ESPN shared a message from Joe Biden ahead of the Sugar Bowl, emphasizing unity and resilience in the wake of the New Orleans tragedy. Credit: ESPN
College FootballESPNPoliticsBy Sam Neumann on

Sports are one of the nation’s greatest connectors, even at a time of division.

In the aftermath of the terrible tragedy in New Orleans, a terrorist attack that claimed the lives of at least 15 victims, the Sugar Bowl was postponed. Instead of kicking off at 8:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday, the game was pushed back to 4 p.m. ET on Thursday.

As a nation grappled with a deadly day to start the year, football’s importance paled in comparison — especially in New Orleans. The game wasn’t happening, with Georgia and Notre Dame under shelter-in-place orders at their respective hotels and the Caesars Superdome on lockdown.

But the show must go on.

And before it went on, ESPN shared a message from President Joe Biden.

“Today, all [of] America stands with New Orleans,” Biden said in a pre-recorded message. “We pray for those killed and injured in yesterday’s attack. And we’re grateful; we’re grateful for the brave first responders who raced to save lives. We’re glad the game’s back on for today, but I’m not surprised because the spirit of New Orleans can never be kept down.

“That’s also true for the spirit of America. We just have to remember who we are. We’re the United States of America — there’s nothing, nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together. God bless New Orleans, and God protect our troops.”

No one’s naive to the fact that the 82-year-old Biden is a divisive figure. He opted not to run for re-election and announced his withdrawal from the presidential race in July. After throwing his support behind his Vice President, Kamala Harris, she lost to Donald Trump in November’s election, as the country sought change.

Trump will be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States later this month. But for now, Biden remains at the helm. That means relaying a message to a wounded nation ahead of the postponed Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame.

Sean McDonough followed up on the heels of President Biden’s message with a great open of his own, though we all could’ve done without the jaunty music.

[Awful Announcing on X]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann