flags on our uni's

[Mark Padgett]

My buddy Juulie asks what politics has to do with basketball. During normal times, practically nothing. During a war, politics has to do with everything. Make no mistake about it, we are at war.

Yes, it's true that during times of war, some civil liberties are suppressed in interests of national security, so that we can win the war and then continue with those hard-fought civil liberties. The operative words there are "hard-fought."

OK, having said that, do I really believe that requiring basketball officials to wear a flag patch furthers our national security interests? Of course not. But that's not the point. I believe the point is that it's important for the governing officials association to demonstrate that the playing of the game is put into perspective. What I mean is that - while we are playing a game - we have not forgotten there is something going on that is infinitely more important and that we recognize that. To my mind, that is the significance of wearing the flag patch - to indicate that I have not lost sight of the real news. I think this is what an association is trying to convey.

After all, it's just a game.