THE FRONT ROW with Jason Elliott Sept. 14, 2013

Sports are meant to be a distraction from the events going on around the world, if for just a few hours at a time.

On that day, it served that purpose.

JUST THREE days after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 that rocked the nation, high school football teams got back to playing for the first time around the state.

Back then, I was just starting out as a sports writer for the Shoshone News-Press, a newspaper then located in Kellogg.

On the day of the attacks, there was nothing - no events - anywhere, and that continued for a few days until some area volleyball teams played for the first time.

That Friday, the first of the high school football games kicked off.

The first game of that day involved heading to Mullan to watch the Tigers take on another team in the North Star League. Walking up to the field, you could hear the band warming up, getting ready and see that day was going to be special.

Just as the player introductions were about to complete, Mullan High quarterback Derik Stanley snatched the American flag and ran out to meet the rest of his teammates at the 50-yard line.

At that point, and after watching some similar actions at a Kellogg football game that night, it just felt like time to get back to playing.

Since then, I've seen a ton of high school games, and only a few can match the emotion that was shown on that day.

The results of those games, or even the opponents, I've long since forgotten who they were without looking them up.

This weekend, as NFL teams begin playing again, you'll see a ton of similar tributes - but not the raw emotion showed by those athletes on that night.

NOW THERE is a report of some undercover police officers that will be roaming the crowd at Seattle Seahawks home games this year.

Note to Seattle fans - they'll be dressed in 49ers gear.

Back in 2009, the last time I saw the two teams play in Seattle, I only saw a few fights.

Give fans a few more hours to tailgate for the late Sunday kickoff, and it might look more like the WWE in the parking lot than fans of either team coming to enjoy a game.

They might still end up enjoying it - just from the back of a police car.

Whatever happens, keep in mind, it's only the second week, and there's plenty of time for the season to either go uphill or take a nose dive.

Security will be heavy, but not anywhere as it was when teams around the nation returned to play in 2001.

After all, it's just a game.

Hopefully fans remember that, no matter where they're watching this weekend.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com.