ON THE MARK.

THE MARATHON: 26 MILES OF BROKEN ROAD.
 I'm glad I never took up marathon running because had I, it's possible that I might've been in Boston yesterday as a participant, or maybe as a spectator watching a friend or a loved one cross the finish line and achieve their goal.  Fortunately, nobody in my circle of influence is either a participant or a spectator.  And since my kids don't go to school in Boston and I don't know anybody there except for a few journalists, I'm not as affected as some by yesterday's carnage.  But I will be. It's unavoidable.  As of today, I am officially afraid to attend live sporting events in certain places.   I will not attend a game at Yankee Stadium or anywhere else in New York.  I won't be going to the All-Star game, the World Series, or the Super Bowl.  My plans to attend the Kentucky Derby have been cancelled.   Ditto for the Indianapolis 500.  I should feel safe the next time I go to the Rogers Centre, or Coca Cola Field in Buffalo, or Copps Coliseum in Hamilton.  I mean, who would want to bomb those places?
     But now that one of the world's greatest and longest-standing sporting events has been the target of a senseless bombing, is anybody really safe?   If I lived in Boston, I don't think I'd want to attend a Red Sox or Bruins or Celtics game anytime soon.  Same for New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.   In London, I might be a little shaky, what with Margaret Thatcher's funeral and the London Marathon scheduled for this week.  But, really, how can you avoid big crowds if you take public transit or work in an office building or go to a convention or a concert or a sporting event.  The Boston Marathon is one of those events that features thousands of participants and HUNDREDS of thousands of spectators, volunteers, support workers, EMS workers and passersby.  This event gets worldwide coverage every Patriots Day, the third Monday in April.  Nearly 100 countries have representatives running in the Boston Marathon.  If ever there was a time when the entire world was watching, yesterday would've been that time.   It could've been terrorists.  It could've been one person acting alone.  It could've been Jihadists.  It could've a crazed individual like Timothy McVey or the Unabomber.  It could've been an angry American taxpayer (April 15th is Tax Day in the U.S.).
       What the bombings will do is make every citizen think twice before heading to the arena or the ballpark.  Security will now be on full alert.  That cursory examination of your bag or your backpack will now end up including a full body cavity search, complete with a 3D X-Ray to make certain that you don't have a bomb strapped to your person.  Think of the amount of time it takes to get through airport security these days, and apply that to a sporting event.   You'll have to arrive at the game 90 minutes before starting time in order to get through security.  Not something I'd be looking forward to.  No doubt professional sports will suffer.  Fewer tickets will be sold, which means teams will have to find other ways to generate revenue.  TV ratings will likely be strong because people like myself might be more apt to stay home and watch the game on TV rather than going through the hassle of heightened security.
    And what of the Boston Marathon?   Will next year's runners all wear black armbands?  Will next year's field be as large or as enthusiastic as this year's was prior to the blast?  Will every April 15th be recognized, not only as Jackie Robinson Day in baseball, but the day two bombs shattered the innocence of this American institution?  Those questions have yet to be answered, but one thing is for certain.   Those 26 miles and 385 yards of the Boston Marathon will forever be run on the broken roads of a city that didn't deserve this, especially on Patriots Day.