<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland -- The Toronto Raptors' preseason game against the Cleveland Cavaliers was canceled Thursday because of condensation on the floor, which was laid over a hockey rink. After the teams were introduced and the anthems performed, Raptors coach Kevin O'Neill and Cavs coach Paul Silas complained to officials about the heat in the building. The players were sent back to their locker rooms, while kids wiped the floor with towels, and the heat was turned down. Players tried to warm up again about 45 minutes after the scheduled start, but to no avail. The Cavaliers had already left the building for their bus while fans in the arena awaited word on whether the game would be played. "I think we all were concerned once we came out and the floor was still slippery," said Toronto's Michael Curry, who is also the president of the NBA players' association. "They did a good job of trying to make the floor better, but I think it was just too dangerous of a chance to take to go out. "Toronto, we led the league in player-games missed last year (due to injury), so we definitely don't need to have a situation where a player gets hurt because the floor isn't adequate." Toronto general manager Glen Grunwald addressed the angry crowd after the game, promising the Raptors would return and play within two years. It was raining, foggy and 64 degrees during the day -- and a sellout crowd of 7,500 squeezed into Mile One Stadium, home to the St. John's Maple Leafs of the AHL. "Obviously for the fans, it's been the talk of the city," said Richard Peddie, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Raptors. "It is very humid outside, it is very foggy, it is a warm day but lots of fog so the humidity is high."</div> Full Story
What gets me is that all pre-season these guys (the Raptor organization) were complaining that logistics weren't being handled properly. Despite that they did nothing to make sure that the final game would run smoothly. There seems to be a pervasive "pass the buck" attitude in Raptorland. Many people noticed the wet floor the morning of the game but no one thought to say anything until game time. It was assumed that someone else would handle it. Hopefully the Raptors can learn from this and not bring the same attitude to their defensive assignments. I can?t help but be empathetic towards the St. Johns basketball fans. They had drawn a dream match-up. Vincanity has ensured that the Raptors are one of the biggest drawing teams on the road. When healthy Vince puts on quite a show and the Raptors are "Canada?s team" which would have given fans on the rock someone to cheer for. Then they landed the Cavs who are now something to talk about since landing the next big thing. This would have been a night to remember for the capacity crowd but instead they left with the memory of a disappointing drive home. I?m not at all saying that they should have played the game but I am saying that they should have made sure the game would be playable upon arrival. Shockingly the fans in attendance actually cheered the players as they scurried off the floor to their respective buses. I say shockingly because it?s not the treatment these same players would have received under the same circumstances in a city used to their presence. I for one would like to commend the people in attendance for their composure and class. I just hope that the hardwood didn?t mess-up the ice too much, or anything silly like that, and that these people will be able to enjoy a decent Hockey game where Basketball let them down.
