Remy Blaire: Let's take a live look at Ground Zero, where family members of 9/11 victims are reading the names of those who perished on this day 25 years ago. After September 11th, Major League Baseball paused all games for six days. The New York Mets were the first team to win a game after September 11th, and they actually did it twice.
The first game back was played in Pittsburgh, as Shea Stadium was being used as a staging area for 9/11 recovery efforts. But the real moment that remains etched in baseball history came a few nights later. Trailing 2 to 1 in the eighth inning at home against the Braves, Mets favorite Mike Piazza hit an iconic, dramatic two-run go-ahead home run in the eighth inning to secure a 3 to 2 victory.
And that homer is attributed by some as bringing some form of healing to a grieving nation. Well, joining me today to weigh in is Rick Horrow, FINTECH.TV sports business analyst and CEO of Horrow Sports Ventures. Rick, thank you so much for joining us. It is so hard to believe that it has been 25 years since that day.
And on this 25th anniversary, Major League Baseball is holding a 9/11 game tonight between our hometown Mets and Yankees from Yankee Stadium. Pregame ceremonies will feature tributes honoring first responders as well as those who perished in the attack. Select alumni from the 2001 Yankees will take part in the ceremonies, and current Yankees will place a wreath beside the 9/11 monument in Monument Park.
So, Rick, take us through what MLB has planned for this weekend.
Rick Horrow: Well, you mentioned it, and frankly, I'm here in Europe. The interesting thing about this is that, well, actually, in Egypt, on the Nile, everybody here sends condolences. There is a worldwide remembrance, not just something observed in America.
And it took coming here to understand that. As far as baseball, obviously, they have a tribute called "When America Takes the Field" that debuted. It'll debut again. All of the games will have a certain standard opening that's choreographed as well. And we also have a lot of football and tennis things that we can talk about as well.
Let's remember, it's been 25 years, and we shouldn't ever think about minimizing that effort and minimizing the memory.
Remy Blaire: Yeah, absolutely, Rick. And of course, as you mentioned, football as well as tennis, these are things that we're all focused on as well. And the NFL season has kicked off, with football also paying tribute to September 11th victims. End zones across NFL stadiums will feature "Never Forget" stenciling, and broadcasts across all 1 p.m. Eastern Time games will air live national anthems today.
As for Sunday Night Football between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants, players, coaches and staff from both teams will be wearing commemorative NYPD, FDNY and Port Authority Police Department hats. So take us through how football is remembering September 11th.
Rick Horrow: Well, let's not forget the 100-yard flag. That is an unbelievable unfurling when we see it at the Meadowlands on Sunday. And by the way, they're doing this right. It's a major celebration. Not a shameless plug, but Dawn Aponte, who was at the NFL office, is now the senior vice president of strategy for the Giants.
We have a big interview with her for our Icon show that's happening this week, including philanthropy. So you ought to tune in on that as well to get some perspective from her. But obviously, between FDNY and the New York City Police Department and the first responders, they're doing it right. And there's no better way, no more appropriate way, and no more somber way to kick off the 2026 season than what exactly the New York Giants are doing.
Remy Blaire: And right now that we've covered baseball as well as football, let's turn our focus over to tennis. So, a lot of late-night games this week when it comes to the US Open. Arthur Ashe Stadium will be joining the National Tribute in Light campaign, and "Never Forget 9/11" will be displayed across wide LED screens, while American flags across the venue will be flying at half-staff.
The U.S. Tennis Association is directing financial support to Tuesday's Children, which provides care for families grieving loss, and also to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. So what are you watching for when it comes to tennis?
Rick Horrow: Well, Remy, definitely what you're watching for is the consistent, somber tribute.
There are a million spectators. There's $1 billion of economic impact here. But the USTA and the US Open are incredible as philanthropic entities. So this "Never Forget 9/11" messaging is obviously important. And they do it right. Sound and light show. And the overall impact isn't lost on the players.
On the women's side, we now understand that the top two American seeds were eliminated. But there's going to be a tremendous amount of excitement. And I guarantee you, the $5.5 million winner's purse on the men's and women's sides is very important. But these athletes showing support for 9/11 is even more important.
Remy Blaire: And finally, before I let you go, Rick, there's a lot to talk about with college football. First off, fans are still reeling from that controversial ending to the Western Michigan University game against the Michigan Wolverines last weekend. And it seems like everyone outside of Ann Arbor is saying that there wasn't any time left in the game, and that WMU should have completed the huge upset before that Michigan Hail Mary came after a second was added.
Meanwhile, the MAC has asked the NCAA to award WMU the victory, but the NCAA has made it clear they aren't changing the official outcome. So what is your take on this?
Rick Horrow: Well, the perspective obviously is that the NCAA could be a great arbiter on this, but they really do not have a mechanism for overturning results like this.
So I understand that the MAC isn't going to be able to do that in a way that the Big Ten is going to appreciate, since the game was under the Big Ten's jurisdiction, and whether that second was on the clock or not is subject to interpretation.
What is going to happen, which is really good, is just like the ACC, there will be an inside look at the dynamics of the decision-making process live on television for everybody to watch, with total transparency. Everybody's going to go back and forth between real time and what is recorded. And just like the ACC, they're going to understand these decisions and how they're made.
It may not help the game we're seeing on tape right now. Still can't believe it. But it's going to help in the future.
Remy Blaire: And finally, before I let you go, there's more controversy in the sport. Earlier this week, there were actually talks about the Southeastern Conference kicking the LSU Tigers out. So what do you make of this and some of the opinions out there?
Rick Horrow: Well, I don't make much of it because by the time I got my texts here, it was 3:00 in the morning. I got about 40,000 texts. And everybody told me about the 16-chancellor major meeting that was held to decide the future of LSU and the SEC.
Now listen, the SEC was founded in 1932. It pays out $1.03 billion.
And the two players who were kept off the roster and then put back on, Lane Kiffin, the coach, a lot of controversy. This does not rise to suspending a team, no matter whether you like Lane Kiffin or not. And the SEC basically said so.
So we're going to say much ado about nothing. We may let the courts decide this all over the country, but I think the SEC and LSU are pretty darn safe.
Remy Blaire: Well, Rick, thank you so much for joining us all the way from Egypt today. I appreciate all of your insights as well as your perspective. Have a great weekend and safe travels to you.
Rick Horrow: See you next week.
