BOSTON—A cruise down Causeway Street offers a snapshot of the COVID-19 carnage. The Fours, an iconic sports bar, closed, shuttered for good. Ace Ticket, where thousands of Celtics and Bruins fans churned through every week, gone, a FOR LEASE sign slapped on the glass. A dozen bars and restaurants, all dark.
Inside TD Garden, an eerie sight. Quiet concourses. Empty seats. Eddie Palladino, Boston’s longtime public address announcer, invites the crowd to welcome the Celtics. A handful of staffers sitting nearby oblige. Eight of Boston’s 17 championship banners have been lowered to floor level, an attempt to create, at least on television, a cozier atmosphere.