May 2, 2011. It was a cold night in the city of brotherly love where the New York Mets were squaring off against the Philadelphia Phillies. It was a normal night for Sunday Night Baseball, which was broadcasted nationwide by ESPN.
In the top of the ninth inning everything changed. Everyone in that packed stadium had their cell phones out hearing about the news. It was soon reported that Osama bin Laden had been killed by U.S. troops in Pakistan. Slowly after the news broke, a U-S-A chant broke out among the crowd at Citizens Bank Park and continued as the game went on.
But what about the players? Neither team had any idea what was happening, all they knew was that something special was happening. At that point in time, the game became more than just a game. Fans of both teams began to cheer together and hug each other. How often do you see that during a sporting event?
The Mets bench coach, Ken Oberkfell, was the first one to hear the news and it quickly spread throughout each dugout. Everyone was so relieved, and the feeling inside that stadium was incredible. Two competitive cities coming together to celebrate is what unites this nation. the game ended up going 14 innings that night with a win from the Mets. Terry Collins, manager of the Mets, mentioned how he wished the game would have ended in the ninth so both of the teams could celebrate.