Post by Jonel on Mar 23, 2003 17:10:33 GMT -5
Posted on Thu, Mar. 20, 2003
Sports try to create a diversion during war
LARRY LAGE
Associated Press
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Before the Detroit Pistons' Michael Curry could go to work at The Palace, he had a metal-detector wand waved around him.
Everyone attending Detroit's Thursday night game against the Philadelphia 76ers had to do the same, as security measures were added as war in Iraq headed into its second day.
"They're wanded everybody and I'm fine with that," Curry said. "Right now, my deepest thoughts and prayers go out to our troops out there and their families. Hopefully we can resolve these problems as quick as possible with as many lives being saved as possible and to accomplish the goals of our country and NATO to have peace in the Middle East.
"Basketball is so secondary right now in the world, it's just a game. They're dealing with real-life issues over there."
Players and coaches on both teams said they believed sports was serving as a useful diversion for the country, and troops in the Middle East.
"I think sports provide a good outlet for people," said Philadelphia's Eric Snow, a former Michigan State star. "People need to pray for the soldiers and their families, but they need to have fun too."
Philadelphia coach Larry Brown said he's been consumed by coverage of the war on television.
"It's hard to really focus on basketball now," Brown said. "I've been watching the news. It's pretty tough. Maybe we can do something to take people's minds off it a little bit. I think that's what sports and entertainment hopefully will do. I don't know how, but hopefully.
"I think it is something to be concerned about. We've got a lot of people over there standing up for all of us, so it's tough. But I've heard a lot of the comments from the soldiers over there and they seem to think that (sports) are a neat thing right now."
Detroit's Richard Hamilton called it "weird" to be playing basketball during a war.
"But we're giving fans and people around the world a source of entertainment," Hamilton said. "If we can take people's minds off of the very important things going on for a couple of hours, I think that helps everybody."
At the state high school basketball semifinals at Michigan State University's Breslin Center, the crowd was asked to remember "the men and women who fought to win us freedom and those fighting for it now" before an Okemos High School vocal group performed "America the Beautiful" and "The Star-Spangled Banner."
There was no moment of silence or any mention of the war before the Pistons played the 76ers. But the legendary Motown group, The Temptations, held up miniature U.S. flags when they sang the final words of the national anthem.
"I think it's important that we go about our jobs in this league," Detroit coach Rick Carlisle said. "I think sports and the NBA provide a diversion for people of our country. But at the same time, we all realize what's important is what's going on over there."
Sandy McKinzie of Lake Orion, a Pistons season-ticket holder, said Palace personnel inspected her bag in the past, but Thursday night was the first time this season she had been checked with a metal-detector wand.
"I'm kind of used the extra security measures in our lives, so I didn't think much of it," McKinzie said. "I'm happy to get away from home and get to the game because I'm tired of all the coverage on television.
"There's nothing we can do other than pray for our boys over there, so I don't see any sense in watching the news hour after hour after hour."
Courtesy of San Jose Mercury News
www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/iraq/5442612.htm
Sports try to create a diversion during war
LARRY LAGE
Associated Press
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Before the Detroit Pistons' Michael Curry could go to work at The Palace, he had a metal-detector wand waved around him.
Everyone attending Detroit's Thursday night game against the Philadelphia 76ers had to do the same, as security measures were added as war in Iraq headed into its second day.
"They're wanded everybody and I'm fine with that," Curry said. "Right now, my deepest thoughts and prayers go out to our troops out there and their families. Hopefully we can resolve these problems as quick as possible with as many lives being saved as possible and to accomplish the goals of our country and NATO to have peace in the Middle East.
"Basketball is so secondary right now in the world, it's just a game. They're dealing with real-life issues over there."
Players and coaches on both teams said they believed sports was serving as a useful diversion for the country, and troops in the Middle East.
"I think sports provide a good outlet for people," said Philadelphia's Eric Snow, a former Michigan State star. "People need to pray for the soldiers and their families, but they need to have fun too."
Philadelphia coach Larry Brown said he's been consumed by coverage of the war on television.
"It's hard to really focus on basketball now," Brown said. "I've been watching the news. It's pretty tough. Maybe we can do something to take people's minds off it a little bit. I think that's what sports and entertainment hopefully will do. I don't know how, but hopefully.
"I think it is something to be concerned about. We've got a lot of people over there standing up for all of us, so it's tough. But I've heard a lot of the comments from the soldiers over there and they seem to think that (sports) are a neat thing right now."
Detroit's Richard Hamilton called it "weird" to be playing basketball during a war.
"But we're giving fans and people around the world a source of entertainment," Hamilton said. "If we can take people's minds off of the very important things going on for a couple of hours, I think that helps everybody."
At the state high school basketball semifinals at Michigan State University's Breslin Center, the crowd was asked to remember "the men and women who fought to win us freedom and those fighting for it now" before an Okemos High School vocal group performed "America the Beautiful" and "The Star-Spangled Banner."
There was no moment of silence or any mention of the war before the Pistons played the 76ers. But the legendary Motown group, The Temptations, held up miniature U.S. flags when they sang the final words of the national anthem.
"I think it's important that we go about our jobs in this league," Detroit coach Rick Carlisle said. "I think sports and the NBA provide a diversion for people of our country. But at the same time, we all realize what's important is what's going on over there."
Sandy McKinzie of Lake Orion, a Pistons season-ticket holder, said Palace personnel inspected her bag in the past, but Thursday night was the first time this season she had been checked with a metal-detector wand.
"I'm kind of used the extra security measures in our lives, so I didn't think much of it," McKinzie said. "I'm happy to get away from home and get to the game because I'm tired of all the coverage on television.
"There's nothing we can do other than pray for our boys over there, so I don't see any sense in watching the news hour after hour after hour."
Courtesy of San Jose Mercury News
www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/iraq/5442612.htm
