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Networks pull quick switches for attacks

While TV focuses on U.S. attacks, events carry on with some distracted fans and athletes.

©Associated Press

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 8, 2001

Word of Sunday's military action in which the United States attacked Afghanistan came just before the day's sports events began.

And TV networks started scrambling at the same time.

ABC's telecast of the U.S. men's World Cup soccer qualifier in Foxboro, Mass., was replaced by news coverage, and a Winston Cup race was switched from NBC to TNT.

The U.S. soccer team, which was getting ready to play Jamaica in a World Cup qualifier, saw its game removed for coverage of the events in Afghanistan.

"News has the authority to take it as long as they need it," ABC Sports spokesman Mark Mandel said in New York.

U.S. Soccer Federation spokesman Jim Moorhouse said ESPN, which like ABC is owned by Disney, might broadcast the game on tape delay. ESPN was televising the CART race at the time of the soccer match, and ESPN2 had the Houston Astros-St. Louis Cardinals game.

ABC also delayed coverage of the LPGA World Championship.

At the PGA Tour's Michelob Championship in Williamsburg, Va., a large-screen television in a public hospitality tent remained tuned to news of the U.S. attacks even after TV coverage of the tournament began at 4 p.m.

At various sports venues, the response to the attacks from athletes and fans was immediate.

At the CART race in Houston, fans sang the national anthem and heard Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA in a prerace ceremony, then a naval officer told the crowd about the readiness of America's military. "The president has launched Operation Enduring Freedom," he said.

Chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" broke out at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., before the the UAW-GM 500. News of the attack was shown on big screen televisions and fans cheered when the screen showed images from Kabul, in full view of the drivers.

Milwaukee players getting ready for their baseball game against Arizona stopped their preparations and watched President Bush's speech in silence on a TV in the clubhouse.

"We all knew it was going to happen," Brewers pitcher Mike De Jean said. "Baseball has been secondary since Sept. 11. I think we all want to get home and be with our families in times like this."

In St. Louis, Houston catcher Brad Ausmus asked everybody in the clubhouse to bow their heads for a moment of silence after their game to honor the troops, and also the victims and families of those who died in the Sept. 11 attack.

Teammate Craig Biggio said the Astros, who won the NL Central title, decided not to celebrate on the field out of respect.

"Those men and women fighting for us are the real heroes today," he said. "We appreciate what they are doing to ensure that America remains the greatest country in the world."

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