It was a refreshing change to get back to covering sports again this week. You know the stuff: Mariners top White Sox, 'Niners stuff Pats, Habs ice Leafs, and so on.
In the wake of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. early last week, it seems all we had to pass on to the readers was which event was canceled, which games were delayed.
Reaction to the horrible events of Sept. 11 was seemingly universal -- with the possible exception of a few idiots celebrating in the streets of the West Bank and Gaza.
Condemnation, disgust, anger, shock. Throughout most of the world, people struggled to understand how such a horrific act could be perpetrated in the name of God -- any God -- on such a large group of innocent human beings.
Where many people did have differing views, however, was on the subject of recovery, the best method of getting past these events and moving on with life.
While everyone I've spoken to has felt that some sort of tribute to the victims was most definitely appropriate -- mandatory, in fact -- people have been split pretty much 50-50 on whether the actual sporting events themselves should have proceeded or been postponed after the massive carnage.
Naturally, from a logistics standpoint alone, many facilities in the New York area would have been inaccessible immediately after the attacks on the World Trade Center.
But all across North America -- from San Diego to Montreal -- sports fans and the athletes they worship were grappling with the best way to show their support and sympathy for the families and friends of the dead and injured. To play, or not play; that was the question.
And perhaps never before have two opposing viewpoints both been so correct and well-intentioned, so above reproach.
Some argued that to play on would fail to show the proper respect and honor owed the victims.
Others pointed out that the best way to show the terrorists that their callous attempts to disrupt American life were in vain would be a business-as-usual approach.
And besides, what better than an afternoon at the ballpark to take one's mind off the grisly destruction in New York and Washington, if only for a few hours.
Some who decided to press on dedicated their events to the deceased. Cycling, motorcycling and auto racing victory ceremonies skipped the traditional champagne-spraying antics on the podium.
The Ferraris of Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello bore black nose cones at the Italian Formula One Grand Prix, while the inaugural CART race in Europe had its name changed to the American Memorial 500.
In a cruel twist of fate, two-time CART champion Alex Zanardi was involved in a spectacular crash during the race and had to have both his legs amputated.
In America's favorite pastime alone, the reactions varied greatly. Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said the first fax he got the day after the terrorist attacks was from an irate fan who "thought we'd been gone too long (without baseball) already."
St. Louis Cardinals outspoken slugger Mark McGwire, on the other hand, expressed outrage that Selig and his cohorts at MLB central took a few days to consider their options before finally deciding to call off all games through the weekend, a choice he felt should have been obvious right off the bat.
"I feel ashamed we're even talking about it," Big Mac told a St. Louis Dispatch reporter.
While valid arguments could be made for each side, let's face it, if you had just lost a father, brother, son or daughter in the rubble of New York, the resumption of professional baseball was likely pretty low on your list of priorities.
The point is that there was -- and is -- no "proper," and certainly no adequate, way of dealing with the aftermath of such a gruesome tragedy.
And for that reason alone, any and all efforts made to remember and honor the victims of these crimes should be accepted for what they are: an attempt to remember and honor the victims.
There's no right way to do it, and no wrong way either.