Chris Brennan on 9/11 Coverage Everywhere

Recently, I was having lunch with a friend of mine at one of those sports bars that seemingly have a TV every square foot. Predictably, since this was a weekday and no major sporting events were taking place, all three hundred TV's were tuned into ESPN. What was not so predictable, however, was the content being shown on all three hundred TV's. With the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 upon us, ESPN had decided they too, wanted to get into the business of hour long tributes telling us how we felt on that day. Subsequently, my plans for a casual lunch with a friend, filled with laughter and mini burgers, became a quiet and sad meal, both of us desperately trying not to look at the hundreds of TV's showing the horrific events of that day.

This week, we have been inundated with coverage of September 11th. You cannot pick up a magazine or turn on the TV without seeing pictures or images of the planes, the towers, the rubble, or the tears. Apparently, the media is letting us know that now that 10 years have passed, we should be even more sad.

I am generally an optimistic, if not naive person. (For instance, I still believe that one day we can "all get along".) But something about these tributes has aroused the cynical side of me. Yes, of course this time every year we should honor the fallen heroes of that day and mourn the horrendous loss of innocent lives. But some of these tributes seem to have been produced more for ratings than anything else. They know that the public is drawn to tragedy and "carnage" and in most of our lifetimes, it gets no more tragic than 9/11.

Perhaps what gets to me most about this coverage, is that the media seems to have made it their responsibility to be the official "reminders" of the events. (As if we have been too busy with the Kardashian wedding, to remember what had transpired.) Talk to anyone who was alive that day, and they can not only tell you what happened, but they undoubtedly will also be able to describe minute details of the day. For instance, I remember it happened on a Tuesday, because our friend Peter had over indulged the night before watching Monday Night Football, and therefore was late to work that day, in the 87th floor of the 2nd Tower. If it were not for his fondness for beer and football, we may not have him around today. I vividly remember drinking a 99 cent bottle of wine (don't ask) and sitting with friends trying to numb ourselves to the events taking place on the TV. One of our friends had recently had throat surgery, and unable to talk, he decided to pass us notes from time to time conveying his thoughts. "Holy Hell!" I remember one note saying.

September 11th,2001 was many things, but it was surely not a forgettable moment in our history. Perhaps the tributes have all been produced with good intentions, and perhaps they can be cathartic for some. Personally, I have decided that I will take a moment on that day and reflect on the tragedy, pray for the fallen and their families, and evaluate my role in making this country great.

Oh yeah, and I will be nice to firefighters....those guys are amazing.