Still reeling from the September collapse of the Boston Red Sox and the subsequent dismissal of Terry Francona as the Red Sox manager Boston sports fans are set to take another body blow with the cancellation of the 2011 basketball season.

    Autumn in Boston is normally a time when fans relish the race to the World Series, cheering on the Red Sox in the playoffs, and spending their remaining time watching the Boston Celtics in preseason.

    With the preseason cancelled already and deadlines coming up for a decision by NBA Commissioner Stern on whether to cancel the entire season Boston fans wait anxiously for positive news. Commissioner Stern stated Wednesday that if no deal is reached by Monday, October 10th he will cancel the first two weeks of the season.

    Kevin Garnett, the Celtics renowned power forward has been a major voice in the ongoing contract negotiations representing the players union. The Boston Celtics were looking forward to this season as one of the last opportunities to make a title run before both Garnet and Ray Allen become free agents. The Celtics will probably face some years of rebuilding when that occurs. Garnet stands to lose $21 million this season and yet still has stood tall for the players fighting to refuse any undue concessions even if it means sitting out the season.

    While fans may look askance at the multimillionaire players and owners fighting over money the effect of a cancelled season will have a far larger impact on the lives of people in Boston that rely on the season to fill their stores and restaurants. The cancellation of the NBA season will have a devastating impact on local businesses in many cities. Businesses struggling in the recession already will face further declines if the scheduled games don’t occur.

    For now fans can content themselves with the Patriots off to a strong start and the Stanley Cup winning Bruins beginning to gear up for the new season. But for baseball and basketball fans this fall has left Boston bereft of the excitement that normally fills the stands.