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March 24, 2003
War, sports make strange brew at pubs
By RAY WEISS | News-Journal Staff Writer
DAYTONA BEACH — Chris Dover sat in the sports bar watching alma mater Oklahoma State battle Syracuse University in the NCAA basketball tournament.
Every so often, he glanced up at a smaller TV at the Oyster Pub, checking on the latest news from Iraq, where the battle is no game.
“It´s tough to decide which TV to look at,” said Dover, 33, who lives in a small town near Oklahoma City. “I don´t want to miss the game. But I don´t want to miss what´s going on in the war.”
The combination of college basketball games, a NASCAR race and the war provided a very strange emotional cocktail at area taverns on Sunday.
On one TV, Dover saw Oklahoma State lose. On the other, he saw CNN report on the capture of American soldiers.
“I have mixed emotions,” Dover said, as he sat beside his father, who lives in Flagler Beach.
As always, sports provided a diversion during a crisis for many local people.
Jason Kaleta, the manager of Beef O´Brady´s in DeLand, said only a few of the 40 TVs in his place were tuned to the cable news networks covering the war. He said customers were more interested in the games.
“They´re not watching it,” Kaleta said of the war. “I think everyone´s pretty much burned out on it.”
At Daytona Ale House, Sean Jackson, a senior at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and his girlfriend, Natasha Arnall, were among the few exceptions.
Their eyes shifted between a TV that broadcast the race and one that showed the war.
“I came for the race. (Dale) Earnhardt Jr.´s my man,” Jackson said, sipping a beer. “But every chance I get, I watch the war coverage. So far, I think we´re doing a good job.”
Jackson, who is in the Army ROTC, will enter the service as an officer soon.
“In four weeks, I get commissioned. I´m waiting on my orders now,” he said. “I can´t wait to graduate.”
Arnall, who lives in Atlanta, said she had “mixed feelings” about the war, but follows the coverage every chance she gets.
“I listened to it on the radio on the entire drive down,” she said, staring at the TV above the bar that was tuned to CNN. “I´m really glad they have it on here.”