OK, I understand the New York City Marathon was cancelled this past Sunday because "vital resources, such as police, were needed to help in the recovery, not working a running event." I know the NYC area was devastated by the storm, especially New Jersey. But can someone explain to me why a huge event, the NFL Football game between the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers, was played on schedule Sunday at .... hmmmm, where do the New York Giants play? Yeah, at The Meadowlands, in New Jersey, with 60,000 citizens/fans in attendance. The 40,000 or less runners (many stayed home) in the marathon would have been a smaller and much more easily managed crowd. I just heard Tom Jackson on ESPN, talking about Sunday's Giants-Steelers game say, and I quote, "Those 3 hours of football made a lot of people feel better in the New York area." I guess the 3-5 hours of the marathon would not have made people feel better, only reason I can see for cancellation. I believe a great majority of the "outraged citizens against allowing the marathon to go on" were clearly not runners, but they were big NFL fans, as the big-bucks NFL played on. I am curious as to why the Giants could not have flown to Pittsburgh for their game, thereby freeing up needed resources in the relief effort in the New Jersey area. I love my NFL. But if you are going to cancel an event as premier as the NYC Marathon, you need to cancel or move the other scheduled sporting events as well.

Pat Smith

Bellingham