War In Iraq Important to See

03-25-03

I’m Chuck Wilson with an ESPN Radio Extra Point,
March is usually a month of great anticipation in sports. The NCAA Tournament field is selected, followed by upsets and buzzer-beaters, the NBA and NHL come down the home stretch, and baseball nears the regular season. It’s a good time to be a sports fan. But this year, it is different. The war in Iraq has changed that. I saw it so clearly over the weekend in my own home, one TV on the NCAA Tournament, the other on the war coverage. As much as I enjoyed the basketball games, I found myself constantly checking for the latest news from Iraq. Never before have we seen, minute-by-minute, a war unfold in such graphic detail. Because of this unprecedented reporting, it is not so easy to escape into the world of fun and games. And that’s good. Sport still has its place. But for young people especially, it is important to see on a daily basis, the sacrifice and cost of being a free people. For too long, many of us have taken our freedoms for granted.
I’m Chuck Wilson