For the good of America, Pentagon employees have been instructed not to watch basketball

The Defense Department won&#039;t let employees stream March Madness games.

(Image credit: Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

published 16 March 2017

March Madness might have already begun, but for workers at the Defense Department, watching games will have to wait until after work. The IT service for the Pentagon cautioned employees that "it is important to remember that we share a single network and visiting non-mission essential websites degrades network performance for everyone," CBS News reports.

The email to employees added: "Please keep in mind; if you're streaming video to watch your favorite player shooting free throws, you're consuming network resources that could be served to support the Warfighter." For the good of America, do not turn on Princeton vs. Notre Dame! Don't watch on this one either!

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.