The problem with symbols is they can be interpreted both ways.
When Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri reached out to the team’s fans directly last week, through select interviews, a carefully worded statement and an op-ed piece, he wasn’t so much trying to put pressure on the Canadian government — who had the fate of his team in its hands — as he was trying shed light on the potential benefits of having the Raptors play at home this rapidly approaching NBA season.
“Going into the winter months, approaching our second calendar year with COVID, I think sports has a role to play in our collective recovery,” he wrote in an op-ed piece in the Toronto Star.
“I think we can bring people together, even when we are apart. I think we can inspire. I think we can set an example. I know we will share what we will learn playing this season under safety protocols, and maybe that experience makes it a little bit easier for all of us to get back to the lives we left behind in March 2020.”
By all accounts, the federal government and specifically Health Canada were open to finding a way to accommodate the Raptors — who submitted a plan both for their own protocols as they sought to be exempt from quarantine rules in hopes of travelling to games back-and-forth across the U.S. border, and on behalf on the 29 other NBA teams they would be hosting in Toronto over the course of the season.
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The Raptors had consulted both with the Toronto Blue Jays — who had applied for a similar exemption this past summer and were permitted to train in Toronto only to eventually be sent packing to Buffalo — and with the NHL, which was successful in establishing “quarantine bubbles” in Toronto and Edmonton to play out the 2019-20 regular season and playoffs.
In each case, there were no positive tests for COVID-19 and the cost of the testing was covered by the teams and the leagues.
Rather than be a source of community spread, the pro sports teams were proof that with diligent testing, tracing and other protocols, the virus could be kept at bay.
Encouraging, right?
But in the end, with the Raptors desperate for an answer so they could properly plan for the opening of training camp on Dec. 1 and the regular season on Dec. 22, the government said they couldn’t offer Toronto and the NBA the exemptions they needed to play at home.
“The Raptors worked diligently with public health officials at the local, provincial and federal level to secure a plan that would permit us to play our 2020-21 season on home soil and on our home court at Scotiabank Arena,” Ujiri said in a statement released Friday afternoon, just hours before the negotiating window for free agents opened at 6 p.m.
“These conversations were productive, and we found strong support for the protocols we put forward. Ultimately, the current public health situation facing Canadians, combined with the urgent need to determine where we will play means that we will begin our 2020-21 season in Tampa, Florida.”
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Instead of being a symbol of renewal and a hint of normalcy, which was what they were pinning their hopes on, the Raptors likely ran into the reality that with case counts rising and governments at all levels being forced to ask people to co-operate with further restrictions, and quite likely for a lengthy period, this was not the time to be seen to allowing anyone to gain special privileges.
The irony being that perhaps no industry (outside of health care) has been more vigilant, compliant and, on the whole, successful in carrying on in the midst of the pandemic than sports and the NBA in particular.
The Raptors and Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, in particular, have been leaders both in deed and in their messaging. Their platforms have effectively communicated the need to wear masks and respect social distancing, and during the first-wave lockdown were quick to pivot their facilities to be used for food preparation for frontline workers and food banks.
But there were no chips to be cashed in or favours granted.
This wasn’t politics, it was a matter of public health and – not that Raptors were pushing them to – there were no shortcuts to be taken or exceptions made.
On a rational level, the possibility of Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics – themselves subject to near-daily testing — flying into Toronto on a private jet and then travelling by private bus to an otherwise largely empty downtown hotel for a night, before taking a bus to an empty Scotiabank Arena being the source of an outbreak of any sort is laughably remote.
Similarly, the Raptors – also subject to routine testing – somehow becoming super spreaders after playing a game under similar circumstances in Boston or anywhere else doesn’t really stand up to logic.
But this is an emotional time. Logic doesn’t necessarily matter.
Even the relationship between Ujiri and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was of no help, if anything it likely required the government to be even more careful, rather give the appearance that a matter of public health could somehow be influenced by friendship.
And so now, the Raptors have to shift their gaze south and undertake the massive logistical challenge of temporarily running an NBA team out of a new city in a different country – one where the pandemic is raging, seemingly out of control.
Nearly everything that gets taken for granted when the NBA circus is in town has to be recreated from scratch.
Initially, the Raptors will be holding training camp north of Tampa at Saint Leo University, a Division II school and afterwards will be using a downtown Tampa hotel ballroom outfitted as their practice facility, separate from the public.
Now begins the work of sourcing two NBA regulation floors, for example, and outfitting a world-class weight room and sports medicine clinic.
It’s estimated a party of nearly 60 staff, players and coaches will have to relocate on barely 10 days notice.
To avoid these hurdles, and for many other reasons, the Raptors were hoping that they could play at home and conduct business as some version of normal.
But even the appearance of allowing one business to operate outside the rules being imposed on everyone else was the wrong symbol at the wrong time.
The French league’s legal commission has ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappé the 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages that he claims he’s entitled to, the league said Thursday.
The league confirmed the decision to The Associated Press without more details, a day after the France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the commission in his dispute with his former club.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former football star Reggie Bush was at his Encino home Tuesday night when three male suspects attempted to break in, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
“Everyone is safe,” Bush said in a text message to the newspaper.
The Los Angeles Police Dept. told the Times that a resident of the house reported hearing a window break and broken glass was found outside. Police said nothing was stolen and that three male suspects dressed in black were seen leaving the scene.
Bush starred at Southern California and in the NFL. The former running back was reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner this year. He forfeited it in 2010 after USC was hit with sanctions partly related to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports marketers.
VANCOUVER – A fresh face has been gracing the B.C. Lions‘ highlight reels in recent weeks.
Midway through his second CFL campaign, wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt has contributed touchdowns in two consecutive games.
The 26-year-old wide receiver from Loveland, Colo., was the lone B.C. player to reel in a passing major in his team’s 37-23 victory over the league-leading Montreal Alouettes last Friday. The week before, he notched his first CFL touchdown in the Lions’ win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
“It’s been awesome. It’s been really good,” Eberhardt said of his recent play. “At the end of the day, the biggest stat to me is if we win. But who doesn’t love scoring?”
He’ll look to add to the tally Friday when the Leos (7-6) host the Toronto Argonauts.
Eberhardt signed with B.C. as a free agent in January 2023 and spent much of last season on the practice squad before cementing a role on the roster this year.
The six-foot-two, 195-pound University of Wyoming product has earned more opportunities in his second season, said Lions’ head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell.
“He’s a super hard worker and very smart. He understands, has high football IQ, as we call it,” Campbell said.
The fact that Eberhardt can play virtually every receiving position helps.
“He could literally go into a game and we could throw him into a spot and he’d know exactly what he’s doing,” the coach said. “That allows him to play fast and earn the quarterback’s trust. And you see him making plays.”
Eberhardt credited his teammates, coaches and the rest of the Lions’ staff with helping him prepare for any situation he might face. They’ve all spent time teaching him the ins and outs of the Canadian game, or go over the playbook and run routes after practice, he said.
“I’ve played every single position on our offence in a game in the last two years, which is kind of crazy. But I love playing football,” he said. “I want to play any position that the team needs me to play.”
While B.C.’s lineup is studded with stars like running back William Stanback — who has a CFL-high 938 rushing yards — and wide receiver Justin McInnis — who leads the league in both receiving yards (1,074) and receiving TDs (seven) — versatility has been a critical part of the team’s back-to-back wins.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talented guys who deserve to get the ball and make big plays when they have the ball in their hands. So it’s really my job to get them the ball as much as possible,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.
“I think that makes it easy when you can lean on those guys and, really, we’re in a situation where anyone can have a big game. And I think that’s a good place to be.”
Even with a talented lineup, the Lions face a tough test against an eager Argos side.
Toronto lost its second straight game Saturday when it dropped a 41-27 decision to Ottawa.
“We’ll have our hands full,” Rourke said. “We’ll have to adjust on the fly to whatever their game plan is. And no doubt, they’ll be ready to go so we’ll have to be as well.”
The two sides have already met once this season when the Argos handed the Lions a 35-27 loss in Toronto back on June 9.
A win on Friday would vault B.C. to the top of the West Division standings, over the 7-6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are on a bye week.
Collecting that victory isn’t assured, though, even with Toronto coming in on a two-game skid, Campbell said.
“They’ve hit a little bit of a rut, but they’re a really good team,” he said. “They’re very athletic. And you can really see (quarterback Chad Kelly’s) got zip on the ball. When you see him in there, he can make all the throws. So we’re expecting their best shot.”
TORONTO ARGONAUTS (6-6) AT B.C. LIONS (7-6)
Friday, B.C. Place
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Lions boast a 4-1 home record this season, including a 38-12 victory over the Redblacks at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 31. The Argos have struggled outside of BMO Field and hold a 1-5 away record. Trips to the West Coast haven’t been easy for Toronto in recent years — since 2003, the club is 4-14 in road games against B.C.
CENTURION: B.C. defensive back Garry Peters is set to appear in his 100th consecutive game. The 32-year-old from Conyers, Ga., is a two-time CFL all-star who has amassed 381 defensive tackles, 19 special teams tackles and 16 interceptions over seven seasons. “Just being on the field with the guys every day, running around, talking trash back and forth, it keeps me young,” Peters said. “It makes me feel good, and my body doesn’t really feel it. I’ve been blessed to be able to play 100 straight.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
