Sports World Reacts to Connecticut Tragedy

Catastrophe's effect is universal.

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Professional games went on as scheduled yesterday as the nation was still trying to come to terms with a tragedy that saw 26 people killedincluding 20 children-inside of a Newtown, Conn. elementary school. But, like head coach Doc Rivers suggested before the Boston's game against Houston, the sporting world was just as affected as the rest of us:

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The country saw an open display of emotions from athletes and coaches all over the sporting world that ranged from grief, to disbelief, to despair. Kevin Durant was one of them, as he silently paid tribute to the victims by writing "Newtown, CT" on his shoes before his game against Sacramento.

The accident particularly hit home for Cleveland head coach Byron Scott, who paused a number of times when he talked about the tragedy: "I have three healthy kids and a beautiful granddaughter. When you hear about kids who are that young and don't get a chance to live because of something that's so senseless as somebody going in and doing the things that this person did, I think it affects everybody. It puts everything in the right perspective as well. As much as we love this game, this doesn't mean nothing."

Athletes also took Twitter (and Facebook in Kobe Bryant's case) to express themselves; you can see some of the tweets below. The NFL requested each team to have a moment of silence before this weekend's games.

Thoughts and prayers are with the victims families and everyone affected by CT tragedy. When's the madness going to end!#SandyHook
As a parent, this is not the kind of world I want my children to grow up in, and I don't think I'm alone in that. #empathy
This is really messing with my mind. Kids is everything to me! And of course i have 2 of my own in elementary school as well. I can't....
imagine it happening to my kids school. I and the rest of the families would be devastated! Something has to be done. Land of the free, BS!

[via ESPN]

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