Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Saturday
Could Sporting Events Be Canceled if U.S. Goes to War?
Aired March 08, 2003 - 17:55 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: There's a whole lot that just might be interrupted in the event there is a war, everything from the Oscars to, of course, sports. A lot of sports fans are looking forward to the college basketball championship tournament, which is just a few weeks away.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Exactly, and opening day for Major League Baseball follows soon after that, and both to be halted if battle plans for Iraq do go forward. CNN's Matt Morrison says it wouldn't be the first time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT MORRISON, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): June 6, 1944, and September 11, 2001. On those dates, the sporting worlds came to a halt. Major League Baseball decided to cancel its games on D-Day to await the outcome of the allied invasion, and all sporting events shut down for a week when terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center and attacked the Pentagon. But at all other moments of crisis, Americans have continued to play their games.
LOU PINIELLA, DEVIL RAYS MANAGER: It's a diversion. It's a soothing, easing of the mind, getting away from the stark reality that our young kids are out fighting a war, defending our country. It's a difficult thing. You can't change what you do, whether you're in the business world or whether you're in sports. You come out, do it to the best of your ability, with the realization that what's happening abroad is certainly the important issue of the day. But what else can you do? I mean, life goes on.
MORRISON: While the U.S. has fought its wars on foreign soil over the last century, 9/11 proved that the home front was vulnerable to attack, and sports leagues have had to make plans for increased security and safety.
On February 7, the country was put on a heightened state of alert for a terrorist attack. That also happened to be the first day of the NBA's All-Star weekend, but the league was confident enough with its improved security measures to move forward with its showcase event.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's an awesome responsibility. We're doing it, to some degree, without having a very specific notion of when, where, how, but you have to add the extra expense of all the precautions that employers and event stagers do, and hope for the best. MORRISON: Some athletes will face difficult decisions in the coming days and weeks. Tiger Woods decided not to travel to the Middle East this week to play gulf in Dubai. And later this month, Washington, D.C. will host the world figure skating championships, a high profile event that could find international athletes in the capital of a nation waging a controversial war.
For CNN Sports, I'm Matt Morrison.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired March 8, 2003 - 17:55 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: There's a whole lot that just might be interrupted in the event there is a war, everything from the Oscars to, of course, sports. A lot of sports fans are looking forward to the college basketball championship tournament, which is just a few weeks away.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Exactly, and opening day for Major League Baseball follows soon after that, and both to be halted if battle plans for Iraq do go forward. CNN's Matt Morrison says it wouldn't be the first time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT MORRISON, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): June 6, 1944, and September 11, 2001. On those dates, the sporting worlds came to a halt. Major League Baseball decided to cancel its games on D-Day to await the outcome of the allied invasion, and all sporting events shut down for a week when terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center and attacked the Pentagon. But at all other moments of crisis, Americans have continued to play their games.
LOU PINIELLA, DEVIL RAYS MANAGER: It's a diversion. It's a soothing, easing of the mind, getting away from the stark reality that our young kids are out fighting a war, defending our country. It's a difficult thing. You can't change what you do, whether you're in the business world or whether you're in sports. You come out, do it to the best of your ability, with the realization that what's happening abroad is certainly the important issue of the day. But what else can you do? I mean, life goes on.
MORRISON: While the U.S. has fought its wars on foreign soil over the last century, 9/11 proved that the home front was vulnerable to attack, and sports leagues have had to make plans for increased security and safety.
On February 7, the country was put on a heightened state of alert for a terrorist attack. That also happened to be the first day of the NBA's All-Star weekend, but the league was confident enough with its improved security measures to move forward with its showcase event.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's an awesome responsibility. We're doing it, to some degree, without having a very specific notion of when, where, how, but you have to add the extra expense of all the precautions that employers and event stagers do, and hope for the best. MORRISON: Some athletes will face difficult decisions in the coming days and weeks. Tiger Woods decided not to travel to the Middle East this week to play gulf in Dubai. And later this month, Washington, D.C. will host the world figure skating championships, a high profile event that could find international athletes in the capital of a nation waging a controversial war.
For CNN Sports, I'm Matt Morrison.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
