In War, the N.C.A.A. Should Stop the Show

New York Times ^ | March 24, 2003 | William C. Rhoden

[RayChuang88]

NORMALLY, Monday is one of the great days of the N.C.A.A. tournament. People are buzzing — about upsets and surprises, great performances and flops.

But this Monday comes after the most unsettling four days I've experienced in 17 years of covering the tournament. The lingering images are not buzzer-beaters — and there were many — but news flashes: images of soldiers exchanging fire, buildings being demolished, lives altered and lost.

The N.C.A.A. tournament is one of the great sporting events of the year, but this tournament should have been canceled.

[RayChuang88]

Rhoden has to be kidding about this.

Such an act would have been defeatism at its very worst. I mean, did we cancel sporting events after the 9/11 attacks? (Of course not--they were postponed, not cancelled.) Also, Rhoden did not read from history, where on Franklin D. Roosevelt's personal suggestion Major League Baseball continued to play right through World War II, though of course with most of the regular players off to war.

Besides, our men and women in uniform serving in the Persian Gulf now are WANTING the NCAA tournament to continue as a reminder of home and as a diversion from the realities of war.

[Sir Gawain]

His team must've lost.

[Peach]

The NCAA should be cancelled but the Oscars should go on, right? hmmm

[rs79bm]

The N.C.A.A. tournament is one of the great sporting events of the year, but this tournament should have been canceled.

I respectfully disagree.

[MtHLancerFan]

The N.C.A.A. tournament is one of the great sporting events of the year,

That's exactly why it should continue. I've not watched much TV in the last couple of days because it's all war, all the time. The NCAA tourney would be a great way to escape for a bit.

[ml/nj]

NORMALLY, Monday is one of the great days of the N.C.A.A. tournament. People are buzzing — about upsets and surprises, great performances and flops.

That's how it was for me. The Times should hire guys who can walk and chew gum.

But this Monday comes after the most unsettling four days I've experienced in 17 years of covering the tournament.

After the amazing Arizona-Gonzaga finish on Saturday night I thought of my Best Man's son who is a student at Arizona, and I sent him an email. To my surprise and delight I found out that he is covering the basketball team for the school newspaper. He was in Spokane, and he will be traveling with the team as far as they go. There was nothing "unsettling" in his email of the two columns of his I checked out on the Internet.

Maybe The Times should get rid of its tired old reporters and pick up some guys who love what they do?

ML/NJ

[hole_n_one]

While FRee Republic is not a sports forum, generally there is a thread in place for most major sporting events......this year however, other than the selection of the 65 team field, I don't think there has been a single post made to this forum related to the tournament.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

The N.C.A.A. tournament is one of the great sporting events of the year, but this tournament should have been canceled.

For the love of pete! Why? In war or in peace, life goes on. It isn't all sorrow or grim reports from the front lines. We need to be reminded of that.

[GOP_Raider]

Mine did....unfortunately. :(

[WellsFargo94]

You are on Crack!!! I hope you are kidding. We live for this sort of stuff. When we are deployed we expect things like this to take place it reminds us of home and gives us something to look forward to.

[WellsFargo94]

that was ment for William Rohden

[Eva]

I agree. I see no reason to rob these kids of an experience of a life time just because most of us are distracted by the war. Cancelling the NCAA tournament would be like Jimmy Carter keeping our Olympic team at home.

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

Anybody who's a regular viewer of ESPN's Sports Reporters on Sunday mornings will recognize Rhoden as a whiny, uber-liberal, Jessie Jackson wannabe who sees everything in life within the blinders of his own racism. In fact, I'm surprised he didn't throw in a little Charlie Rangel or John Conyers "It's the white devils' fault" garbage in this gagger.

[sullivan-fan]

Good point. I'm surprised he didn't call for the return of the draft, echoing Rangel.

[PrincessB]

What a load of crap. I recommend that everyone check out Michael Wilbon's column from Thursday or Friday (can't remember) in the Washington Post. Excellent arguement for playing.

[rintense]

I enjoyed watching my Spartans kick Florida's sorry #2 butt more than Michael Moore's rant against America.

[CyberAnt]

This is ridiculous - There is nothing unpatriotic about watching a basketball game or a NASCAR race. We all need to take a few minutes off and LIVE!