I've been quiet for a little while, but now I'm back with vengeance... or maybe just a mild case of hiccups...  either way, I'm writing again.

   It's no secret that Canada is very much devoted to its hockey, and that Toronto is the hockey capital of the world (although some fans in Montreal would happily argue that they deserve that title... but Montreal smells, so it's disqualified).  It's all well and good, I like hockey, was happy when the Canadian Olympic team finally won a gold medal in Salt Lake City in 2002, I support our world junior team (they've won the last 4 tournaments) and pretty soon will be looking forward to the annual let-down by the Toronto Maple Leafs.  For 40 years Leafs fans have been clinging to the hope that maybe this year is THE year...  And this upcoming season will be the same.   Nothing wrong with a little tradition, eh?

   However, there is a team that seems to be forgotten in Toronto, and if they are remembered, people ask "Oh, do they still play?"  They are the Toronto Raptors.  Canada's team.  The team in Toronto with the best future.  The most exciting team to watch in Toronto.  The team that plays for its fans, and is loved by its fans.

   And yet, with as bright a future that they have, they get no respect from Toronto's so-called "sports" media.  Let's be realistic and call it what it is, Toronto's Hockey Media, with a few other sports mixed in as filler material.  The top sports story in Toronto for the last couple months has been whether Mats Sundin will return to play another season with the Leafs, sign with another team, or retire.  This just in, he hasn't decided yet...  let's talk to this expert and see what he thinks... he tells us "Mats could either retire, re-sign with the Leafs, or sign with another team..."  It's been like this for months.  "In other news, the Raptors traded TJ Ford and Rasho Nesterovic for Jermaine O'Neal, but now back to the Mats Sundin story..."  "Chris Bosh won gold with the US team... now, more important, has Mats Sundin made a decision yet?"  And so on...  I get more info about the Raptors here on Foxsports than I do from my local sports news TV and radio .

   There was a recent story about about the top (U.S.) cities that have let down their fans and one of these sports talk radio hosts wondered where Toronto would rank among them and basically asked "does anyone care about the Raptors?"  As a Raptors fan, I was quite ticked off.  I think most of us at least know that the raptors have been making a bit of noise in the NBA lately.  Let's see where Toronto's other, more "important" teams rank:

• NHL:  I've already talked about the Maple Leafs...  I'll be long gone by the time the Leafs win their next Stanley Cup, and I'm only 27...
• MLB:  The Blue Jays are in Year 8 or 9 of GM J.P. Ricciardi's "5-Year Plan..."  We'll never know what the players think because they are not allowed to talk to the media...
• CFL (Canadian Football League):  The Argonauts are struggling to make .500 with the leagues' MVP at quarterback, and are 0-2 against the team that is currently 2-6...  let's see if they can make it 0-3 on Monday...
• MLS:  The Toronto FC has finally scored a few goals...

   To lump the Raptors in with this group, and claim Raptors fans are being let down by the team is ridiculous.  A Raptors game is one of the most exciting atmospheres I've ever seen.  To hear the crowds reaction after Chris Bosh or Jamario Moon put down a huge alley-oop pass from Jose Calderon, or a big 3-pointer by Jason Kapono or Anthony Parker is exhilirating.  The fans show their support, wearing Raptors jerseys, dressing in red and white, and being as loud as possible.  They have good attendance records, but chances are, most of the Raptors fans in the city are at the game.

   Now let's look at Leafs fans.  I've never seen such well-dressed people, with all their neatly pressed suit and sharp ties, and nice haircuts.  Sittling with their legs crossed, and hands folded genlty in their laps;  if things were to get more exciting, a funeral might break out.  I recall watching many games on TV, when the cameras would go to a close-up of the Leafs coach yelling at his players, and there, about two or three rows back in the crowd, was always the same nicely dressed blonde business-woman in her grey suit... pant-skirt-suit-thingy... whatever it's called... with the vacant stare, clapping politely when a goal was scored... never smiling, never reacting to anything, but never failing to miss a game...  A symbol of everything that is wrong within the Leafs organization, and contrasting everything that is right in the Raptors organization.  The Leafs are a corporation, the Raptors are a team.

   It's annoying when people in your own city don't take the team seriously.  Here's hoping they will prove all the doubters wrong, and turn them into believers. 

   The Raptors are taking big steps in the NBA.  After years of mediocrity, and false superstars, there is finally hope.  Basketball fans know the Raptors are legit, just some small tweaks here and there and they are threats to win the NBA championship.  Heck, we may just be able to pull it off this season, and I will be more than happy to rub it in the faces of my American friends here in the blogging community... lol.  But seriously, an NBA championship will mean more to me as a fan of the Raptors than a championship in any other sport.  We're the small guys in town, and have the most to prove, and have the most to lose.  Fingers crossed.

   Cheers!

Hey All,

I heard this story driving in to work one day, a couple months ago, but is still fresh on my mind.  I was listening to my favourite morning radio show (I will advertise for them... the Dean Blundell Show on 102.1, the Edge in Toronto - www.edge.ca if you're curious) and one of their guests was Wade Belak of the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Wade is generally a guy who will happily speak his mind about anything, and was very popular in Toronto for that.

He was telling a story about a former Raptors' star, Vince Carter, and a Leafs' Megastar.  It seemed that one of the most popular goaltenders in Leafs history, Curtis Joseph (known affectionately as "CuJo"), was running late to a practice at the Air Canada Centre where the Leafs and Raptors play.  Being late, the players and personnel parking lot was full... except for two spots, so CuJo parked in one of the spots and got to practice.

During that practice, a note was sent to CuJo.... from Vince Carter's MOM.  It stated that if CuJo did not move his vehicle, she would have it TOWED...  It seems that BOTH those free parking spots were reserved for Vince's mom.  Vince Carter's.... MOM!!!!!  I'm sure the Raptors and ownership groups wanted to show some respect for Vince, but giving TWO spots to his MOM?  How bad a driver is she that she needs two spots?  And how full of herself is she that she would threaten to have Curtis Joseph's car towed (perhaps the favourite athlete in Toronto at the time).

I don't know if CuJo moved his car or not, but he is a nice (and smart) guy and I wouldn't put it beyond him to just move the car and avoid having to deal further with the woman (Lord know's she threatened to have his car towed, she probably wouldn't stop at that...).

Just one of the reasons why Vince Carter's exit from Toronto was inevitable.  I wonder if she has two spots in New Jersey?

I hope you enjoyed this little story.

I hope the reports are wrong...

Reports are coming out that the Toronto Raptors have made an agreement with Indiana that would send TJ Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, the 17th pick in this years draft, and a player to be named later (in order to match salary) to the Pacers in exchange for Jermaine O'Neal...

.......

..........

...........................

If any of you had read my last post, you would be aware that I hate this idea.  The guy has only played more than 70 games in 5 out of 12 seasons (granted, one of those 12 seasons was shortened, but he still missed about a dozen or so games thatparticular season) and is there any reason to expect that he will be able to play more than half a season in '08-'09?  He's a $22 million liability.

TJ Ford had to go, there's no question about that.  He's too good to keep on the bench, and the writing on the wall indicated that Jose Calderon was the PG of choice in Toronto.  TJ's had his injuries, and there's no reason to expect that he will be able to remain healthy for all 82 games, but he only accounts for $8 million on the payroll.

Rasho is a good, reliable, and healthy center.  He's a smart player who can start for you, or come off the bench and not allow it to affect his game.  I would fully expect Rasho to be able to play the  full season, and he would account for about $8.5 million on the payroll.

TJ and Rasho make about $16.5 million, which leaves another $5 to $6 million dollars to make up.  How much value will be placed on the 17th pick of the draft this year?  If I were to guess maybe $1 million, that would still leave about $4 - $5 million, which would possibly mean the player to be named later could be the likes of Kris Humphries, Anthony Parker, Andrea Bargnani, or Jason Kapono...  All those guys are capable of being huge contributors to the team... a huge loss if they are included in the deal...

If the reports are true, and if Jermaine O'Neal passes his physical, the one thing I would recommend is that he had better take care of himself and really contribute to the team. I want the Raptors to be successful, but it's so hard with O'Neal's sketchy history.

If the Raptors should end up with a result anything less than a .500 season, they will likely lose a lot of fan support, which would make it very difficult for the team to survive in Toronto.  The city throws more support behind the Toronto Maple Leafs than the rest of the major sports combined (the Raptors could win the NBA championship, but the headlines in the Toronto media will be about the latest surgery on one of the Leafs...).  Now, over the next five years, the Buffalo Bills (NFL... I''m sure you know that, but I'll say it anyway) will be playing games in Toronto which will likely draw a lot of attention away from the Raptors.  Our MLS team (soccer), the Toronto FC, which has only been around for a season and a half has ridiculous support already.  The CFL (Canadian Football League) team, the Toronto Argonauts will probably have a lot of support as well based on their big moves in the offseason, and are expected to be championship contenders (that's more of an FYI for y'all, but hopefully you see my point).

I am also hard-pressed to believe the ownership group will be happy to be paying their basketball players more than their hockey players... the same group owns the Raptors and the Leafs (and Toronto FC).

I'll keep my fingers crossed that everything will magically work out... but am just too skeptical to believe it...

Driving home from work today, I was listening to the radio.  I usually have it tuned to my favorite sports broadcast.  Let it be known that this particular show is a hockey news (Toronto lives and dies with the Maple Leafs) show first and foremost, then followed up with little snip-its of other sports interspersed throughout.

One of those snip-its caught my attention, which was a rumor involving talks between the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers.  Basically, here's the scenario as I know it:

Toronto sends TJ Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, the 17th pick in this years draft, and likely another player (to match salary) to Indiana for Jermaine O'neal...  Maybe some of you out there who are more familiar with Jermaine O'neal can offer their opinions to me why that would be a good deal, but I think it is a horrible and terrifying thought.

O'neal's recent injury history is just as sketchy as TJ Ford's, but there is consolation in the fact that TJ makes $8 mil per season, compared to $22 mil for O'neal.  That's a lot of money to be spending (wasting) on a guy who likely won't play a full season, and is especially difficult if your team is working on a budget.  For the same amount of money, a team could easily afford 2 or 3 other players of the same caliber who will be more reliable.  Usually when one talks of overrated players, does not Jermaine O'neals name come up often?

I do not like the idea of this trade at all.

I would be remiss in my duties to just leave it at that, so I will introduce a trade idea I do like.

What I think would work better is for the Raptors to get into talks with the Charlotte Bobcats, and encourage a sign-and-trade involving Emeka Okafor.  Okafor could easily sign for about $13 or $14 mil.  The Raptors offer up TJ Ford and Rasho Nesterovic, Charlotte offers Okafor and maybe Othella Harrington.  The salaries even out (approximately).  this gives Toronto more size that they have needed, and offers another rebounding option, and it gives the Bobcats a good explosive PG in Ford, teamed up with Raymond Felton, and that makes a decent PG duo.  Also, neither team is handcuffed by outrageous salaries.

Those are my thoughts of what I don't think my Raptors should do, and what I do think they should do.  I would like to thank CurlyMo who first suggested the idea of Emeka Okafor being the type of player that would help the Raptors a while ago when discussing many ideas.

I just want to take a little time to talk about one member of the Toronto Raptors organization who many Raptors fans would agree has been fun to watch and listen to.

I just learned that the Raptors television play-by-play commentator, Chuck Swirsky, has accepted a new job with the Chicago Bulls (as their radio commentator I do believe), thus ending a 10 year employment with the Raptors.  This is a return for Chuck to the city that he started his broadcast career in.  This also helps his family life as well.

Listening to Chuck call a game, and just talk about it in general, it was totally obvious his absolute love of basketball.  He had a great intelligence of the game subtleties, and its nuances, and it was a pleasure listening to him.  Whenever he was teamed up with colour commentators Leo Rautins (Coach of the Canadian basketball team) or Jack Armstrong, he always had some great insight into the game that really gave them the chance to shine with their knowledge.

What we'll mostly remember Chuck Swirsky for are his uniquely quirky catchphrases which made their way onto t-shirts and fans poster-boards, and into television commercials.  Sayings such as:

-  "You can ring it UP..." then give a shout out to a Raptor fan watching after the first 3-pointer scored

-  "Onions, baby, onions!!!" after the Raptors would go on a run

-  "Get out the umbrellas!  It's raining trays!"  after scoring a few 3-pointers

-  yelling "Oh my BOSH!" after a highlight real play by the one and only Chris Bosh

And probably his most well known:

-  "Get out the salami and cheese, mama!  This ballgame is OVER!" when the Raptors win the game

Chuck will be a tough act to follow, and I wish his successor the best of luck.  Chicago, you got a great person working in the Bulls organization now, and I think you'll grow to like him as much as he was liked in Toronto.

I'll miss Chuck here, but wish him all the best in Chicago.