When Is It Okay? Restarting Sports After 9/11

  • February 28, 2019
  • 7 to 8:30 p.m.
  • Auditorium
A woman and four men sit onstage while taking part in a public program about sports after 9/11 at the Museum Auditorium. To the left is WNBA Founding President and Big East Conference Commissioner Val Ackerman. To the right of her is NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who is speaking while gesturing with both hands. To the right of him is NBA Commissioner Emeritus David J. Stern. To the right of him is former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. At the far right is Mike Greenberg, longtime SportsCenter anchor and c
Photo by Monika Graff

Sports are central to American life, a role that was particularly apparent in the aftermath of 9/11. They helped the country mourn and move forward after the attacks, offering a space for collective grief and camaraderie—a space shared by fans and players alike. Leading this charge were the league commissioners, those ultimately faced with how to best respond and support a reeling nation in a post-9/11 world. Mike Greenberg, longtime SportsCenter anchor and current host of ESPN’s "Get Up!”, discusses these decisions with those who made them, including NBA Commissioner Emeritus David J. Stern, WNBA Founding President and Big East Conference Commissioner Val Ackerman, former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, and current NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. All four were Honorary Exhibition Co-Chairs of the special exhibition Comeback Season: Sports After 9/11.

Photos

  • In this wide-angle photo, a woman and four men sit onstage while taking part in a public program about sports after 9/11 at the Museum Auditorium. To the left is WNBA Founding President and Big East Conference Commissioner Val Ackerman. To the right of her is NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. To the right of him is NBA Commissioner Emeritus David J. Stern. To the right of him is former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. At the far right is Mike Greenberg, longtime SportsCenter anchor and current h
  • NBA Commissioner Emeritus David J. Stern speaks onstage at the Museum Auditorium. To his left is former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. To his right are WNBA Founding President and Big East Conference Commissioner Val Ackerman and current NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Stern is speaking while gesturing with both hands and looking out at the audience, which is silhouetted by the stage lights.
  • WNBA Founding President and Big East Conference Commissioner Val Ackerman speaks onstage at the Museum Auditorium. She holds up both hands as she looks out at the audience. To the right of her are NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, NBA Commissioner Emeritus David J. Stern, and former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
Photos by Monika Graff

Videos

Videos

  • 2019_0228_League Commissioners

Other Resources

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