Mark’s Musings – September 13, 2017
Mark Fortune
To pause and reflect on September 11, 2001 is for most Americans I think, something that enters our mind this time of year and particularly that specific day on the calendar. It is Monday, September 11 as I write this column and I am confident that all those that were of the age to remember do remember where they were and what they were doing on that fateful morning. So even if you pick up your copy of The Beacon on Tuesday, Wednesday or later this week, please take a moment to reflect on the tragedy of the loss, the sacrifice and selflessness of so many and the courage and bravery that pulled our country together.
As Americans we have many gifts but one of our weaknesses – at least in my humble opinion – is that we tend to move on to the newest tragedy or event and forget about the losses of the past. Our attention span is short. Our attention this weekend was certainly on Hurricane Irma.
Our focus shifted quickly from the events in Houston and surrounding areas to of course, Florida and the wrath of Hurricane Irma. I imagine many of you hunkered down in front of the television or with your smartphone or tablet to watch the events unfold live on The Weather Channel. You have to give credit where credit is due. Did anyone actually think that a channel focused solely on the weather would survive – yet alone thrive? Yet, it has and does.
Let’s hope that the people of Florida will pull together like the folks in Texas and the area hit by Hurricane Harvey. Hurricane Irma will no doubt leave a path of destruction and property decimated by water and wind. It will take years and billions of dollars to rebuild both of these areas. Rebuild they will.
Are the Browns making progress? One would think so after only succumbing to the Steelers by 3 points in the season debut. They fared better than the Buckeyes who must figure out a way to get the ball downfield to an open receiver. While we can’t take anything away from how Oklahoma played in the Horseshoe on Saturday night, I am not sure that their defensive backs are that good. But they might be. Some did predict that the Sooners would be in the championship playoff series. It is doubtful at this point that the Buckeyes will make that but Coach Urban Meyer has surprised people many times.
I would be remiss to not mention the win streak. It stands at 18 as I write this and no, I am not putting any kind of jinx on it – it has been written about and mentioned by sports writers extraordinaire around the country. The Tribe is a cobbled together team right now yet everything they are doing seems to be working. This win streak is a testament to Coach “Tito” and the front office folks that signed these young men to play. In some ways it is not that much different from the 20 game streak by the Oakland Athletics “money ball” team of 2002. You never know, maybe this is the year.
Category: Mark's Musings, Opinion
