Sports should be stopped because of war?

http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | With a war in Iraq imminent, the sports world isn't adjusting its schedules just yet. .

The week's biggest event is the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament and it appears that the event will tip off as scheduled on Thursday.

Major League Baseball is supposed to open the season in Japan next week and again, it appears that both Oakland and Seattle will be flying to Asia as scheduled.

But there is one event that is still on that may very easily be canceled. The Dubai World Cup, thoroughbred racing's richest event, is still on the schedule for March 29 and organizers still except a good number of American entries.

This race is a go despite the US State Department issuance of a terrorism alert that Americans should avoid Dubai nightclubs. Also, Dubai isn't very far from the military action.

Sports plays through a war. After all President Franklin D. Roosevelt did not stop baseball during World War II for morale purposes, and it should be no different this time around except maybe in Dubai.

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JWR contributor Evan Weiner is a radio commentator on "The Business of Sports" for Westwood One's Metro Networks. He is being presented with the United States Sports Academy's Distinguished Service Award for 2003. Comment on this column by clicking here.

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