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Volume CXXXIII, Number 3 |
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Play ball! Pro teams regroup and resume games
J.P. BOX
Assistant Sports Editor
The terrorist attacks upon the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on
September 11 greatly impacted the sports world and changed the season
outlooks for players, coaches, and owners.
The Professional Golf Association (PGA) postponed the Ryder Cup, one
of the largest and most important golf tournaments of the season, for
an entire year. U.S. Captain Curtis Strange decided that it would be simply
impossible for his team to play with the United States in such chaos and
pain.
Instead, the same American team will battle with the best European players
in September of 2002. The tragedy will not be forgotten, however.
Said Strange, "Everybody will have their 2001 hats on. They will
still wear their 2001 clothes and their 2001 rain gear. That's important
to me, that this is the 2001 team and that we don't forget why were playing
a year later."
In the meantime, the PGA has resumed play with the Pennsylvania Classic
at a course only 15 miles from where one of the hijacked planes crashed.
To honor the victims and express their sorrow, each flag on the 18-hole
course will be an American flag instead of the traditional red.
Like the PGA, the National Football League has also been forced to postpone
a week of their season and scramble to make up the lost games. Although
the league originally considered playing a 15 game schedule opposed to
the usual 16, Commissioner Paul Tagliabue decided against cutting regular
season games.
However, the playoff picture is still murky because week 18, originally
reserved for the first round of the playoffs, will now host the last regular
season games. As a result, the league is searching for a plausible scenario
where 16 games and a full post season will fit together.
Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan proposed to play the first week of
the playoffs on the Wednesday after the end of the season. This format
would force some teams to play three games in eight days, a scenario that
makes many coaches and players worried.
Due to logistical concerns, pushing the postseason back one week is unlikely.
Therefore, the only other option is cut the number of teams who can make
the playoffs.
"If a team is in a wild-card race, ask those fifth and sixth-seeded
teams if they would rather play on Wednesday or not at all," said
Shanahan. With 15 weeks left in the regular season, a final decision may
not be reached for some time concerning this issue.
While the league has been debating such matters, many NFL players and
coaches have donated their time and money to help the relief effort in
New York City. For example, last week, about 35 New York Giants visited
the wreckage site to offer supplies and emotional support to the fire
fighters and others who have been working fairly continuously since the
disaster.
Finally, in the world of Major League Baseball (MLB), play resumed on
Monday after a five day lay-off with each team donning American flags
on its ball caps and jerseys. The New York Mets even wore New York Police
Department and Fire Department hats to show their support for the local
men and women fighting to save lives and dig through the rubble daily.
In a league composed of players of all nationalities, MLB has pulled
together under an umbrella of patriotism and respect. In fact, after the
Seattle Mariners won their division Wednesday night, left-fielder Mark
McLemore led his team around the base path with an American flag.
"It was just something that came together. It wasn't choreographed. I don't think I could be any prouder to be an American than I am tonight," said McLemore.