Monday, December 17, 2012

Patriots Honor Newtown Victims With Helmet Sticker, By Taking Muskets From 'End Zone Militia'

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots silenced their "End Zone Militia" on Sunday night, taking the muskets away from the Revolutionary War re-enactors who fire into the air to celebrate every score.

The memory of the Connecticut school shooting was still too fresh for the sight of firearms and the smell of gunpowder.

"It just doesn't show the right respect for those that lost their lives," said Bob Elliott, the group's sergeant. "But we're still here cheering (the Patriots) on."

Two days after 20 children and six adults were shot to death at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., NFL fans gathering in stadiums across the country honored the victims' memory with periods of silence and reflection. Some teams darkened their scoreboards and lowered their flags to half-staff, while others wore helmet decals or black ribbons.

After learning he was the favorite player of one 6-year-old victim, New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz wrote "R.I.P. Jack Pinto," "Jack Pinto, my hero" and "This one is for you" on his shoes for the game against the Falcons in Atlanta. Cruz said he called the boy's family after hearing he was a Giants fan and was told they planned to bury him in one of Cruz's No. 80 jerseys.

"I don't even know how to put it into words," Cruz said. "There are no words that can describe the type of feeling that you get when a kid idolizes you so much that unfortunately they want to put him in the casket with your jersey on. I can't even explain it."

The Patriots, the closest team to Newtown that played at home on Sunday, 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.

But when the Patriots kicked a field goal midway through the second quarter, the soldiers in the End Zone Militia clapped their empty hands like the rest of the crowd. Elliott said the Patriots asked the group, which has been standing sentry at home games since the mid-1990s, to skip the ceremonial fire.

"Out of respect for those that were killed, we were asked yesterday not to fire the muskets, which we all agreed with," said Elliott, who is a manufacturing manager for a dental implant-maker. "It was just such a horrific thing. It's hard to put it into words."

  • Trevor Scott

    A sticker showing a black ribbon to honor the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Conn., is affixed to the helmet of New England Patriots defensive end Trevor Scott before an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

  • Members of the Minnesota Vikings hold hands during a moment of silence in honor of those killed Friday in shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., before the start of an NFL football game between the St. Louis Rams and the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in St. Louis. A gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Friday and opened fire, killing 20 children and six adults. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

  • Fans pause during a moment of silence to honor 20 children and 6 adults killed Friday in a shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in the first half of an NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. A gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Friday and opened fire, killing 26 people. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

  • Gerald McCoy

    Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Adam Hayward (57) and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy (93) pause for a moment of silence in memory of 20 children and six adults killed Friday in a shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., before an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

  • Baltimore Ravens fans pause during a moment of silence to honor 20 children and 6 adults killed Friday in a shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. before the first half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos in Baltimore, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. A gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Friday and opened fire, killing 26 people.(AP Photo/Gail Burton)

  • Mike Smith

    Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith, second from left, and players close their eyes during during a moment of silence for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings before an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Atlanta. A gunman walked into the school in Newtown, Conn., Friday and opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children. (AP Photo/Rich Addicks)

  • Mike McCarthy

    Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy, center, stands with players and staff during a moment of silence for the victims of Friday's Connecticut elementary school shooting before an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. A gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Friday and opened fire, killing 20 children and six adults. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

  • Drew Brees

    New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) and teammates and officials pause during a moment of silence to honor 20 children and 6 adults killed Friday in a shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. before the NFL football game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. A gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Friday and opened fire, killing 20 children and six adults. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

  • New York Giants helmets with a decal honoring the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting rest on the turf before the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Atlanta. A gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Friday and opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children. (AP Photo/Rich Addicks)

  • Miami Dolphins team flags fly at half staff in remembrance of 20 children and 6 teachers killed Friday in a shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn. before the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Miami. A gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Friday and opened fire, killing 26 people. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

  • Mike McGlynn

    Indianapolis Colts guard Mike McGlynn (75) bows his head during a moment of silence for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings before an NFL football game against the Houston Texans Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Houston. A gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Friday and opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

  • Makayla Ferfecki, of Kentucky, holds a sign honoring the victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., before the first half of an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Giants, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, in Atlanta. A gunman walked into the school Friday and opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

  • Indianapolis Colts v Houston Texans

    HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 16: J.J. Watt #99 of the Houston Texans displays a glove to remember the victims of a massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut prior to the start of the game against the Indianapolis Colts at at Reliant Stadium on December 16, 2012 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

  • Vince Wilfork, Tavon Wilson

    New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, left, and strong safety Tavon Wilson, right, join teammates during a moment of silence for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Conn., before an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

  • Patriot actors stand without their usual rifles to honor the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Conn., in the third quarter of an NFL football game between the New England Patriots and the San Francisco 49ers in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

The Sunday Night Football broadcast on NBC, featuring the high-profile matchup of the Patriots and 49ers, was moved to CNBC and the NBC Sports Network while President Barack Obama addressed the nation. The game returned to its regular channel after the president's remarks from Newtown.

The Giants, another popular team in southwestern Connecticut, affixed a decal with the school's initials - "SHES" - on their helmets.

"Being close to home, the players were greatly upset about it," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "Many of the players have young children so they can empathize with the parents who had young children killed."

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt wrote "Newtown, CT" on one of the gloves he wore in warmups and on both of his shoes for the game.

"We're playing football, and there's something much bigger going on in this world," Watt said. "I just wanted them to know, and I wanted everyone to know, that our thoughts are with them. Nothing is bigger than that. We played our game today, but honestly our thoughts are with them, the families, the teachers, the friends, the first responders, who had to go see that. My dad is a first responder. They were just kids."

In St. Louis, the players who wear No. 26 - Rams running back Daryl Richardson and Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield - joined hands in a circle with their coaches at midfield before their game, surrounded by dozens of children wearing jerseys.

"I have a son that's in kindergarten. It choked me up because I would hate to be one of those parents," Rams running back Steven Jackson said. "You drop your kid off at school and he or she wants to go there and learn and better themselves, and to then go to the school and find that your child will no longer be with you. I couldn't imagine that thing."

Flags were also at half-staff in Baltimore, where the scoreboards went black as the public address announcer asked the crowd at the game between the Ravens and Denver Broncos to observe "silent reflection" in the wake of Friday's "horrific tragedy."

"As a parent you drop your kids off at school many times," said Miami Dolphins coach Joe Philbin, whose 21-year-old son Michael fell into a Wisconsin river and drowned in January. "It's hard to put into words what that community and those families must feel like. We obviously kept them in our prayers."

A moment of silence was observed at all 14 NFL games on Sunday; in Houston and in Arlington, Texas, the scoreboard went black. Members of the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks stood quietly with their heads down on their sideline while fans stood silently at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

The Bills did continue their pregame habit of playing U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday," which they've played before every home game this season. The song is in reference to British troops shooting and killing unarmed protesters in Derry, Northern Ireland in January 1972.

In Chicago, Green Bay wide receiver Donald Driver retweeted the names of the victims. St. Louis defensive end Chris Long said after the 36-22 loss the Vikings that it was hard to feel sorry for himself.

"As we sit here and feel sorry for ourselves after losing a football game, it really helps put things in perspective," he said. "I was watching TV last night and saw a victim's parent and I was really moved by that, the strength that they were showing up there. If we can all show that strength, we'll be all right as a team and as people."

___

AP Sports Writers R.B. Fallstrom in St. Louis, David Ginsburg in Baltimore, Nancy Armour in Chicago, Paul Newberry in Atlanta, John Wawrow in Toronto, Kristie Rieken in Houston and Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this report.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/17/patriots-newtown-tribute-sticker-muskets_n_2313462.html

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