Dealing with cabin fever

With the serious threat of COVID-19 from the Corona Virus we should follow the directions of self-isolation for our own good and the good of others. This crisis is expected to last several weeks. Avoid contact with others and stay home if you can.

That may be difficult for some people, especially if are used to being active or are hard-wired for short attention spans. Last week we suggested that people prepare their fishing tackle. Not only should that take several days for most people, it will help get you prepared for when the crisis eases and the seasons open. For example tying jigs with heavy leaders that can easily be changed or replaced when bitten off is a good idea if you fish heavy cover or do much fishing for toothy critters like northern pike.

Learn fly fishing. It is fun and productive even if you are not great at it. There are lots of books available or videos online that will help you get started. You can practice casting in your backyard whenever the weather permits. You don’t need to be

for concerts and other big events, MSG has been aggressively attempting to thwart Ballmer’s desire to build a state-of-the-art, 18,000-seat home for the Clippers just a few blocks down Prairie Avenue from the Forum. The two arenas would be separated only by the lavish Sofi Stadium complex being built by Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke.

MSG, which bought the Forum for a reported $23.5 million in 2012, has sued the Inglewood city government, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature in its various attempts to slow the approval process for Ballmer’s privately financed arena project, which is currently undergoing environmental review.

The Forum purchase abruptly wraps up the litigation fight and allows the Clippers to move ahead on their goal to open a new arena when their Staples Center lease expires in 2024. The Clippers currently share the downtown arena with the Los Angeles Lakers and the NHL’S Los Angeles Kings.

Ballmer wants to build a $1.2 billion arena on 28 acres of land just south of the Sofi

Stadium complex. The addition of the Clippers’ new project would put four significant arenas — Sofi Stadium contains a 6,000-seat performance venue in addition to the main football stadium — within one mile of each other on Prairie Avenue.

Ballmer said the Forum and the Clippers’ new arena will be able to coordinate event schedules while under the same ownership, mitigating the impact of so many people in such a small area of the Los Angeles suburbs.

Chris Meany, a principal in the development company overseeing the Clippers’ new arena project, acknowledged the importance of traffic management in the deal.

“While we have gone to great lengths to provide an unprecedented traffic-management plan for the new basketball arena, this acquisition provides a much greater ability to coordinate and avoid scheduling events at the same time at both venues,” he said.

MSG revitalized the oncefabulous Forum, which had fallen into disuse after the Lakers and Kings left for Staples Center in 1999. The building was famously home to the glitzy “Showtime” Lakers, who won five championships and reached eight NBA Finals during the 1980s. Kobe Bryant began his 20-year Lakers career in the arena.