NEW YORK - Bowl games serve as a reward for college football teams and often as vacation destination for fans, with warm-weather sites hoping to fill stadiums and hotel rooms. Along the way, players are treated to the sites and sounds of the host city.
For the Gophers and Syracuse, who'll meet in the Pinstripe Bowl on Thursday at Yankee Stadium, festive activities since their Sunday arrivals include a night at Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes, a visit to Rockefeller Center and Tuesday night's game between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden.
Tuesday morning, though, coach P.J. Fleck and his Gophers had an appearance filled with reflection and education when they visited the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, and made a stop at the top of the One World Observatory.
Their visit began with the observatory, as players and coaches marveled at the views of the city and surrounding area from 100 stories — some 1,268 feet — into the sky.
From there, the Gophers moved outdoors on the brisk, mid-20-degree morning to the Sept. 11 memorial. There they viewed its two reflecting pools representing the World Trade Center towers and stamped with names of the 2,977 people who died in the 2001 terrorists attacks on New York, the Pentagon and those who died on United Airlines Flight 93.
Gophers senior linebacker Mariano Sori-Marin was moved by the magnitude of what he was seeing.
"It's really difficult to put into words, especially being out here in the fountains,'' he said. "Getting a sense of how much people had to sacrifice. All the men and women, the first responders, that were a part of this tragedy — it really makes you feel small in a sense because there is so much sacrifice and so many things bigger out there.
"It is really somber. To see this with your teammates is really special. This is something we'll remember forever — to experience this and see everything.''
Sori-Marin also spoke about how each name on the memorial carries a narrative with it.
"I was talking to Derik LeCaptain, and we were talking about how each person has a story. What did each person go through?'' Sori-Marin said. "They were mothers, brothers, fathers. For them to be names on this is breathtaking because you really don't understand what their story was and what they went through that day.''
The Gophers concluded their visit with the museum tour, in which they viewed exhibits focusing on what happened that September day.
Before Tuesday's excursions, Sori-Marin and a few teammates found time Monday for what he called a "Food Tour Extravaganza.''
"We were in West Village, SoHo, Chinatown,'' he said. "We were able to experience all the different parts of the city and try different foods.''
His favorite?
"I've got to go Don Angie in West Village,'' Sori-Marin said of the popular Italian restaurant. "It was really difficult to get into. We had to wait 35 minutes outside in line in the cold just to get a spot when they opened. That was really cool.''
Come Thursday, the focus will be on football, and Sori-Marin is doing all he can to enjoy his last collegiate experience.
"The bowl prep's been a blast. This whole month, being able to spend with our teammates and continue to practice and get better,'' he said. "Now, we're finally out at the bowl site. It's just a really great opportunity for our football team. To be able to spend one last week in New York City together is really special, because it's a beautiful time during the holidays in the Big Apple.''
