Play Is Stopped

Everything was suspended Tuesday, from belief to the ballgames.

Sport has always had a way of easing us through national disasters and calamity, yet Tuesday was different. Tuesday was bleak and dreary and it seemed only appropriate that our ballparks be as dark as our collective spirit.

The Dodgers were going to begin a 19-game sprint to the finish, still alive in the National League divisional and wild-card races. It said so in the papers.

But none of it happened. No balls, no strikes, no boos, or cheers. The Seattle Mariners’ magic number still is two. The Dodgers didn’t play the San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giant star Barry Bonds did not continue his chase of Mark McGwire’s home run record.

There was no football practice at UCLA or USC, no soccer, no swimming of laps--no roaring engines at raceways, no dust kicked up by thoroughbred horses. Talk of basketball star Michael Jordan’s imminent return to the NBA was suddenly pushed to the outer reaches of insignificance.

The sporting world, like our airports, shut down as a nation mourned the loss of life in the almost surreal attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon and our consciousness.

Some security experts said the cancellations were an appropriate symbol of national mourning. Others said it was a mistake.

“If we start canceling sporting events, the terrorists have won,” said Bob Disney, chairman of a company in Alexandria, Va., that advises businesses on improving security. “That’s exactly what they’re trying to do--intimidate us and shut us down.”

The games will go on later--they always do--but they did not go on Tuesday. Major league baseball went into a state of limbo. NFL offices went dark as league bosses pondered what to do about the weekend.

Presidents and college commissioners met on conference calls and discussed whether to play or suspend this weekend’s slate of football games. Late Tuesday afternoon, the Pacific 10 Conference announced all weekend games would be postponed, among those UCLA’s home game against Arizona State on Saturday and two East Coast events: California at Rutgers and Washington at Miami.

USC has a bye this weekend.

“I can’t see putting people on planes this weekend,” Assistant Pac-10 Commissioner Jim Muldoon said. Two Thursday night football games involving Atlantic Coast Conference schools were also postponed.

A rundown by sport:

Baseball

Fifteen games were postponed, eight in the National League and seven in the American. It was the fifth time major league baseball had canceled an entire day’s schedule, except for labor strife or weather. In 1918, games after Sept. 2 were canceled because of World War I, a decision that was made before the season started. The others were Aug. 2, 1923, when President Warren Harding died; June 6, 1944, when games were canceled because of the D-Day invasion; and April 14, 1945, two days after the death of President Roosevelt.

“In the interest of security and out of a sense of deep mourning for the national tragedy that has occurred today, all major league baseball games for today have been canceled,” Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement.

No determination was made on the rest of the week’s schedule, but baseball sources said they would be surprised if any games were played before the weekend. “I will continue to monitor the situation on a daily basis and make ongoing decisions accordingly,” Selig said.

The Angels had been scheduled to play host to the Seattle Mariners, looking to clinch the AL West championship. When the Angels do resume their home schedule, it will be with heightened security. Kevin Uhlich, vice president of operations at Edison Field, said employees will conduct a sweep of the stadium for conspicuous items and monitor all deliveries more closely.

“You’re responsible for the safety of up to 40,000 people,” Uhlich said. “When things like this happen, it’s a sad glimpse of the reality of the world we live in.”

Playoff games in nine minor leagues, including a California League game between San Jose and Bakersfield at Bakersfield, were postponed indefinitely.

Mike Moore, president of the National Assn. of Professional Baseball Leagues said the games were postponed “out of respect to the families and friends of those people who lost their lives or were injured in today’s tragic events.”

NFL

Joe Browne, a league spokesman, said no decision on weekend games would be made until today.

“We’ll gather information and speak to several parties within the next 24 to 48 hours,” he said.

Pete Rozelle, the late NFL commissioner, was heavily criticized for not postponing games the weekend after President Kennedy’s assassination in November of 1963.

The league’s offices in New York were not damaged, but the NFL did not go untouched by the tragic events. The offices of the Boomer Esiason Foundation, located in the World Trade Center, were destroyed. Esiason, a former star quarterback with the Cincinnati Bengals, said the foundation’s five employees had not entered the building and were safe.

Esiason began his foundation, located on the 101st floor of 1 World Trade Center, to support treatment and research of cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease afflicting his 10-year-old son. Esiason, now a radio analyst, was in Denver on Monday night for the game between the Denver Broncos and New York Giants.

Of Tuesday’s tragedy, Miami Dolphin President Eddie Jones said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this terrible event.”

Tim Coughlin, the son of Jacksonville Coach Tom Couglin, works for a brokerage and was in the World Trade Center when it was struck.

“My son, Brian, was able to reach Tim on his cell phone as he was on the 29th floor, going down the stairway to leave the building when both buildings were being evacuated,” Tom Coughlin said in a statement released by the Jaguars. “Tim did not know the second plane had crashed into the building in which he worked.”

Tim Coughlin was able to escape the building.

College Football

This was being billed as the biggest weekend of the season, with three important games in the state of Florida: Tennessee at Florida, Georgia Tech at Florida State and Washington at Miami.

But Tuesday’s news left conference commissioners and college athletic directors scrambling to make contingency plans. The NCAA said in a statement that conferences and individual schools would have authority to determine whether to play regular-season games.

“The games themselves are insignificant in the face of what has happened today,” NCAA President Cedric Dempsey said. “Our focus is entirely on the safety of student-athletes, athletics personnel and fans.”

Dempsey said the NCAA would cooperate with any executive orders that may be issued by President Bush.

The Pac-10 made its decision after a late Tuesday meeting of athletic directors and Commissioner Tom Hansen.

“In light of the tragic events which occurred in our nation today, it would be inappropriate to continue our scheduled competitions,” Hansen said in a statement.

John Swofford, commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference, announced that two Thursday night games--Ohio University at North Carolina State and Penn State at Virginia--had been postponed. The Ohio-North Carolina State game has been rescheduled for Nov. 24. A date for the Penn State-Virginia game has yet to be determined.

The Penn State game was significant because Joe Paterno is one victory shy of tying Bear Bryant’s major college victory mark of 323.

“All nine ACC member institutions are in agreement that the next couple of days should be a time for reflection and prayer for the families of those who are involved in this tragedy,” Swofford said in a statement.

San Diego State’s game against Ohio State, scheduled for Saturday, will be played Oct. 20, when both schools have a bye week.

UCLA Coach Bob Toledo decided to cancel Tuesday’s practice after a meeting with his players.

“It was a very emotional meeting,” Toledo said. “The team was sensitive to the feelings of the people who have suffered a great loss. Our prayers go out to the victims, the survivors and their families.”

USC also canceled its football practice, and although school was in session, Athletic Director Mike Garrett told his employees they could go home. By mid-morning, much of Heritage Hall had emptied.

A tribute to John McKay, the late USC coach, scheduled at Bovard Auditorium, was also postponed. More than 5,000 had been expected. Tuesday’s news also struck close to home for football Coach Pete Carroll, who lived in Boston before accepting the USC job and frequently took the American Airlines flight from Boston to Los Angeles while in transition.

All other athletic events at UCLA and USC have been postponed through the weekend.

Golf

The PGA curtailed its playing schedule, canceling the pro-am portions of four tournaments and delaying first-round play until Friday.

The $5-million World Golf Championship/American Express Championship at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis canceled play Thursday, scheduled 36 holes on Friday, 18 holes Saturday and 18 Sunday.

“This is a sad, sad day for America,” Tiger Woods told the Associated Press.

Woods, the world’s No. 1 ranked golfer, is schedule to fly to Paris on Monday to play in the European Tour’s Lancome Trophy tournament, with the Ryder Cup the next week in England. Woods was unsure about his commitment to the Paris event.

“I wonder if I can even go,” he told the AP.

There has been some indication that the PGA Tour will take the further step of canceling its four tournaments entirely. Commissioner Tim Finchem would only say that the tour is monitoring the situation and will take whatever action it feels best.

“Everyone at the PGA Tour shares the grief felt around the country at the tragic developments that have taken place today,” he said.

Horse Racing

Belmont Park in New York was expected to be closed Wednesday because its parking lot is being used as an emergency staging area. Besides racing at the Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona, racing was canceled at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J., just across the Hudson River from Manhattan.

Belmont Park, on Long Island, is regularly dark on Tuesdays. At Churchill Downs in Kentucky, security measures were increased in the barn area. Churchill is not open, but hundreds of horses are in training there.

Fairplex Park officials said that Tuesday’s program would not be rescheduled, although the day’s stakes race, the $50,000 Beau Brummel, will be added to Friday’s card..

“We in thoroughbred racing share the wrenching sorrow that all Americans are experiencing today,” Bryan Krantz, president of the Thoroughbred Racing Assns., said. “Today is better spent on mourning and praying”

Auto Racing

The National Hot Rod Assn. has postponed its Keystone National drag races this weekend in Reading, Pa., to Oct. 4-7, but most other sanctioning bodies and track promoters delayed decision on Saturday and Sunday racing.

NASCAR and Indy Racing League officials said they would wait until today to decide if they would conduct their scheduled Sunday events. NASCAR’s Winston Cup race is at Louden, N.H., and the IRL season finale is at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

“There are so many variables we are not able to make a decision today,” said Fred Nation, IRL vice president.

Locally, track officials at Irwindale Speedway and Costa Mesa Raceway, where events are scheduled for Saturday night, said they were also postponing decisions. Perris Auto Speedway and Ventura Raceway officials were unavailable for comment.

Boxing

The match between Felix Trinidad and Bernard Hopkins for the undisputed middleweight championship, scheduled for Saturday at New York’s Madison Square Garden, as been postponed, according to publicist Norman Horton. No official announcement was made Tuesday.

One sources said a new date of Sept. 29 is being discussed.

The fighters had been scheduled to take part in a public workout around noon Tuesday in the vicinity of the twin towers of the World Trade Center.

“This is Munich plus,” HBO fight analyst Larry Merchant said from his New York hotel room, alluding to the terrorist attack at the 1972 Olympic Games.

Soccer

Major League Soccer postponed four games for tonight, including one between the San Jose Earthquakes and the Galaxy at the Rose Bowl.

The Nike U.S. Women’s Cup doubleheader at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, also was postponed. The U.S. had been scheduled to play Japan in a nationally televised game.

High Schools

The Los Angeles Unified School District suspended all extracurricular activities, including sporting events.

The Southern Section, which governs more than 500 high schools in Southern California, was honoring any school district decision to postpone or cancel athletic events.

“This is horrendous,” said Jim Staunton, Southern Section commissioner. “I had someone call me to kind of consult and they asked me what I thought they should do, and I said, ‘I think you should cancel everything.”’

Hockey

The Toronto Maple Leafs postponed their trip to Newfoundland after Canadian airports grounded outgoing flights, and the Buffalo Sabres postponed a trip to St. Catharines, Ontario.

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Times staff writers Jason Reid, Mike DiGiovanna, Sam Farmer, Steve Henson, David Wharton, Bill Christine, Shav Glick, Steve Springer, Lisa Dillman, Gary Klein, Thomas Bonk and wire services contributed to this report.