones view of the road and it was seen how nearly every one of the 2 million attendees of this parade were politely jockeying to be right as the edge of every inch of the near 4 miles of barricades assembled along the route. You could see through the confetti and hear through the musical yells of the Dropkick Murphys that these Boston Red Sox were genuinely thrilled to be a part of this city wide celebration. As for the fans, the indescribable roar of delight that echoed from Fenway to Copley Square, from Boston to Cambridge and from the parade route into the living rooms of the millions more watching from home described it all.

We are the champions. No matter how tough we may be, this win more than any other involves more than  the 25 men in the Red Sox locker room. Just as the Marathon Bombing changed the lives of anyone who calls New England home, this Championship belonged to us all. And that is a fact.

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One Year Later: The sports world helps heal broken hearts and bodies

Across the country, sports are like religion. Many grow up in families, thrilled by the idea, the complexity and the obsessive qualities that being a sports fan comes with. Much of the nation grew up in ball parks or stadiums, watching a whole host of players teams and future and current legends duke it out in the atmosphere that only sports can create. And then these children grow older and try this wonderful idea out for themselves, picking up a baseball glove, a hockey stick or a football for the first time and wondering what it would be like if one day they got to a place where they would be one of those heralded athletes, playing before thousands in a jam packed stadium.  It is like this that they work. They work for years and years putting in long hours of aerobic strengthening, limits pushing and thousands upon thousands of throws shots or catches before one day they either give it all up or win it big.

While it does not matter what sport you play, the Boston Marathon is a kind of sport that takes more work than any other. You see, even now, mankind still had that lingering ability to fight, to block someone from getting what you want to retain as are necessary traits in say football or basketball. But what they are not born with, what one must have to work immensely at before even beginning to gain proficiency is the idea, the endurance and tolerance for brutal, grinding pain that comes with running for 4 hours for 26.2 miles.

There is something magical about the marathon.

But the sports world, the fans of the “Big Four” remain connected to the marathon. They appreciate the sacrifice that its athletes go through and at the same time revel in the stories that those athletes bring with them. It is like a partially severed friendship that sports fans have with the Boston Marathon. It is run just once a year meaning that many who follow the sport do not have much more to focus on once race week has passed. And yet every year we watch the race and are amazed by what it showcases and we are reminded of how good this race it to its competitors, to its fans and to its city.

Unfortunately, the will of our race was tested 1 year ago and even this, this race based solely on overcoming daunting obstacles and powering through the most debilitating of setbacks needed those around it to help rally. We needed help to rally and while they were not the only ones who provided that help, in this sports crazed city of Boston, the support of the sports world helped up get back up.

You see, within hours of the attack, the quotes of condolence had already begun to fly as #PrayForBoston soon became  the link between all these tweets and such. In Phoenix, Coyotes forward and Boston native, Shane Doan rushed to his equipment manager before his the team’s game against the Sharks and wrote the phrase “Pray for Boston” on the heel of his right skate.  As that game and many others took place the night of April 15^th, moments of silence and support were almost constant across the board. But the MLB went above and beyond. On the nights of April 15^th and 16^th, 2013, every MLB game paused during the 7^th inning stretch to sing Sweet Caroline in honor of Boston.

By Thursday of that week, Sports Illustrated devoted their entire cover to the events at the Boston Marathon placing a picture of three police officers sprinting towards the finish line, guns drawn as 74 year old runner,  Bill Iffrig pealed himself off the pavement after being knocked down by the blast. Elsewhere, the New York Yankees elected to hang a banner on the front façade of their stadium showing both the Yankees and Red Sox logos beside the words “United we Stand”.

Across the United States, the shock of the Marathon Bombing and the Watertown Shootout days later was never far from thought. But as we recovered, as we learned the names of those killed in these attacks, the sports world rose up, embodying the phrase “Boston Strong” and showing that all forms competition and rivalry are suspend when the worst of humanity shines through like it did that day in April. 

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One Year Later: The evolution of 'This is Our City"

David Ortiz stands at the center of Boston sports. He stands at Fenway Park, microphone in hand as the 30,000+ fans packed into the stands await whatever words of condolence or uplift he has prepared.

It turns out he has prepared none and yet here he stands, preparing to play in his first game since a freak achilles injury the year before with this microphone in his hand and a city on his shoulders. Less than 5 days earlier, that city upon his shoulders had been attacked by two men with a kind of hate in their minds we hate to admits exists and at that very moment, less than 1 mile and a half away, yellow tape blocked off Copley Square and broken glass and disheveled barricades littered the Square’s sidewalks.

And so as David Ortiz prepared to speak that day, no one expected or even wanted him to say this it was all alright. What we wanted, what we were given was an emotionally charged battle cry that said to this city, those vile monsters who bombed us and the entire world that we were Boston Strong.

“Alright Boston,” he said pausing “this jersey that we wear today, it don’t say Red Sox, it say Boston.” He paused again, contemplating what to say next “We want to thank you mayor Menino, governor Patrick, the whole police department for the great job they did this past week.” With one final pause, the camera on NESN’s broadcast of the game panned over to the line of officials standing beside Ortiz. But the focus soon returned to him.

“This is our f***** city and nobody is goanna dictate our freedom, stay strong” He boomed slamming his first to the sky and walking off to a booming echo of strength and power that never left the hearts of Bostonians.

The speech took 51 seconds and yet is was the turning point in the story surrounding the Marathon Bombing. On that day, one of the suspects in the bombing has been killed while the other had been arrested. Our plight our fear had been ended and as we cheered in delight as that man, David Ortiz, screamed the most famous F-Bomb in Red Sox history to his city we proved to ourselves, to the world that we were strong.

And Ortiz was never punished for swearing on national television. He should not have been punished because he really did speak from the heart with that phrase. And yet he prepared nothing.

It was reported by Boston sports writer Gordan Edes Ortiz said in the dugout prior to the speech “The boy they killed was 8, my boy is 8”.

Ortiz of course was talking about Martin Richard who became a martyr for peace after he was brutally killed by the second of the 2 bombs.

So was that the inspiration. Maybe. You see, this speech was something not said out of anger, it had fear, understanding that 3 people who were far too young were killed by this bombing and all of it was intentional.

During all the pauses he took during his speech, Ortiz was thinking, going over in his mind the words he was about to say as he knew that he needed them to be perfect. And they were.

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One Year Later: Matt Reis makes his greatest save

For those who know the name John Odom, you know what he went through, how close he came to death and the story of the heroic man who saved his life.

But if you have not heard this story, I summarize it by saying that once again, in that sole moment there was exhibited that nearly impulsive instance where when the worst of humanity strikes the best of it emerges. 

John Odom was a man just weeks away from his official retirement. He was 63 and father and law to famous New England Revolution goaltender Matt Reis and was in Boston to watch his biological daughter and wife to Reis, Nicole, experience the realization of her dream to run the fabled Boston Marathon. Her family, both legal and biological were intent on supporting her in her athletic triumph.

But as reported by the Boston Globe back in July, an eerie series of events surrounding watching that race and the grizzly happenings that would interrupt it were discretely responsible for the saving of Odom’s life.

As all of Nicole’s cheering squad members made their way to their spot to cheer at the 13 mile mark, they realized they had forgotten their encouraging signs back home and so they were forced to go back there before settling down and waiting for Nicole to reach their cheering point. There they retrieved a sign and Reis remembered that he had forgotten to put on a belt that morning. He remedied that and then left with the family.

Knowing that Nicole had already passed the 13 mile mark originally marked as a viewing point, the family moved to the highly populated finish line where they arrived mere minutes before the first of two bombs went off.

“It was perfect weather for the runners,” said John Odom. “It was a wonderful feeling being there, seeing all the runners coming in, everyone cheering."

According to his account, Reis took his small daughter up on his shoulders and moved a few feet away from Odom. That move very well might have saved their daughter’s life.

As they waited for Nicole, the bomb suddenly went off knocking both of the Odom parents to the ground and brutally injuring John. According to Reis’ descriptions, he and John’s wife Karen immediately jumped into action tying Reis’ belt tight around Odom’s leg as they worked to keep the damage caused by a 4 inch slice of metal from killing John. Odom “turned grey” and solicited panicked screams on the part of Reis and Karen for their patient to stay awake.

Long story short, he did and though John Odom received enough blood transfusions to equal the amount of blood in the bodies of 2 people, a series of 11 surgeries and 2 and a half weeks of life in a medically induced coma helped save John Odom. And yet we know, the doctors who saved John and the entire soccer world knows that none of that would have been possible without those seconds of cool headedness and heroic knowledge of human health and emergency care exhibited by Matt Reis. 

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