War May Postpone NCAA Tourney

March 18, 2003 9:07 AM

War May Postpone NCAA Tourney. Yes, it's true. College basketball's most anticipated event may be delayed, due to the impending war. Maybe that's a good thing. I would be absolutely screaming at the television if with 30 seconds left in regulation, a "breaking news" story overtook the screen.
posted by wondergirl (26 comments total)

We should combine the events - let's play a pick up game with Hussein's Special Forces.
posted by DenOfSizer at 9:09 AM on March 18, 2003

Oh wow... now it looks like I care more about basketball than I do about the war... which isn't true. Hockey, maybe. Basketball, no way.

But, in my defense, I'm talking about those "breaking news" stories that don't really tell you any news. Just a bunch of talking heads.

Okay. Point clarified.
posted by wondergirl at 9:09 AM on March 18, 2003

We should combine the events - let's play a pick up game with Hussein's Special Forces.

I used to go to the Model United Nations in high school, and the last day was always craziest. A resolution was ratified that declared all wars must now only be fought with Nerf equipment and Super Soakers.
posted by wondergirl at 9:12 AM on March 18, 2003

I care! I really do.

Oh, wait a second. It appears that, in fact, I don't give a rats ass.

I say cancel and let's get on with something someone cares about. Like lacrosse or womens mud wrestling.

Or something.
posted by damnitkage at 9:25 AM on March 18, 2003

...sigh.

More proof that sports and Metafilter just don't mix well.
posted by moses at 9:33 AM on March 18, 2003

There's always this.
posted by trox at 9:39 AM on March 18, 2003

[sarcasm] At least that basketball game is an +- even competition [/sarcasm]
posted by elpapacito at 9:41 AM on March 18, 2003

i like to throw ball
do you like to throw ball?
posted by Outlawyr at 9:47 AM on March 18, 2003

I'm not surprised. I'm not sure which network is carrying the tourney, but its expressly against their interests to broadcast it in competition with the war. The tourney is, obviously, a big advertising money maker, and making it compete with war coverage is a waste of a big resource. Ticket holders may also be dissuaded from attending by orange-alert terrorism fears. Not to mention that, if there is some attack, large or small, tranportation could become a major headache, both for people involved with the event and attendees.
posted by gsteff at 9:50 AM on March 18, 2003

...sigh.

More proof that sports and Metafilter just don't mix well.

Quite frankly, nothing and MeFi seems to be mixing well these days.
posted by JaxJaggywires at 9:53 AM on March 18, 2003

Why don't we just cancel anything fun for the next month? We should all be thinking about Saddam and war and weapons of mass destruction and evil, all the time. Why don't we just cancel life?
posted by raysmj at 9:56 AM on March 18, 2003

Quite frankly, nothing and MeFi seems to be mixing well these days.

That seems to be so true.
posted by wondergirl at 10:15 AM on March 18, 2003

you think that's bad?

The start of production on "Mad Max: Fury Road" with Mel Gibson has been delayed by the possibility of military action against Iraq.

no blood for celluloid!
posted by mcsweetie at 10:18 AM on March 18, 2003

Quite frankly, nothing and MeFi seems to be mixing well these days.

MeFites are media gluttons. Recent news has been monotonous, depressing and divisive. Its not just MeFi. I think things will perk up here when Iraq stops dominating the headlines.

Anyway, if delays force the NCAA to shorten the duration of the tourney by, say, knocking out Duke, then I'm all for it.
posted by gsteff at 10:31 AM on March 18, 2003

Frankly, I've been so happy to concentrate on something besides this impending insanity that the only news that's really outraged me has been the possibility of delay. Destroy the UN, NATO, and all of our transatlantic alliances if you will, but when he delays March Madness Bush has gone TOO FAR.
posted by norm at 10:47 AM on March 18, 2003

I dont follow college basketball, so it doesn't mean that much to me. But if there's going to be War coverage on dozens of other channels anyway, then why not have some game coverage for a couple hours each day?
posted by stifford at 11:11 AM on March 18, 2003

With the broadcast networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS) and the cable news channels (CNN, MSNBC, FOX) we will have NINE channels of war coverage. It shouldn't be a big deal for one network to continue broadcasting the tournament. It certainly wouldn't impair our access to news.
posted by erogers at 11:21 AM on March 18, 2003

This is good news for me: I have a c-note on the terrorists winning.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 11:27 AM on March 18, 2003

maybe... if the network carrying the NCAA tournament wanted to attract viewers and not be sidelined by the other networks that are covering the war, each NCAA tournament team could be given a war related team name. Who wouldn't tune into see if the Saddamites beat the Dubyahs?
posted by wondergirl at 11:36 AM on March 18, 2003

DenOfSizer:

We should combine the events - let's play a pick up game with Hussein's Special Forces.

How bout George W. vs. Saddam in the ultimate ALL NUDE OIL WRESTLING GRUDGE MATCH!

Who wouldn't want to see that?
posted by mark13 at 1:59 PM on March 18, 2003

Mark13:
Hell yeah! Perverts in the Desert! Rude, nude and totally Crude! Thanks for the image.
posted by DenOfSizer at 2:11 PM on March 18, 2003

Man... Of all the things that might make me rescind my support of the war...
posted by gyc at 2:35 PM on March 18, 2003

And here I was feeling all shallow because I'm wondering how all this is gonna affect American Idol.
(/tongue in cheek)
posted by konolia at 2:52 PM on March 18, 2003

Is anyone else fed up with the government and the media's characterizations of us as chicken$hit cowards? It has to be that... as I don't know a single person that altered his or her routine in New York in the 18 months following 9/11 (after that first month, of course where preactically everyone's routine went to hell), despite scores of panicky terrorist attack warnings from DHS.

Not that I give a hoot in hell about March madness, unless I've committed beaucoup bucks to the office pool, but come on, already. Cancel it because of the "war" in Iraq? Ridiculous. Business has to go on as usual... otherwise we're never going to get out of this f#cking recession.

/rant
posted by psmealey at 4:44 PM on March 18, 2003

"war", psmealey??? War. Think it just or not, but don't doubt the fact it's a fucking war. The shock and awe we're about to release is something you probably lack the frame of reference to imagine unless you were within a mile of the towers that September day and probably not even then. The amount of ordinance the military is talking about unleashing on Baghdad the first day will be tantamount to dozens or hundreds of suicide airliners inexorably barreling into their targets in the course of 24-48 hours. What if the planes just didn't stop coming? What if it was the WTC, then the Empire State, then all the TV stations, then Times Square, then the power grid, then... you don't know what then because you're cut off. THAT'S what we're about to do to Baghdad.

Sorry if you might miss one year's tourney, I know it'd be a real hardship, but don't worry...it's just a ploy to make sure people tune in. They know they can count on somebody to puff out their chest and insist that they're not going to change a damn thing about their lives no matter what crazy, crazy shit is going on.
posted by brantstrand at 11:13 PM on March 18, 2003

Let's hope they cancel it so we can claim a real benefit to baby shrub's big temper tantrum
posted by Blubble at 9:35 AM on March 19, 2003