Some comments on sporting events during the outbreak of war:
 
First of all, more on the cancellation of the Mercyhurst-Colgate game.  The
two teams warmed up at Starr Rink in the usual fashion, but after they left
the ice, the players, coaches, and officials were told of the events in the
Persian Gulf.  At 7:30, when the teams were scheduled to take the ice, the
announcer informed the crowd that Iraq was being bombed and that the school
officials and the players had decided that playing the game would not be
appropriate.  The crowd observed a moment of silence and then left.
 
I guess I would not have had a problem with the game being played, but under
the circumstances, I think that cancelling it was a good decision.  With
apologies to the Colgate and Mercyhurst players and fans, this contest was
not a particularly important one.  It was a non-leaguer, and since it was a
Division I vs. Division III matchup, the game would not have been a factor
in either team's chase for a title or a post-season playoff berth (yes, I
know Colgate is in tenth place).  In addition, there is not much of a
rivalry, if any, between Colgate and Mercyhurst, so frankly, this game won't
be missed much.  I suspect the announcement about the players not wanting to
play was true, which would make the game even more pointless.
 
The decision to go forward with the Northeastern-Merrimack game was not a
bad one either, except for one point:  the players should have been informed
of the outbreak of war before the game started, especially since that news
was made available to the fans.  The fact that prior knowledge of the
bombing would likely have affected the players and made the game less enjoy-
able is a moot point.  This may have been one of the most important and
historic pieces of information that the players would ever hear (obviously
far more significant than the game they were about to play), and thus they
ought to have been told immediately.  If the game had then gone on as
scheduled, fine; if it had been postponed or cancelled, fine.
 
Historically in this country, sporting events have continued on schedule in
time of war (as sort of an "escape"), and I think they should be allowed to
do so here, unless those actually involved in the events feel strongly that
it is inappropriate.  A war is not "business as usual", however (no matter
what George Bush does or says), and maybe there should be some small gesture
made at sporting events, like a moment of silence or a patch on the
uniforms.  Just a thought...
 
Bill Fenwick
Cornell '86
LET'S GO RED!!
 
"To keep your marriage brimming,
 With love in the loving cup,
 Whenever you're wrong, admit it;
 Whenever you're right, shut up."
-- Ogden Nash, "A Word to Husbands"