Millions of Americans currently are engaged one way or another with the NCAA basketball tournament. Some are participating in office pools or filling out brackets predicting how far the 64 teams will advance, and thousands upon thousands of fans will fill arenas around the country to watch their favorite teams in action.

Several weeks ago, millions of fans were following the Olympics and, within a short time, even more millions of fans probably will be absorbed by major league baseball, with the football season set to start in August.

In all these games or sports, players, coaches, fans, sponsors, university officials, athletic directors, parents of students, gamblers, academic advisers, athletic trainers, even pharmacists, know there are specific rules that govern the teams. Rules control the game, the conduct of the players, the length of the games, conduct of coaches and how the length of some games or sports can be extended due to certain circumstances.

Spectators, fans, alumni, financial supporters and students all get involved in the games and can play a significant role in helping their teams have the best odds of winning.

The athletic tent in this country is huge and involves people of all ages and demographics. Billions of dollars are invested each year by those engaged in sports.

It is said the purpose of sports and athletic competition is to enjoy the opportunity to compete, make friendships, improve an individual’s health through exercise and to learn to be a good sport, play by the rules. But, in reality, winning” is important!

There’s another game or sport that has been going on for years — universal health care — with the most recent tip-off, kickoff or starter’s whistle taking place in 2007, when Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama started his campaign effort with health care as his central focus. In the game, winning is the only acceptable result.

After many scrimmages and practices, battles among U.S. House and Senate members, an untold number of debates around the country and millions of dollars spent by individuals and companies favoring or opposing the Obama plan, Congress, by a sharp partisan split, approved the health care legislation.

Obama won this game with an effective and well-planned strategy. He made many promises and pledges to Americans about his plan and assured them they would be able to keep their own doctors and insurance plans and that it would be less expensive and more encompassing.

However, contrary to how the sports mentioned above are played — with coaches, players and officials expected to follow the rules or be penalized or even banned from the sport — there really are no rules to be followed in the Obama health care game.

Perhaps there are rules or what might be considered rules, as promised or pledged by the president, but in the Obama game, he can change the rules whenever he wishes.

He can, and has, changed the game plan whenever he things the other team (those opposed to the plan) are making too much headway in their effort to discourage individuals from signing up for the program. Never mind that he lied to the public when asking for the approval of the public and Congress.

In his game, falsehoods are OK and not punishable, time limits can be extended, numbers can be changed and projected costs or savings can be altered.

Shouldn’t the game of being president, the biggest and most important game in the country, be played with strict, not-to-be broken rules?

With this record, how can the public be confident or believe what Obama says, pledges or promises? This is embarrassing for the country and for the office of the president.

It is doubly disturbing when he promised transparency would be a hallmark of his presidency and that a highlight of his years in the White House would be his efforts to engage and work with those who do not share his political views.

Most Americans want the president to represent their country in the best possible manner. They want the world to respect the president and they want their president to be honest and set a high standard for all citizens to emulate — to play the game by the rules.

Unfortunately, that’s not the way the Obama game is being played. Apparently, those in the game of partisan politics — Democrats and Republicans — are allowed to vary the rules as they wish and to their advantage.

How much worse will this game become before the public — the fans, if not the players — call for a time-out and demand a new set of rules that must be followed?

If not, could the offender be ruled ineligible and removed from the game?