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Sandy shadow looms at MSG
Source: Agencies |
November 4, 2012, Sunday
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THE healing powers of sport are a contentious issue, with the line between uniting and dividing a thin one easily crossed, as the organizers of the New York Marathon learned on Friday.
The marathon was cancelled because the public demanded it. Race officials had misjudged the mood of a city recovering from the devastation caused by superstorm Sandy and suddenly athletes from other sports were second guessing themselves.
At Madison Square Garden, in the heart of midtown Manhattan, the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat were warming up for the National Basketball Association game when word filtered through the marathon was off.
The NBA had already cancelled the Knicks' season-opener against the Brooklyn Nets, which was supposed to be played on Thursday, making the game against the reigning NBA champions the first in New York since Sandy wreaked havoc on the region.
Players from both teams were wondering whether they should be playing in the storm's aftermath.
Miami guard Dwyane Wade said the game should have been cancelled. He felt uneasy and announced he would donate his game fee, reported to be around US$200,000, to the relief effort.
"I just felt that (there were) bigger things to be concerned about than us being here to play a basketball game," Wade told reporters before the game.
Wade's teammate LeBron James was unsure about whether the game should proceed, but believed it would at least provide a temporary diversion. "There's also people that believe that we need this basketball game for a lot of spirits and a lot of families," said James.
The Knicks players all hoped it would offer some light relief after the devastating events of the past week.
Carmello Anthony grabbed the microphone and told the crowd that this was a time for New Yorkers to come together and rebuild the city. "Today was something to give New York," Anthony said. "A couple of hours of some peace. To come to the game, to support us."
The marathon was cancelled because the public demanded it. Race officials had misjudged the mood of a city recovering from the devastation caused by superstorm Sandy and suddenly athletes from other sports were second guessing themselves.
At Madison Square Garden, in the heart of midtown Manhattan, the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat were warming up for the National Basketball Association game when word filtered through the marathon was off.
The NBA had already cancelled the Knicks' season-opener against the Brooklyn Nets, which was supposed to be played on Thursday, making the game against the reigning NBA champions the first in New York since Sandy wreaked havoc on the region.
Players from both teams were wondering whether they should be playing in the storm's aftermath.
Miami guard Dwyane Wade said the game should have been cancelled. He felt uneasy and announced he would donate his game fee, reported to be around US$200,000, to the relief effort.
"I just felt that (there were) bigger things to be concerned about than us being here to play a basketball game," Wade told reporters before the game.
Wade's teammate LeBron James was unsure about whether the game should proceed, but believed it would at least provide a temporary diversion. "There's also people that believe that we need this basketball game for a lot of spirits and a lot of families," said James.
The Knicks players all hoped it would offer some light relief after the devastating events of the past week.
Carmello Anthony grabbed the microphone and told the crowd that this was a time for New Yorkers to come together and rebuild the city. "Today was something to give New York," Anthony said. "A couple of hours of some peace. To come to the game, to support us."
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