Deadly tsunami halts pro sports throughout Japan

TOKYO - Pro sports in Japan have been put on hold following a deadly earthquake and tsunami which have devastated parts of the country's eastern coast.

A powerful tsunami spawned by the largest earthquake in Japan's recorded history slammed the coast on Friday, sweeping away boats, cars, homes and people as widespread fires burned out of control. Authorities said at least 32 people were killed.

The J-League announced that 19 matches in the national soccer competition had been postponed, while baseball games in Tokyo, Chiba and Yokohama have been canceled. A special committee meeting investigating match-fixing in the traditional Japanese sport of sumo has also been delayed.

Meanwhile in Florida, there are three players from Japan in the field at the World Golf Championships this week, and like everybody else who is watching Mother Nature wreak havoc in the Pacific Rim, the feeling from afar is one of helplessness, CBSSports.com's Steve Elling reports from Florida.

Making matters worse is that for those Japanese nationals in the States haven't been able to communicate with any friends and family back home because circuits are overloaded, even in Tokyo, which is nowhere near the earthquake epicenter.

A Japanese journalist who speaks English and is covering the Cadillac Championship this week at Doral said Friday morning that she hasn't been able to reach her news agency in Tokyo and that the Japanese players in the field are experiencing similar issues in trying to check on the safety of loved ones back home.

She said that Yuta Ikeda, in the field this week, attended school in the northeast part of the country that was hardest hit by the quake and tsunami, and has been unable to reach his friends that still live in the area. Coaches and caddies of the three Japanese players reported similar issues when trying to connect with relatives back home.