With the dawning of war against Iraq Wednesday night, NBA arenas around the country halted their games to hear President Bush’s speech.

NBA games, and all other sporting events, are expected to continue as usual with few changes.

So far, Major League Baseball is the only sport that has been affected by the war. Prior to the start of the war, the MLB decided it now will begin the year in Anaheim not Tokyo.

The Mariners and Athletics were scheduled to depart Wednesday for Japan for a two-game series on March 25-26. The Cubs and Mets opened the 2000 season in Japan 2000.

“Given the uncertainty that now exists throughout the world, we believe the safest course of action for the players involved and the many staff personnel who must work the games is to reschedule the opening series,” MLB Commissioner Bud Selig told The Associated Press. “It would be unfair and terribly unsettling for them to be half a world away — away from their families at this critical juncture.”

The men’s NCAA Tournament, which begins today, is scheduled to appear on CBS; but with the war, CBS’ Viacom affiliates MTV, TNN, VH1 and Nickelodeon all have been mentioned as other stations that may host games. Recently, ESPN had been thrown into the mix as a possible option to host early-round games. CBS is expected to broadcast war coverage if developments occur.

“The emphasis now is just on being prepared,” said Assistant Director of NCAA News Kay Hawes. “No one knows just exactly what is going to happen. Games haven’t been postponed yet, and they never have been postponed.

“The closest we’ve come was when President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981 early in the day in the final [Indiana and North Carolina]. NBC made the decision to play the game.”

The host site for the men’s and women’s Final Four are considered by Hawes as highly safe.

The Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, which will host the men’s games, has been designated by the government as a National Security Event and hosted last year’s NFL Super Bowl. The Georgia Dome, which will host the women’s games, housed the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

What’s really important?

Times like these make NIU Sports Information Director Mike Korcek realize his job is unimportant in the whole scheme of things.

“The majority of stuff I do in my life is frivolous as a sports information director,” Korcek said.

Korcek, 53, served in the Army from 1970-’73 as a sports writer.

“The idea is to keep things normal in our everyday lives and to allow sports to be a diversion for people to temporarily get their minds off the war,” Korcek said.

“My dad was in World War II and I was in the Vietnam era,” Korcek said. “Here’s another generation of war, and we haven’t learned a goddamn thing.”