The Globe and Mail - 09.03.2020

B10 O THEGLOBEANDMAIL| MONDAY,MARCH9,2020

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[PHOTOOFTHEDAY]

| REPORTONBUSINESS

D

uring the weekend, the NBA
began preparing its teams for
the possibility that games in
the near future could be
played in empty arenas.
Parts of Europe have already taken
the step as a measure to contain the
spread of coronavirus. Italy, which is
quickly moving into Albert Camus ter-
ritory, has decreed that all Serie A
games be played in isolation for the
remainder of the season. Just about

everything else in the northern por-

tion of the country is shut down en-

tirely.

Apparently, you can cancel Italy, but

you can’t cancel soccer in Italy.

North American leagues aren’t yet

at the point of discussing bans, but

they want very badly to be seen dis-

cussing those as-yet-to-occur discus-

sions. This is PR 101 – stay ahead of the

story.

Everything was progressing nicely

until someone asked LeBron James

about the theoretical measures.

“I ain’t playing if I ain’t got the fans

in the crowd,” James said Friday. “If I

show up to an arena and there ain’t no

fans in there, I ain’t playing. They can

do what they want to do.”

KELLY, B14

Abusiness-as-usualapproachis

mostneededamidtryingtimes

CATHAL
KELLY

OPINION

TORONTO

With 13 games to go in the regular sea-

son,theMapleLeafsarehangingontoa

playoff position in spite of themselves.

They aren’t third in the NHL’s Atlantic

Division on merit. They are third be-

cause the Florida Panthers pretty much

lose in lockstep.

Toronto returns home against Tam-

pa Bay on Tuesday after a California

trip, in which it lost to three opponents

with losing records. The Maple Leafs

were outscored 8-3 by San Jose, Los An-

geles and Anaheim – three of the

league’s worst offensive teams. And

one of their three goals should have

been negated by an offside.

As the postseason approaches, there

are but a few certainties. There will be

much talk about “the process.” A lot of

conversationsaboutlookinginthemir-

ror. And discussion about the need to

play a full 60 minutes. About having to

bring more energy. About belief in the

group.

All of these things reflect badly on a

team about to head into its 70th skir-

mish. That is the definition of scuffling.

Of a team on the hobble to the finish

line rather than a sprint. Of a team that

has more questions than answers.

Perhaps there will be a surprise. Be-

fore these most recent defeats came a

string of smashing victories, likely the

best three of the entire season.

It is hard to predict what happens

next.

LEAFS,B13

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MARTYKLINKENBERGTORONTO