Tank's Take March 21, 2003

Sports and War: Why it is important to cheer

It is one of the most powerful letters ever written, in 1942 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent a letter to Baseball Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis, giving him the go ahead to play during World War II. Written just five weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor Roosevelt stated, "I honestly feel that it would be best for the country to keep baseball going." Since it has been template used by all officials for life on the home front during wartime.

With war in Iraq starting its is easy to want to cancel the games, and just watch war coverage 24-7. However, that is not what this country is about. This country is about living our lives the America Way in good times and bad. It is important to keep the troops in our prayers as they take out a reprehensible dictator, and prevent further attacks like September 11th.

We are lucky to have a President in George W. Bush who is a leader and understands how much the world changed on that day in September. We can no longer stand back and let dictators like Saddam Hussein develop weapons of mass destruction including nuclear warheads. Unlike the Soviet Union during the Cold War these sickos will kill themselves and their families to kill Americans, with their bastardize form of Islamic extremism. We can just treat this with containment and this is a necessary war.

The USA has a great responsibility to the world we are the lone Super power, and it is our responsibility to make sure terrorism does not gain any more influence, and stop dictators like Saddam Hussein, and bring freedom around the world.

Part of that freedom is Sports. The NCAA Tournament is one of the most unique events in America. Office Pools have made the popularity of the tournament grow beyond anyone's imagination during the last 20 years. Topped only by the Super Bowl, it is the most heavily bet upon sporting event, in which even the most casual fan tries to participate with $5 per bracket pools. While its overall importance against the backdrop seems insignificant the distraction it provides helps make tense times easier.

Our troops in the Middle East like any taste of things from back home, and in down time probably a bulk of them have filled out brackets of their own. Recent history shows that Sporting events provide momentary relief for Men and Women going in and out of the battlefield.

Who can forget Thousands of troops watching Super Bowl XXV? A game that was dramatic from the start with Whitney Houston's stirring rendition of the National Anthem to Scott Norwood's missed Field Goal with 5 seconds left, as the New York Giants beat the Buffalo Bills 20-19.

Who can forget the dramatic 2001 World Series in which the New York Yankees tied back-to-back games in the 9th Inning with 2 run homers, only to have the Arizona Diamondbacks complete the upset with a 2-run rally in Game 7?

These wars we fight now are different then in 1942 when President Roosevelt wrote his "Go Ahead Letter.' Back then many of baseballs top stars either enlisted or were drafted joined in the fighting, depleting teams in Majors. Yet nothing changed a large part of 4 seasons were played without baseball's top stars like Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and Hank Greenberg.

Today baseball stars need not make that sacrifice. Why should sports fans, through technology the war is brought home with 24-hour news coverage, and for the first time there is a genuine threat of attack on the homeland. However, vigilance, and increased security measures are the answer not cowering at home. Not stopping our lives.

With new war against Iraq, Baseball was forced with a tough situation as the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners had planned a season opening trip to Japan. Commissioner Bud Selig decided to cancel those games over concerns of the long trip to Tokyo. While the likelihood of any attack on the teams, while in Tokyo was almost nil, the fact that the players would be in the air for 12 hours and so far away from home created enough concern where canceling the games was a wise decision. However, any further postponements like the NCAA Tournament would have been a mistake.

Now that the NCAA Tournament, has begun, with Opening Day just 11 days away we must keep our thoughts on the war, but that dose not mean not watching or caring about the Tournament, or the start of baseball season. The war will be successful and we can only hope it is over as quick and with as few Casualties for American and its allies as possible. However, we can still cheer for our team and care about the Tournament and baseball, as well as the NBA and NHL whose seasons' are in the home stretch, while it is going on. It is important in that it demonstrates are superior freedom, and way of life, and ultimately that will make the terrorist and dictators whose despise our freedom ultimate failures.