Raptors are Worth Getting Excited About

It’s not easy being a Toronto sports fan.  Most of the time it actually feels like a condition, a sickness, an inescapable purgatory.  For years the fans in this city listen to the hype about their local teams and never see the results on the court, ice or field.  The Maple Leafs haven’t been relevant since the 1990’s and may not even play this year (I’ll let you decide whether that’s a good or bad thing), the Jays were decimated by injuries this season and despite the hope of an extra playoff spot in the AL have fallen miserably short of their goal.  The Raptors haven’t been exciting since Colangelo’s first year on the job and have struggled ever since winning the Atlantic division in 2006-07. Don’t even get me started on TFC and the Argos are a Doug Flutie and Rocket Ismail short of peaking anyone’s interest.  The city hasn’t had anything to truly celebrate since Joe Carter took a Mitch Williams offering into the left field bullpen.

But this year might be different.

Don’t go expecting a parade down Yonge street just yet, but there is certainly reason for optimism as the Toronto Raptors get set to start training camp.

The team has been relatively quiet the last couple of years but seemed to turn a corner last year under new head coach Dwane Casey.

The team is preaching something it has never preached before: defence; and for the first time in years, the Raptors are seeing improvement.

Dwane Casey has the Raptors realistically hoping for something that hasn’t been seen in Toronto for a long time: playoff basketball.

Under Casey last year the Raptors ranked 12th in defensive efficiency, improved to 9th in defensive rebounding and more importantly stressed these aspects of the game when talking to the media and each other in practice.

The “culture change” resulted in overall better play.  The Raptors were no longer a push over on the schedule, they quickly became a team you didn’t really wanna play.  They lost many close games last year, a staggering 14 games by 5 points or less.  Fans began to wonder if Dwane Casey was able to get as much production out of the roster he had, what could he do with an improved roster?

This summer Bryan Colangelo went out and changed the team’s look.  This is not exactly an uncommon occurrence when you’re talking about Colangelo and the Raptors.  It seems he does this sort of facelift every off-season, trying to find a perfect balance of players that are able to compete in the weaker Eastern Conference.

This summer was different though.  He didn’t make a splash for the sake of making a splash.  He didn’t try to build a team around a Power forward.  There were no Jermaine O’neals or Hedo Turkoglu’s, he didn’t waste money on unproven players like Jason Kapono and he didn’t go overseas looking for the next Jorge Garbajosa.

Colangelo looked to his coach and signed, drafted and traded for players that fit the system and philosophy that Casey is preaching in Toronto.  Casey wants to push the ball on offense and defend the ball well to take away opponents chances to score.

Enter Kyle Lowry, Landry Fields, John Lucas III, Terrence Ross and Quincy Acy.  Even smaller transactions to fill out the roster focused on the defensive side of the ball with the recent acquisition on Dominic McGuire and the re-signing of veteran Alan Anderson.

Colangelo is giving his coach pieces he needs to continue building a new culture in Toronto.  In Kyle Lowry the Raptors now possess one of the better defensive point guards in the league and one that is going to push the ball up the floor on the offensive side of the court.  In Landry Fields the Raptors have added a “glue guy”, a player that is happy to do whatever little things need to get done in order to help the team win.  He is a lockdown defender and happy to play without the ball in his hands.  Given the roster around him, he is likely to have every opportunity to improve his woeful shooting stats with open looks at the basket.

The drafting of Terrence Ross (a defensive specialist and solid 3pt shooter) and Quincy Acy (Reggie-lite) show further commitment to the defensive side of the ball.

With these strong new pieces in place, Dwane Casey can now build a much stronger system for this team to compete with.  Add to the fact that the additions will take a lot of pressure off of DeMar DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani.  They will now have others on the team to share the ball and offensive workload with and teammates who can cover for some of the weaker defenders.  DeMar can focus on slashing to the rim and Bargnani can rest assured that he will have open looks with opposing defenses collapsing onto a driving Lowry. Andrea will also not have players cruising to the rim on the defensive side of the ball.  Two of the best defenders on this team will be situated on the perimeter and have a knack for staying with their man.  This will mean Andrea won’t always need to be helping on the defensive end (something he just isn’t good at).

The addition of Kyle Lowry improves both the Raptors perimeter defence and their offensive capabilities. Both will be needed if the team intends to make a playoff run.

With the additions of Lowry and Fields it has made the Toronto bench that much more talented by moving Calderon and Kleiza to the second unit.  Both players are good enough to be starters on many teams in the league.  There are some who may even argue that Kleiza should open the season as the starting SF, but either way the Toronto bench now sports a lot more talent than it did before.  Amir Johnson, Ed Davis, Jose Calderon, Jonas Valanciunas, Linas Kleiza, John Lucas are a solid list of reserves for any roster.

Colangelo finally has a deep roster where everyone can focus on the things they do well and a coach on the sidelines who can keep it all organized in a system every player has bought into.

This roster still does not contain a superstar player though.  There isn’t that one guy out there who can take control of a game all by himself.  There is no Lebron, Durant or Kobe.  This is an undeniable fact.  Good thing the Raptors play in the Eastern Conference. With their level of talent they should be in the conversation come playoff time.

The Raptors will need to focus on the bottom half of the Eastern conference as the top half seems all but locked up.  There are a number of teams who are pretty much guaranteed a playoff berth.  Miami, Boston and Indiana are almost sure shots to make the playoffs.  You have to think that Atlanta and Brooklyn will be there as well.  Chicago is a big question mark without Rose and with a decimated bench. If Tom Thibodeau’s team is able to keep it together without Rose, that leaves 2 spots for  NY, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Washington or Toronto.

Now if you’re the optimistic side of the Mini-wheat you will say that the Knicks are weaker without Lin and Fields, Philadelphia is likely to have injury issues with Bynum and Cleveland and Washington simply isn’t ready for the next step. This leaves Toronto in a pretty good position.

If you’re the pessimistic side of the mini-wheat then you’re looking at NY thinking they are a lock with stars like Amare, Carmelo and Tyson Chandler and the other three teams, with improved young rosters, are also very dangerous threats. This leaves the Raps hoping for a collapse by one or more teams or some serious injury issues somewhere.

No matter what happens the bottom tier teams in the East are not setting the world on fire and could potentially leave the door just open enough for the Raptors to sneak into the playoffs.  This might not seem all that exciting when you consider they become likely first round fodder for the Miami’s and Boston’s of the Conference, but it would signify another step forward for this young team.  Another move in the right direction for the franchise and a feather in the cap for a coach who seems to be getting better as time goes by.

This team has a plan in place.  They have a system that works well, a deep roster with a lot of talent, a coach with vision and GM that is quick to fix problems.

No matter which way you look at it, the Raptors have a good chance of being a part of the postseason discussion this year.  There is a good chance they will be playing meaningful games in the Spring.  That’s reason to get excited.  It’s more than Raptors fans have had the last few years.

If that doesn’t increase attendance and TV numbers, the fact that the NHL is likely to face a long work stoppage could all add up to a year where the Raptors are the centre of attention in Toronto.  Something that hasn’t happened since the days of Vince Carter.

With an improved up-tempo roster, a group of players that fit very well into the system and style of play that the coach is preaching, some tradable assets (Calderon, Ed Davis) to potentially use down the road and a coaching staff with a clear vision and philosophy.  This might finally be the year the Toronto Sports fan gets to experience something that has been absent for a long time.

Playoff basketball.

Lord knows, this city has endured enough to deserve it.

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Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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@kpedlar

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Raptor Fans Torn by Recent Good Play

What a wonderful stretch for the Toronto Raptors. Things are looking really positive, the team is playing well, their defense looks a million percent better than last year and finally the Raptors have been able to put themselves on the right side of close games.

But is that what we want?

Forgive me for putting words in people’s mouths but I feel like Raptor fans right now aren’t sure what to do or how to feel.  Winning games can’t be a bad thing, unless losing games brings you greater opportunity at a top three pick in this years draft.

Personally I feel like I’m in a Mini Wheats commercial.  The fan in me wants my team to win at any cost, but the pragmatist in me wants losses to ensure a greater chance at a Micheal Kidd-Gilchrist or Anthony Davis.

Wednesday night against the Sixers I couldn’t help but feel excited.  I haven’t seen the Raptors play with that kind of energy in a long, long time.  The Raps took complete control of the game in the second half and blew out a formidable opponent for the first time in I don’t know how long.  More remarkably, they held their opponents to 7 points in the 4th quarter.  I don’t know if that clutch play has ever happened. Especially on the second night of a back to back.

But now the Raptors have positioned themselves much lower on the current draft rankings and are quickly playing their way out of a top flight player in this years draft.

That’s not good when you consider the future is still very much up in the air.  Derozan and Bargnani are playing well now, but maybe they won’t when the pressure is back on next year.  That would leave the Raptors, likely, in a similar position to this year.

They need a Kidd-Gilchrist.  They need an Anthony Davis.  These are game changers that could make a huge difference in the Raptors fortunes next year, especially when you consider the arrival of Jonas Valanciunas as well.

So should I stop cheering for my team? Should I not be able to enjoy a win, even if our star players play well?

I’m confused.  I’m torn and I imagine most Raptor fans are.

What makes this all especially hard for Raptor fans is the complete lack of anything else to cheer for in this city.  The Leafs are awful, TFC is all over the place, the Argos are an after thought and the Blue Jays are only now beginning their season.  If we can’t cheer for this what can we cheer for?

The Toronto sports scene is a real life tragedy. The only cheering we can do is for losing enough games to give ourselves a chance at a higher pick.

Pretty Sad.

Dwane Casey has really turned this years Toronto Raptors around. They are performing at a level no one ever expected them to. That's a good thing, right?

Certainly this is not part of Dwane Casey’s plan. He doesn’t seem to care too much about draft position or about how many games we lose.  He is a competitor through and through and the success he is having right now with our current group should be commended and should be noticed.

We want playoff basketball next year.  Colangelo needs a playoff appearance to ensure job stability and from the looks of this team, they are a couple of solid acquisitions away from that goal.

Wouldn’t a top three draft pick help expidite that playoff goal?

Casey has improved our overall defense.  We used to rank dead last in defensive efficiency under Jay Triano.  With Dwane Casey calling the shots, according to John Hollinger ,the Raptors are now 13th in the league in points allowed, 14th in rebounding and a remarkable 5th in defensive rebounding.  That’s quite the turnaround for a team that was dead last in almost every defensive category a year ago.

How can you not applaud that? Or get excited when the team works hard defensively to win a close game?  This is what Dwane Casey was brought in to do.  The fact that we are already seeing a major turnaround is a great step in the right direction.

Now it’s up to Colangelo to give Casey the tools he needs to turn the Raptors into a game no one wants to see on their schedule.

Fans should cheer when their team wins, not when they lose or just when they win some pizza.  This years version of the Raptors deserves the fans support.  If they win it is because the coach has these players playing out of their shoes.  The whole team has bought into “pounding the Rock” and the results are starting to take shape.

They’re just happening a little faster than what we ever expected.

But that’s a good thing.  Right?

***

Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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Can The Raptors Survive an Extended Lockout?

It’s finally come to this: NBA Games are being cancelled.  Players are talking smack on twitter, the owners aren’t flinching and millions of die-hard fans twist in the wind.

The first two weeks of the 2011-2012 NBA season have been cancelled.  This is a certainty.  More will likely be cancelled, followed by the ultimate decision to cancel the entire season.

Owners will lose billions, players will lose millions, hard-working concession workers will lose their regular income and millions of fans will do without the game they love.

As the drop dead date slowly, methodically approaches I am left to wonder how the city I love, the city I live in, will deal with the fallout that a lost season brings.

Colangelo will need to work hard to convince fans that basketball matters in post lockout world.

This isn’t a basketball town.  If the Leafs were playing the Ottawa Senators for last place in the world, it would be televised at every bar over a Raptor playoff game (not that a Raptor playoff game is anything but a far off fictional dream).  That being said, Toronto fans will very quickly turn to hockey if basketball isn’t around.  In fact they usually focus on hockey anyway.

The amount of arguments I’ve had with owners of friendly establishments over the playing of hockey on every screen most screens over the Raptors game is insane.  Hockey wins pretty much every time.  Doesn’t matter if the leafs are down 8-2 against the Thrashers the channel will not be changed, the sound will not be turned on.

Torontonians love their hockey.  Fair enough.  It has historical significance here.  Just like Yankees baseball in New York.  Football in Dallas and Basketball in Boston.

It is this history that worries me even more.

Basketball is a relatively new sport in this city and therefore doesn’t have the same following as the Leafs or even the Jays.  Life has existed without the Raptors, in fact, most of us remember life without the Raptors.  This does not bode well for the franchise if the lockout causes the end of the season.

Fans will go back to doing what they did before basketball existed here.  Fans might even remember what they did before hours of their weeks were spent watching and enjoying NBA ball.  They will spend more time with family, catch up on their weekly television programmes and tune into other sports.  The Leafs might make the playoffs this year and the Jays are due for a big offseason.

The Raptors might have trouble filling the seats if this lockout drags on to long.

In fact the Blue Jays may present the Raptors with a glimpse into the future.

In 1994 when the MLB season was lost the fans didn’t really come back to watch the Jays.  This was after back to back world series victories.  If the fans don’t come back for that, they surely are not coming back to see if the Raptors can break the record for the most variations of a starting lineup in one season.

For the Blue Jays, the fans didn’t just stay away for a year or two. Attendance figures plummeted in the years after the strike.  It didn’t help that the team stopped being particularly competitive.  It’s been over ten years and the fans are only, just now, starting to trickle back in.  It took Brett Lawrie to get the fans back in so the Raptors will have to be smart moving forward.

Many believe the fans will come back whether the NBA is out for a short time or an entire season.  Fans are fans and will be happy to see their favourite sport played, whenever it happens.

This presents some dangerous thinking.  Every league that has had a work stoppage has seen their profits fall.  The NHL lost lots of money and eventually franchises had to close shop and move to new towns.  There were obviously other factors that played a part in teams leaving, but work stoppages don’t bring in fans. You don’t want to alienate your fanbase.

MLB is still recovering in many markets and the Expos don’t exist anymore.  There have been and continue to be repercussions of the 1994 work stoppage some 17 years later.

A cancelled season would be new territory for the NBA as well.  It has always been the league that got its issues worked out and presented itself as an option when the NHL and MLB couldn’t come to new deals in the past.  It has always had bragging rights as a league that solved its issues.

When the NHL shut its doors in 2004-05, where did we turn? The NBA.  In 1994-95 when the NHL was threatening to cancel the season and MLB had just finished cancelling the World Series, what league offered us exciting competition? The NBA.

Not anymore

In a city like Toronto, a city that has punished it’s MLB team for a lost season, the thought of a long work stoppage should worry MLSE and Bryan Colangelo quite a bit.

The Blue Jays likely would have had better luck if they were winning the way they were before the strike.  The 1994 Jays were nothing close to the 1992 and 1993 teams that won it all.  And let’s face it the 2011-12 version of the Toronto Raptors isn’t likely to be setting the world on fire.

Work stoppages create anger, losing regularly breeds frustration.  Put those two together and you have a recipe for apathy in Toronto.

The Raptors have their loyal fan base, no doubt, but the casual fans will walk away if this thing goes on too long.

And that’s the real cost of this lockout for the NBA.

Owners will find new investments, Players will go overseas and make money while travelling the world.

And the fans? Well, some of them will come back full force.  Others will find something else to pass their time with.

Either way it just won’t be the same.  It’s like getting back together with a girl who cheated on you.  Yes, you can let time heal wounds, forgive and forge a new relationship, but you will never forget.

And, of course, there are the forgotten victims in all of this.  Workers in the arenas who will lose their livelihood as a result of this power play.  People who don’t make millions of dollars on an MLE will struggle to make ends meet. Innocent victims caught in the crossfire

The NBA and NBAPA are playing a dangerous game.  One that everyone is likely to lose.

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Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

Renewal in Toronto Sports

I’ve been a fan of Toronto sports teams my entire life (a modest 31 years) and to say it has been rough going, would be to make an understatement.  Living through some of the Harold Ballard years in Hockey, the Isiah Thomas Years in Raptorland followed by the Vince Carter marriage and divorce has been a roller coaster ride to say the least.

And then there are the Blue Jays.  They gave us the only major championship this city has seen in the last 20 years minus a grey Cup here or there.  Joe Carter’s blast to left field was the last moment in Toronto Sports we claimed the title of champion.

This isn’t to say things haven’t been interesting since then.  The Leafs had some good years with Pat Burns and Doug Gilmour.  The Raptors won the Atlantic Division in Bryan Colangelo’s first year as GM and Toronto FC was born a few years ago adding another franchise to the city.

But where are the banners?  The championships?  The parades?

This ain’t New York City folks.

Being a Toronto Sports fan has been an abusive relationship few of us are willing to leave.  We cheer the Leafs every year regardless of their free agent acquisitions.  Jeff Finger? Not exactly cover of the Wheaties box material.  Tim Connelly? It’s gonna be a long year, isn’t it?

But the stands are full at the ACC every year, lining the pockets of MLSE and the Teachers Pension Plan.

The Raptors brought in Leandro Barbosa last year as their high-priced acquisition and Colangelo continues to force feed the city Andrea Bargnani and his petition against rebounding.

Yet the Raptors have solid attendance numbers on the regular.

Then there are the Blue Jays.  The sad, lowly Blue Jays.  I can’t get a friend to come and sit with me at the Skydome (I will never call it Rogers Centre no matter how many months of free cable they offer me).  I buy tickets and have to beg people to come with me.

It’s been this way since 1994 when the MLB was the first major league to cancel the remainder of their season and post season. No winner was crowned.

The fans have yet to come back in Toronto.

In 1993 the Blue Jays won the World Series in the most dramatic fashion you can win a game and two years later they couldn’t get people to the ballpark.

It’s been a rough go for the Toronto Sports fan, but hope seems to be close.

All three of the major franchises seem to be building things from the ground up and creating a swell of optimism around their teams.

The Blue Jays are leading the way with young exciting players like Jose Bautista, Ricky Romero, Adam Lind, Brandon Morrow and the new guy Brett Lawrie.  With the recent acquisition of Colby Rasmus the Blue Jays appear to be a team on the rise.

The Blue Jays are inspiring a new excitement in Toronto Sports with the arrival of young, home grown prospects like Brett Lawrie.

Like a good investment it might be worth it to start following the Blue Jays again.  The sky appears to be the limit for this young franchise and the last month of the season could actually provide something the fans in this town have been craving for a long time.

Hope.

Alex Anthopolous has seemingly inspired the other GM’s in this city to do something they have never done.  Build from the bottom up.

It worked for Pat Gillick back when he was in charge of the Jays and I think his induction into Baseball’s Hall of Fame should tell you how his plan went.

It isn’t about acquiring the biggest name free agent. Trust me, New York will regret the Brad Richards signing this past summer.  They will regret it big time. Moves like these are quick fixes and won’t get you very far.  Today’s 10 year contract is next years albatross you can’t get rid of.

It isn’t bout appeasing fans needs to be immediately gratified.  Successful teams that win for many years don’t do that.

They build from the bottom and then use their youthful assets to add pieces as the team gets realistically closer to contention.

Brian Burke seems to understand this.  His acquisition of Cody Franson was an inspired choice.  So is his reliance on young players like Luke Schenn, Nazem Kadri and James Reimer.

I just hope he doesn’t let the noisy media get to him.  He dodged a bullet in Brad Richards.  He should keep looking to college players like Tyler Bozak and Brayden Irwin.

For the first time in I don’t even know how long, the Maple leafs are building from close to the ground.  We still haven’t seen a top three draft pick, but “Burkie” seems to have a battle plan.

Jonas Valanciunas is a media darling with Bloggers and on Twitter, creating a buzz around the Raptors for the first time in a long time.

The Toronto Raptors let Chris Bosh go last summer and shed themselves of a plug.  He was blocking the team from finally accepting that they needed to rebuild.  Quickly Colangelo has added youth locking up Amir Johnson and Demar Derozan.  He drafted the talented big man Ed Davis and made, possibly, the best pick of the entire entry draft in Jonas Valanciunas who is lighting up international box scores and twitter feeds across the globe.

Colangelo now has a number of good young players under contract and some capspace coming up in the next year or two.

Suddenly the sky is the limit.

All three GM’s of Toronto’s three largest sports teams are building their teams with smart acquisitions and youth.  Lots and lots of youth.

Toronto might not be hoisting a large trophy this year or next, but they will entertain the fans with the hope of doing so in the very near future.

It is true that Brett Lawrie could fall flat on his face like Eddie Zosky.  Jonas Valanciunas could be the next Alex Radojevic (Who?) and James Reimer could be the next Peter Ing.

But isn’t it nice to have some hope?

For me, I finally have the hope that I might be able to get someone to take that extra Jays ticket I have.

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Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

The End is the Beginning

The playoffs began yesterday and once again the Raptors were notably absent from the top eight seeds in the Eastern Conference.  This seems to be a recurring theme in Raptorland and there is no reason to believe it will change next season, if there is even a season to play.

It was a strange season for the Dinos.  No Chris Bosh, no playoff push, meaningless games being played as early as December and most nights they were an after thought in the minds of Toronto Sports Fans.  This week they finished off their season against the Heat and most sports fans were thinking hockey playoffs, Blue Jays baseball and David Beckham at BMO Field.  The Raps ended their season as after thoughts in the mids of their fans.  Is this what the future holds for a below average team in an Eastern Conference that seems to be getting more and more talented?

Once again there will be no playoff basketball played at the ACC this spring but it is what happens over the next few months that will be the most interesting  for this franchise.

Who is the leader?

Bryan Colangelo and Jay Triano both have no idea what the future holds as decisions on their future remain up in the air.  Will Colangelo be back?  One can hope.  Triano? That might be a tougher sell. And it is all left in the hands of an ownership that may not even be aroun when the season begins.

Both have been nothing short of professional during their tenure with the Raptors, but kindness and professionalism do not win championships.  Nor have these character traits gotten the Raptors into the postseason the last three seasons.  This decision will be a tough one and one that ultimately changes the course of the franchise for the next few years. Who makes the decision also remains to be seen.

I hope Bryan Colangelo stays in Toronto as he is a professional GM with an ability to evaluate talent.  He has fixed his mistakes over the years and has built competitive teams in Phoenix.  Plus, who out there is going to do a better job?  Is there another GM available that can bring in talent like Colangelo? Is there a GM out there who is going to be a better ambassador for the city in the NBA’s elite circles?

I think not.

Jay Triano, love him or hate him, is a great teacher.  When one of the best point guards in NBA history in Steve Nash, credit Triano with helping to build his career, you know you have someone who can be something special to this young Raptor team.  Is he going to win the NBA championship? No, he’s not that kind of coach.  Will the Raptors see a Tom Thibodeau-like turnaround next season?  Highly unlikely.  But this franchise is at a point where the development of their younger players is the most important thing to focus on.  Who better to lead these young players than a guy used to teaching young players. The team is comfortable with him and unnecessary change is not good for the psyche of young players.  Ed Davis, Demar Derozan and Jarryd Bayless need some consistency.  Triano provides that.

The other question the Raps will need to ask themselves is who exactly is part of the core?  Based on this past season it would appear that Demar and Ed Davis are the only players cemented in Toronto.  Amir Johnson had a tremendous season where he started to look like  good investment, so you might keep him around too, but after that?

Bayless and James Johnson are certainly worth a second look and my hope is that the team will bring back Reggie Evans.  Barbosa is likely a returnee as well, but might be a good piece of trade bait over the summer.

The Winds of change are blowing in Toronto and it could signal the end of the Bargnani era in Toronto. Who else will be back?

It is becoming more and more clear that Demar Derozan and his ability to get to the line look like the player the team should focus on at the offensive end of the floor.  That might mean the end of the Bargnani era in Toronto.

To Bargnani? or not to Bargnani? That is the question.

Fans want him gone.  Colangelo, I’m sure, wants him to stay.  But there might not be a better time to trade him than now.  He had a semi-good season offensively, but the deficiencies are there on the defensive end.  His contract is not a bad one, for the offensive output he delivers, so there could still be value recouped.

The main issue with Bargnani is that his entire career in Toronto has been played at a position he never should have played.  He is a power forward not a center.  He should not be posting up or guarding the biggest players in the league.   He can drive to the net and he shoots the ball well from the outside.

However, Toronto has Ed Davis at PF for the forseeable future and Bargnani is now looking like he will be in the wrong position for as long as he stays in this city.  Trade him now, get something for him. For his sake and ours.

The Raps have capspace, tradeable assets and roster spots to fill.  This team will likely look very different next year.  Again, if there is a next year.

The winds of change are blowing in Toronto.  The offseason will be one of the most interesting for the Raptors franchise.  New owners, possible change at the top of the organization and possibly  a lot of new young faces on the court next season.

If there ends up being any basketball played next year at all, make sure you grab a programme when you’re at the ACC; you’re gonna need it.

***

Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

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The Raptors could use some help from their diehards.

Toronto is a city that’s passionate about sports. We vilify players who play poorly. We idolize players who play hard. Our fan base, regardless of what team we support, is ferocious. We love our teams. Yet over the past five years the city hasn’t had much to cheer for.

The Leafs, our dear Leafs, have been nothing short of atrocious;  regardless of  the recent addition of Dion Phanuef.

The Blue Jays may never see the playoffs again. Not until Major League Baseball implements a salary cap or changes the playoff structure.

The TFC have yet to see a playoff game period.

And the Argos are in a league many Canadians tend to ignore regardless of whether the team wins or loses.

But then we come to the Raptors. The only team in the city with a winning record. A ship that’s pointed in the right direction. A team that is competitive every single night; full of youth and talent. If ever there was a time for the Raptors to take market share in the form of fans, it’s now.

Yet growth has been marginal at best. More fans aren’t tuning in. Only the regulars. Guys and gals like you and me; the diehards who read blogs like this one on a daily basis. What’s it going to take to turn more heads?

Talking.

I’m going to talk Raptors’ ball to people I know. Friends who aren’t fans. I’m going to ask acquaintances if they’ve been watching games. If they’ve heard about how the Raptors are playing. And when they say they haven’t, I’m going to tell them they should check the team out. Because I believe this team is damn good and I believe basketball is the best damn sport in the world.

I also believe that if 10 people I know, friends who are not Raptor fans, had tuned in to watch the Raptors play the Lakers two Sundays ago that this city would have 10 more Raptor fans to scream at games.

And maybe one person I mention it to, mentions it to someone else. Maybe it steam rolls from one person to the next. That’s how these things work, right? But it can’t be an army of one.

We get about 300 people reading this a day. So let’s start talking Toronto! Let’s start the buzz. The team is doing their part, maybe it’s time the diehards do theirs. Let’s talk to people we know. Let’s encourage people to tune in.  They, like us, will like what they see.

We all know the Raptors are going to need the support come playoff time. Hell, this city could use a little playoff time to support.

Let’s Rap it forward.

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Jeremiah McNama

The Zan Tabak Herald