Two players who wear No. 26 joined hands with the coaches of the Rams and Vikings in tribute to the victims of the school massacre in Newtown, Conn. — one of many gestures around the NFL yesterday as the league, its teams and fans reflected on the shooting and its victims.
There were moments of silence before every NFL game. The ceremony in St. Louis included Rams coach Jeff Fisher and Vikings coach Leslie Frazier, along with Rams running back Daryl Richardson and Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield.
The players were selected because their number represents the total slain at the elementary school on Friday.
Dozens of children wearing uniform jerseys held hands with players in a circle extending from the 30-yard lines at the Edward Jones Dome, centered on the Rams logo at midfield. Richardson, Winfield and the coaches formed an inner circle.
The Patriots, the closest team to Newtown that played at home last night, wore a helmet sticker with the city seal and a black ribbon on it; the cheerleaders and mascot wore black armbands, and owner Bob Kraft pledged $25,000 to the community, where he also owns a box-making factory. Before the game, the public address announcer asked for silence while 26 flares were sent into the air.
The Patriots also silenced their “End Zone Militia,” taking the muskets away from the Revolutionary War re-enactors who fire into the air to celebrate every score.
“As a parent you drop your kids off at school many times. It’s hard to put into words what that community and those families must feel like. We obviously kept them in our prayers,” Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said after his team’s victory over the Jaguars. Philbin’s 21-year-old son Michael fell into a Wisconsin river and drowned in January.
Flags were at half-staff at M&T Bank Stadium when the Ravens hosted the Broncos. With the Maryland National Guard standing on the opposite end of the field from the flag bearers, the scoreboards went black as the public address announcer asked the crowd to observe “silent reflection” in the wake of Friday’s “horrific tragedy.”
Just before the national anthem was sung by Gatlin Brothers at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, there was a moment of silence, which included the huge video screen hanging over the field going black. Also, the ribbon boards and other electronic signs were turned off.