NY Giant Victor Cruz pays tribute to a Newtown victim

When New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz found out that Newtown victim Jack Pinto, 6, was a huge fan, he decided to dedicate Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons to the first-grader. Cruz, the father of an eleven-month-old girl, decorated his cleats and gloves with tributes to Jack, calling the boy his "hero." Normally, writing on uniforms or gear would be cause for a fine in the NFL, but Cruz -- and the rest of the Giants and the New York Jets, who had "SHES" written on their helmets (Sandy Hook Elementary School) -- won't be in trouble. (The Giants' playoff chances? Another story.) Jack's family has been in touch with Cruz since the weekend, offering any needed assistance, and he has promised to try and meet with them in person, even if just for a short time. He's also promised to give the Pinto family the cleats as a keepsake. If the final score of that game wasn't enough to make a Giants fan weep (present company included), then this story certainly is. (via TIME)

Photo credit: Victor Cruz on Twitter

When she isn't nerding out that the holidays are coming, Jamie is a reader at Monday Night Fan Fiction at Fontana's in Chinatown, NYC (next date: TBA, 7:00 PM). All work is original, written by the readers, so if you have a brilliant fanfic idea stuck in your head, send it via Twitter: @jamielikesthis

MORE: Entertainment • football • Jack Pinto • Newtown • nfl • NY Giants • Victor Cruz

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millie fink

Nice move on Cruz’s part.

But why is Jack’s family offering Cruz assistance, rather than the opposite?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Randy-Treibel/600212180 Randy Treibel

Sweet gesture, but the reality of this is that if the child wasn’t a Giants fan, this likely wouldn’t have happened at all. How perverse is that?
http://twitter.com/bigbadchang Chang Terhune

Fucking cynics. I saw this on CNN this morning at the gym and I was bawling my eyes out. It was an incredibly nice gesture. Good man
Andrew Singleton

People talk about the shooter getting remembered instead of the victims

This happen
People call it cynical and trying to pander.
Unpleasable people are unpleasable.

It’s a damned decent gesture. These are the names that need remembering, not the name of the crazy that did it.
bobthelob

Love Cruz – he’s a rare classy guy
damiro

I don’t visit BB expecting sports stories, so I was surprised to see this one. Then I realized that this isn’t a sports story. It’s a community story. THAT’S why I come to BB–to get connected.
As a nation right now we’re like a family at a funeral. “Good to see you, it’s been too long.” “Too bad it’s under these circumstances.”
Feels like Cruz is doing what he can, what we all want to do–comfort the bereaved in their time of need.