Twelve years ago after Penn lost a 12-point decision at Saint Joseph's Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, the teams assembled for interviews as usual.
Next door, George Bush addressed the nation on television, speaking of the recent decision to declare war against Iraq.
The two athletic directors received word of the declaration at 7 p.m. and elected to play the game.
"That was kind of eery as well, because of the greater importance of life versus an athletic event, as it is here," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said of the game in 1991.
After announcing the possibility of delaying the tournament this past Monday night, NCAA president Myles Brand announced yesterday that games will go on as scheduled, even if the United States is at war.
Penn is set to take on Oklahoma State in Boston Friday afternoon.
With the question of delay still influx yesterday during practice, members of the basketball team expressed complete trust in those making the decisions. The team continued to practice, however, as if everything were normal.
Neither the NBA nor the NHL announced the possibility of canceling games, and Dunphy mentioned that he doesn't "think there should be any difference" in the decision-making processes of the NCAA and professional leagues.
"I would hope that all the people in charge of gathering people in one large place ought to be talking about how to handle this situation," he added.
The Quakers depart today on a chartered bus after initially entertaining the possibility of traveling by plane to Boston.
The election to take a bus stems not from concerns over plane safety, but rather, convenience -- if the team were to travel by air, it would be forced to unload the bus several times on both ends of the trip. The former uncertainties of even playing the game and subsequent ticket concerns also affected the decision to take the bus.
Penn junior Jeff Schiffner is particularly happy with the bus, as he is "not a great flyer."
The Quakers guard sees the tournament as an opportunity to keep people's minds on everyday life, but at the same time, he is aware of possible safety concerns.
"I think sports has always helped the country in a time of war," he said. "I think it gives you perspective, and I think that with that perspective, you play even harder."
Fellow starting guard Tim Begley was a bit more cautious.
"Basketball isn't the biggest deal in the world, so pushing the games back until things smooth over a little bit wouldn't be the worst thing in the world," the sophomore said. "At the same time, the NCAA has to make some decisions, and I'm glad I'm not in their shoes because it's a touchy subject."
Point guard Andrew Toole also expressed that "as an athlete, [he wants] to play," but Brand is making the decision with the best interests of everyone involved in the NCAA Tournament.
With conflicting opinions nationwide about the decision, Dunphy reflected that it didn't matter what he felt about the situation -- he trusts that government officials such as Tom Ridge would make the most informed decisions and relay them to Brand.
"I would almost like to find a way to poll all the people who are over there," Dunphy posed. "What would you rather us do? Or how do you think we should handle this?"
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