A former NLL referee, Joe Fee is now serving as an analyst both for selected New Jersey Storm radio broadcasts and for ArenaMedia Sports Network netcasts. He was in the broadcast booth for Saturday's exhibition between the New York Police Department and the Fire Department of New York, and shares his thoughts on the game.

Saturday night’s ceremonies before the New York Saints game at the Nassau Coliseum were the most moving I have ever witnessed related to the game of lacrosse. There have been box and field games in Canada and the US in honor of sick or fallen members of the lacrosse community before. They are always special because they are filled with emotion and bring out the best of those people close to the game. The magnitude of these ceremonies was overwhelming and in the end many onlookers could not keep a dry eye.

The day began with the Heroes Game between the FDNY and NYPD. The contest may not have had quite as much skill and athleticism as the one it preceded, but it had every bit as much intensity. Both teams gave it everything they had. They ran hard, showed they had plenty of ability, and played especially physical lacrosse. I found myself desperately rooting for the firefighters to tie the game just before the buzzer. I just couldn’t pull for anything but a tie. In the end, the police won by a goal, rallying from a 6-0 deficit to claim a 12-11 victory in the first NYPD/FDNY athletic contest since prior to 11 September. Their bench emptied onto the floor into a pile of celebration while throwing their sticks up in the air. The momentary disappointment of the firefighters seemed to fall away as the two teams lined up more for hugs than handshakes.

NLL File Photo   Players representing (clockwise from top) the NYPD, New York Saints, NYFD, and Calgary Roughnecks help hold the U.S. flag.

I noticed one firefighter who wore an unusual number (231) during the game. I did a double take when I checked the roster, seeing my own first initial and last name. J. Fee was the listing. I took a closer look at his jersey and it said the same thing across his back. At that point I knew I had to go talk to him. I caught up with him after the game and introduced myself. His name is John and he was wearing the number of his company. "The best company in Brooklyn!" he told me. He played at Freeport Hight School, Nassau County Community College, and then LIU-CW Post, graduating in 1984. He played well, notching a goal and three helpers. He’s still in pretty good shape at age forty.

One of his brothers, Tom, was the goalie for the team. He played at Freeport and SUNY-Farmingdale. John told me, "Tom played great!" I wasn’t counting but I think his save stats would support that. He was plenty busy trying to keep the cops out of the cage.

A third Fee brother, Frank, is also a lacrosse playing firefighter but was unable to make the game. He is a member of the elite company, Rescue One, who lost a lot of guys on 11 September. Frank and his company have been working their tails off to keep coverage up so he just couldn’t make the commitment no matter how much he wanted to play. He was actually in front of one of the buildings at the time it collapsed but he’s OK now according to John. Frank played at Freeport, Nassau, and Roanoke.

John was a friend and club ball teammate of Ronnie Kloepfer, in whose honor the game was held. The two were planning a trip to Chicago on 15 September with a group of police and firemen to celebrate Ronnie’s 40th birthday with his family and play in an annual lacrosse tournament. They also planned to see the Cubs play at Wrigley Field. John was supposed to call him after finishing a shift at 9:00 AM on 11 September. Ronnie had just come in at eight o’clock to start his shift. That call never happened with the first plane hitting just before the end of John’s shift. Later on in the week John learned that he had lost his friend in the tragedy. Ronnie worked as an emergency service cop on EFU Truck 7, an elite unit. John told me that those types of groups are kiddingly referred to as "extra stupid." That’s just a way to tease their friends who they know are extra courageous.

Ronnie was the one who wanted to get this game together between his friends in the fire department and the police force squad that he had founded. He wanted to play before a Saints game at the Coliseum. He may not have been able to play in it, but his boys gave him one hell of a game.

After my talk with John, I went back upstairs to watch the ceremonies. The Heroes were introduced as a group and they shared the floor with the New York Saints and Calgary Roughnecks for the proceedings. The Canadian national anthem was played to honor the visitors. Then the lights were dimmed and a tribute began with the images of 11 September with Sarah McLachlan’s "Angel" playing in the background. A few of the police and firefighters held opposite ends of an American flag at the center circle, gently tugging to create a wind like ripple. Several members of the Roughnecks made a touching gesture. They tossed aside their helmets, gloves, and sticks so they could go over and join the flag wavers on one open side. Some of the Saints joined in on their side as well.

For many of us who are not from New York, the images would not be quite as powerful as to those who are. I had driven up the BQE the first week of September, looking out my window to marvel at the downtown skyline. Just that recent memory was enough to intensify the impact of the events I saw then and the images I watched now. I can only imagine how the New Yorkers feel.

At the conclusion of the song, a picture of Ronnie Kloepfer was shown along with the years of his life. That brought about a tremendous ovation from the crowd. The color guards of both the NYPD and the FDNY were introduced and a member of New York’s finest sang "God Bless America" and the National Anthem to another huge ovation. I looked around at that moment and saw a lot of eyes being wiped. I had to do the same. The tribute seemed to be not only for Ronnie, but also for all of the policemen and firemen who gave their lives. That’s why it was so powerful.

The hometown Saints came back to beat the visiting Roughnecks after a poor first half. Then all the Heroes went over to a nearby watering hole to share a few drinks and talk about the night. That’s what makes this game the best. No matter how much lacrosse players pound each other in a contest, they can all hang out together and have a beer afterwards. Cheers, Ronnie! They drank to you!