The MetLife Stadium crowd just 11 miles away from Ground Zero sang the National Anthem on the anniversary of September 11th.
The first Sunday of the NFL season kicks off on the anniversary of September 11th, 21 years after the days the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers were attacked in Manhattan.
As expected, the National Anthems were in full focus at kickoff time the anniversary, with the game at MetLife Stadium one of the most anticipated due to its proximity to Ground Zero where the Twin Towers fell on that fateful day.
Fans sing along to National Anthem in emotional performance at MetLife Stadium
MetLife Stadium is about 11 miles from Ground Zero, and fans joined in for an emotional rendition of the National Anthem before the New York Jets hosted the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1 of the season.
Brianna Fernandez, an NYPD officer, started the song off but let the crowd take over just a few words in for an incredibly emotional collective performance.
The crowd sang the national anthem at MetLife 🙌
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) September 11, 2022
(via @nyjets) pic.twitter.com/XRf5qiYB7c
Jets head coach Robert Saleh said he hoped that the fans would sing along just a few days before the kickoff:
"I think it's gonna be electric. It's gonna be a full house. Can't wait to hear the J-E-T-S chant with 80,000"
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) September 9, 2022
Robert Saleh is requesting that Jets fans get to MetLife early and sing along with the national anthem on Sunday: pic.twitter.com/YlPv6w02vJ
Jets fans sure showed out and made for a poignant, emotional display of unity on the anniversary of a day that changed America, and the world, forever.
No better way to display respect for the anniversary of the tragic loss than New Yorkers and Americans joining in song.