On the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, ESPN will explore how sports helped the nation heal following one of the darkest days in U.S. history.

Produced in conjunction with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York, the E:60 presentation of Comeback Season – Sports After 9/11 will air Tuesday night, Sept. 11, at 4 p.m. today on ESPN, anchored by Mike Greenberg.

The 90-minute program will include interviews, features and memories from athletes, coaches, families and others whose stories marked key emotional milestones in sports following the 9/11 attacks.

The program features interviews from an event produced by ESPN in conjunction with the Museum to help launch the special exhibition “Comeback Season: Sports After 9/11,” which is now open to the public.

A look inside the exhibit will also be part of the program.

Among sports figures appearing in the program:

  • Former New York Rangers captain Mark Messier.
  • Former New York Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde and former coach Herm Edwards.
  • Former New York Giants players Howard Cross and Amani Toomer.
  • Former New York Yankees manager Joe Torrre.
  • Former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine.
  • Former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.
  • Former U.S. Women’s National Team members Kate (Sobrero) Markgraf and Julie Foudy.
  • Former New England Patriots offensive guard Joe Andruzzi, whose three brothers were NYC firefighters on 9/11.The program also will include a portion of the ESPN 30 for 30 short film “First Pitch,” detailing the night President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch for Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium in October of 2001.Among other elements:
  • A look back at the Army-Navy game of Dec. 1, 2001, including new interviews with two players who were part of an iconic moment after the game.
  • How the New York City Marathon on Nov. 4, 2001, contributed to the city’s healing.
  • The specially-produced Budweiser commercial that aired in the 2002 Super Bowl with the Budweiser Clydesdales kneeling in respect toward New York City. The commercial has only aired once.
  • An essay on the broad impact of sports after 9/11 by ESPN the Magazine writer Tom Junod, with a longer version of the piece to appear in the magazine.
  • “Still New York,” a musical tribute by New York artist MAX, will close the program.

Prior to the program, the 3 p.m. edition of SportsCenter will include some additional elements related to 9/11, including an airing of reporter Tom Rinaldi’s Emmy-winning 2011 SC Featured piece “The Man in the Red Bandana.” The feature remembers Welles Crowther, a former Boston College lacrosse player who led people to safety after terrorists struck the World Trade Center on 9/11. His trademark was a red bandana.

Comeback Season will re-air on ESPN2 at 6:30 p.m. tonight and both airings also will stream on the ESPN App.

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