A quick Google search for “Boston Fundraiser” gets 77 million hits, shows efforts well into the millions of dollars, and includes a star-studded benefit concert at the TD Garden from the likes of Aerosmith, James Taylor, and New Kids on the Block. A search for “West Texas Fundraiser” gets 11 million hits – the top hit is a joint effort from Texas local law firms that’s just now reached 11,000 dollars – and a Willie Nelson concert at the Bee Cave. “Savar Bangladesh Fundraiser” gets 500,000 hits, and has a handful of Just Giving and Eventbrite benefit pages.

This is not a perfect study that controls for search-term similarity or provides evidence that Steven Tyler brings in more money than Willie Nelson. But it’s clear that the Boston bombing continues to tug hardest on both our hearts and on our wallets. Why?

One reason is symbolism. The Boston Marathon represents achievement. Every year for several months, over 30,000 people around the world carve their schedules to run an average of 40 miles per week in preparation for this race. This doesn’t just describe the top finishers who run for money; these are people with day-jobs and families. For non-runners, 40 miles per week is hard to understand. If you go to work at 9am, imagine getting up at 6:30am and running the circumference of Central Park each day Monday-Thursday before your nine-hour workday. Take Friday off, then run from the top of Manhattan to the bottom (no stopping) on Saturday. Repeat for at least three months, adding the Brooklyn Bridge to each Saturday run for the last month. Oh, don’t spend more than 8 minutes on each mile. It’s a big, hard deal.

The Marathon also represents community. The event costs more than one million dollars (without unforeseen tragedies); eight cities and towns have to make preparations; and it attracts more than 500,000 spectators with about 80% of Bostonians in attendance. Hearing the announcers belt out names and times, seeing the fundraiser causes on t-shirts, watching runners smile through sweat and chafing at signs that read, “Your Perspiration is my Inspiration,” and sharing the culmination of incomprehensible efforts is an experience both awe-inspiring and comforting. Even if you are not running you are proud to be part of this powerful, beautiful, human race.

Another explanation for the gravity in Boston is intentionality. What happened at the marathon was not an accident. The race was attacked. So 35,000 runners, 500,000 spectators, and the United States felt attacked. Dense public events require trust to host; they are easy targets despite security efforts. This time, two people took unthinkable advantage and violated a vulnerable exemplar of human achievement.

Logically, it makes sense that the Boston bombing grinds deeper to our core than the events in West, Texas or Savar, Bangladesh. The fertilizer plant and the factory building were not spectacles of human greatness. Their destruction was caused by accidents, not attacks. It is easier to accept tragedy when caused by fate, like an unpreventable part of the universe unfolding. CEOs were likely negligent, but they didn’t want to hurt people. The willful acts of the bombers are tied to the actors, so we are angry at them, in addition to being sad for their victims. Furthermore, far fewer people witnessed the plant explosion, and the factory building fell on the other side of the globe. Their remoteness makes them easier to file away. But should this be the case? Should Boston get exponentially greater financial and emotional support, when just as many lives in Texas and far more in Bangladesh were ended or severely damaged?

Major sports events carry great power. Virtually everyone is drawn to them. They represent discipline, physical prowess, alliance, respect, and they are incredibly fun to watch. This concentration of value should not be diluted; it is a good thing. But the consequences of catastrophes are the same, regardless of their location: People get hurt and die. Our kinship with all those affected is the same. The plant workers could have been marathoners, the marathoners could have been factory workers. Instead of toning down our response to Boston, we can use it to boost our sympathy for West and for Savar. Fundraisers for Boston can share the proceeds. When Aerosmith and company play in Los Angeles on May 30th and the Boston Marathon is the headliner cause, at least make West and Savar the openers.

“The administrator distributing more than $28 million in contributions raised for victims of the Boston Marathon bombings told eligible families Monday night that they should have their payouts by the end of June.

Kenneth Feinberg, who handled compensation for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the 2010 Gulf Coast oil spill, explained to about 200 victims and family members how he would assess needs and disburse money from The One Fund Boston.”

Last month we sat down with Kenneth Feinberg to discuss litigation in various sports. This is a very timely parallel. That video can be seen here.

The original USA Today article can be seen here – http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/06/boston-bombing-victims-compensation-fund/2139323/

NBA player Jason Collins announced today that he is gay. This announcement makes him the “first active male athlete in U.S. pro sports to come out.” The key will now be to see how this announcement is received by fans and other players in the league. Collins seems to expect some negative treatment from fans but hopes to receive support within the NBA community. In response to this announcement former President Bill Clinton, who is close to Collins, issued his support and hope that this announcement will be received positively. Jason Collins is a 12 year NBA veteran who played for the Celtics and Wizards last year. To read more on this topic, view the original article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2013/04/29/jason-collins-comes-out-nba-player-says-im-gay/

A division I athlete on the verge of what is arguably the most important event of his athletic career chooses surgery to aid an anonymous life, which will terminate his ability to compete.
“”It’s just a sport,” he said. “Just because it’s Division I college level doesn’t make it any more important. Life is a lot more important than that, so it was pretty easy.”

To read the entire article click here: http://abcnews.go.com/US/university-hampshire-athlete-shortens-career-donate-bone-marrow/story?id=19022049#.UXl0SqWiHCp

President of NYU and author of Baseball as a Road to God, John Sexton, discusses America’s pastime as a path to faith and deeper experience of life with NYUSSP Chairman Arthur Miller, Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner, and Mets Owner Fred Wilpon. These leaders are grounded by their common appreciation for the sport’s lessons on achieving both human satisfaction and transcendence. The book was released in March.

Our chairman, Arthur Miller, had the opportunity to get a first hand look at the Jackie Robinson Rotunda on game day with a guided tour from the owner himself, Fred Wilpon. Watch as the two talk Robinson, baseball, the Mets, family, and more.

This piece was produced in conjunction with NYU Law School.

The current concussion litigation against the National Football League in federal court in Philadelphia has been called by noted attorney and former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent “an existential threat to the NFL.” On April 9, the court will hear argument on the NFL’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, now joined by 4,000 retired players, based on the argument that that the claims are preempted by labor law. Come hear a panel of experts deconstruct this complex case and assess whether it could ultimately throw football for a loss.

Panelists:
Jodi Balsam ’86, Associate Professor of Law, New York Law School and former Counsel for Operations and Litigation for the NFL
Robert Boland, Academic Chair, NYU Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management
Harry Carson, Former player for the New York Giants and member of the NFL Hall of Fame
Kenneth Feinberg ’70, Founder and Managing Partner, Feinberg Rozen, LLP
David Buchanan, Partner, Seeger Weiss, LLP

Moderator:
Arthur R. Miller, University Professor, New York University School of Law

Our very own Wayne McDonnell wrote this compelling piece on how baseball ought to be honoring the legacy of Jackie Robinson.

“It seems as if the customary articles that are written by sportswriters on the anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier pertains to the declining participation of African Americans in the game of baseball. With each passing year, the numbers seem to get progressively worse, but the theories regarding the reasons remain the same. The vast array of college scholarships that football and basketball offer athletes of all races are too enticing to pass up. The methodical and even tedious pace of the game lacks the consistent bursts of energy that normally accompanies other sports. Baseball is by no means an inexpensive game only played on the sandlots. The costs of playing competitive baseball today at the amateur level are exorbitant due to travel requirements, tournament fees, uniforms, equipment and playing on multiple teams. Even with all of Major League Baseball’s exemplary efforts with innovative programs such as the Urban Youth Academies, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (R.B.I.) and overwhelming support from noteworthy organizations, there still seems to be a genuine disconnect.”

To read the entire article click here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/waynemcdonnell/2013/04/16/a-celebration-of-jackie-robinsons-legacy-shouldnt-begin-and-end-on-april-15th/

These articles depict the societal moment in which the horrific event of this year’s Boston Marathon took place. Here you can read predictions of the bombing’s impact on the future of major sporting events. You can also learn about the race’s significance, the roles of technology and imagery, the heroism of individuals, and the resiliency of our nation in times of crisis.

In Grisly Image, a Father Sees His Son
The New York Times, Tim Rohan
A father recognizes his son in an iconic image of the Marathon explosions. He finds his son hospitalized, with both legs amputated at the knees. His son was saved by the man in the cowboy hat, Carlos Arredondo, who was cheering for those running in memory of his own son, a marine killed in Iraq.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/us/in-grisly-image-a-father-sees-his-son.html?partner=MYWAY&ei=5065&_r=0

I Watched The Marathon Bombing From Above. These Are My Photos.
Deadspin, Ben Levine
One person with a camera directly above the site of explosion provides his photo documentation and struggles to understand the experience.
http://deadspin.com/i-watched-the-marathon-bombing-from-above-these-are-my-473591429

Yankees play ‘Sweet Caroline’ in Boston tribute
Associated Press, Steven Wine; Tom Withers
Description: The New York Yankees paid tribute to victims of the Boston Marathon bombings by playing the Fenway Park favorite “Sweet Caroline” at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night.
http://news.yahoo.com/yankees-play-sweet-caroline-boston-tribute-010144952–mlb.html

Sport is Where Joy Is, and Where Some Ruin It
USA Today, Mike Lopresti
Description: A day Boston celebrates annually will forever be reminder of sports world vulnerability
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/lopresti/2013/04/15/lopresti-column-boston-marathon-tragedy-other-sports/2085965/

Russia ponders sports security lessons from Boston
Associated Press, Nataliya Vasilyeva
Description: Russian officials gave mixed signals Tuesday over whether they needed to increase security at key sporting events like the World Athletics Championship and the 2014 Winter Olympics after explosions at Description: Boston’s marathon killed three people and wounded over 170.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/russia-increase-security-athletics-event-18965445#.UW2GeEr4Lz8

What’s the Impact on Sports When Terrorists Strike a Sporting Event?
SB Nation, Husker Mike
Description: Security plans will evolve, and the games will eventually resume. But how will the threat of the next terrorist strike affect sports fans?
http://www.cornnation.com/2013/4/16/4229418/whats-the-impact-on-sports-when-terrorists-strike-a-sporting-event

Cooperation after a Tragedy: When our hearts know better than our minds
Scientific American, Melanie Tannenbaum
Description: …everything that our research says about altruism…points to the idea that in the wake of such a terrible tragedy, we should have been faced with a general public that shied away from… providing crucial support and assistance to those in need. Yet after the explosion, spectators lent runners blankets, sweaters, and phones. People…put their own needs on hold to attend to those of perfect strangers.
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/psysociety/2013/04/15/boston-marathon-2013/

Boston Marathon Tragedy Met with Unbelievable Acts of Kindness
Buzzfeed, Erin La Rosa
Description: Three Bostonians will restore your faith in humanity
http://www.buzzfeed.com/erinlarosa/boston-marathon-tragedy-met-with-amazing-acts-of-kindness

Runners and Supporters Share a Bond of Trust
Boston Globe, Derrick Z Jackson
Description: The attack on the Boston Marathon was an assault on our civic life, our very ability to have fun together. So it is up to all of us to go the distance to make sure the Marathon survives, that we cherish the sense of trust and shared triumph that makes this city so extraordinary.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2013/04/15/the-day-boston-opens-its-arms-world/MOuKiIs6hLbAsNVeUfAdCI/story.html

Domestic Terrorism Still Rare
Chicago Tribune, Steve Chapman
Description: What happened in Boston would hardly warrant news coverage in Iraq, which today saw 37 people die in at least 20 attacks across the country. It’s a shock to Americans because it’s so exceptional.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-04-15/news/chi-domestic-terrorism-still-rare-20130415_1_boston-marathon-terrorism-political-violence

Boston Doctors Compare Marathon Bomb Injuries to War Wounds
NPR Health News, Richard Knox
Description: The device that went off today, for lack of a better term, was an improvised explosive device. And that’s exactly what a number of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have had to deal with,” Epstein said. And like those wounded troops, doctors say, many of those injured in the Marathon blasts will require a lot of rehabilitation — both physical and mental.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/16/177427307/Boston-Doctors-Compare-Marathon-Bomb-Injuries-To-War-Wounds

Big Data could uncover clue in Marathon
USA Today, Scott Sigmund Gartner
Description: Americans object to invasions of their privacy. But in this case, video could help.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/04/16/boston-marathon-and-big-data-column/2087145/

Boston explosions: Twitter acts as journalism’s ombudsman
Washington Post, Erik Wemple
Description: The platform that’s most effective at churning out breaking news has become a place that preaches caution in breaking-news scenarios. Just in case editors and reporters need any reminders.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2013/04/15/boston-explosions-twitter-acts-as-journalisms-ombudsman/

Here’s Sports Illustrated’s Powerful Boston Marathon Cover
Business Insider, Tony Manfred
Description: The man in that photo, 78 year old Bill Iffrig, actually got up and finished the race.
http://www.businessinsider.com/sports-illustrateds-boston-marathon-cover-2013-4

Tragedy in Boston: One Photographer’s Eyewitness Account
Time, John Tlumacki
Description: LightBox spoke with Boston Globe photographer John Tlumacki, who photographed the explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Tlumacki, who has photographed more than 20 marathons in his 30 years at the Globe, describes the sheer chaos of the scene:
http://lightbox.time.com/2013/04/15/tragedy-in-boston-one-photographers-eyewitness-account/#1

When Ethics Collide
Bill of Health, Nancy Dubler and Art Caplan
“Prison and jail health care present an anomaly for medical caregivers…The push to let the need for justice overwhelm the ethics of medicine is and will continue to be strong in the Boston Marathon bombing. It ought to be resisted.”
http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/billofhealth/2013/04/21/when-ethics-collide/

Keith Yandle to give ‘Martin Richard’ jersey to family of 8-year-old bombing victim
Yahoo! Sports, Nicholas Cotsonika
Last Saturday night during warm-ups, Keith Yandle of the Phoenix Coyotes wore a jersey bearing the name Martin Richard, in honor of the eight-year old boy who died in the Boston Marathon Bombing. In response to the Richard Family’s outreach, he hopes to personally deliver the jersey to them in their shared Boston hometown.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nhl–keith-yandle-to-give–martin-richard–jersey-to-family-of-8-year-old-bombing-victim-215816073.html

Boston Marathon Bombings Show Need To Learn From Others Who Are Meeting The Challenge
Forbes, Art Caplan and Lee Igel
In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing, improvements to emergency preparedness must be implemented not just by government agencies, but also by sports commissioners, leagues and teams, hospitals and public health planners. Lessons can be learned from healthcare facilities catalyzed by Katrina and Sandy, and from Israeli healthcare experts.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/leeigel/2013/04/22/boston-marathon-bombings-show-need-to-learn-from-others-who-are-meeting-the-challenge/

Tragedies in Boston’s Shadow
NYU Sports and Society, Brendan Parent
Since the Boston bombing, several catastrophes have injured and killed innocent people, but fundraising efforts show that most people care more about the marathon. Boston might have a duty to share the attention.
http://nyusportsandsociety.org/ethics/tragedies-in-bostons-shadow/