There is a delicate balance between sports and a world dealing with a military conflict in Iraq. Sports are fun, and they are a diversion for people in trying times.

When citizens enter a situation like the United States is entering now, sporting events should not be shut down. Why should sports be different than Broadway productions or music concerts doesn’t make any sense. Giving respect to the U.S. troops with a moment of silence before each game would be pertinent.

Though these moments, sporting events have a tendency to become to syrupy in these times.

Over the past two days, both the NCAA and Major League Baseball executives tussled over the idea of whether their games should go on.

While the two organizations made two different decisions, both groups made the right decision.

The NCAA decided to go on with the tournament as scheduled with no delays or cancellations. While the NCAA make the wrong decision most of the time, the governing body of college athletics, headed by President Myles Brand, seems to have made the correct decision this time.

Major League Baseball, on the other hand, decided to cancel its opening series. The difference here was that the Oakland Athletics and the Seattle Mariners were scheduled to open the baseball season in Japan.

In this case, the hesitancy of the players to go overseas and to take their families with them is understandable.

For once it seems both the NCAA and MLB managed to put two-and-two together and come up with the right choice. But people remain skeptical of athletes as they are now forced to answer questions about war instead of just their games.

During times of war, it seems some athlete spouts off and gives an answer to a question about conflict that seems completely off the wall.

The award for this has already been given to Washington Wizards back-up point guard Tyrone Lou. On Tuesday, a Washington reporter asked every Wizard his opinion on the situation in Iraq.

Lou answered this question by drawing a comparison from the Wizard’s effort to make the playoffs to the efforts of United States troops in Iraq. He said he felt the challenge the Wizards were going to have to face were similar to what the soldiers were doing, and the Wizards were going to have to battle to get into the playoffs.

This couldn’t be said any worse or at any worse of a time.

I understand he has apologized since making the comments and backed off his comments, but how can any knowledgeable American make comments such as these.

A dark cloud surrounds athletics when players who are not high profile, get the platform to speak their mind even though most people don’t want to hear it.

These athletes tend to bring other controversy onto themselves with comments like these.

Even after athletes have made themselves look bad in the past few days, I’ll still look forward to watching the NCAA tournament.