The Raptors' invisible preseason

A couple of weeks ago, old pal Charley Rosen was on the other end of the phone.

LUCAS OLENIUK/TORONTO STAR

Andrea Bargnani: At least he's not ignoring the preseason.

“You’re not watching hockey, are you?” he cackled, overhearing the TV in the background. “Preseason hockey?”
Apparently I was. (Funny, but I didn’t notice.) And apparently, I’d broken one of Rosen’s Dictums. “Ignore the preseason,” he advised.
Ordinarily I’d agree (and in a way, I was ignoring the preseason there). There are few issues to settle in the typical preseason – on an established, reasonably successful team. It goes on too long, and there’s not a whole lot at stake.
This year’s Raptors, though, are an exception. There are jobs up for grabs, a rotation to settle on, new faces from exotic lands, and expectations that all this turnover is for the better.
But sadly, it’s all going on far, far away. The house organ, Raptors TV, isn’t broadcasting any of the team’s preseason games (They did show last night’s home exhibition opener, but it was a pickup of the Celtics’ broadcast). As of this writing, the house website hasn’t got around to posting the television schedule for the upcoming season (for that, keep reading).
For a team anxious to establish an identity and woo fans disenchanted by their steady six-year slide to the sub-regions of the conference, this is pretty lame stuff. One of the reasons rumoured behind John Shannon’s departure was that he was spending too much money on the Raptors, with their tiny ratings and immediate-family-only subscriber base, and there’s nothing on display now to refute the notion. Until they get better – if they can get better – none of that will change.
Sadly, ignoring the preseason isn’t an option. It’s the rule.

Over the jump, the TV schedule (from a press release dated Oct. 2):

November
Wed 1 at New Jersey, 7:30 (Score)
Fri 3 Milwaukee, 7:00 (TSN)
Sun 5 San Antonio, 1:00 (Score)
Wed 8 Philadelphia, 7:00 (Score)
Fri 10 Atlanta, 7:00 (RapTV)
Sun 12 at Sacramento, 9:00 (RapTV)
Tue 14 at Golden State, 10:30 (RapTV)
Fri 17 at LA Lakers, 10:30 (TSN)
Sat 18 at Denver, 9:00 (TSN)
Mon 20 at Utah, 9:00 (RapTV)
Wed 22 Cleveland, 7:00 (Score)
Fri 24 at Atlanta, 7:30 (TSN)
Sun 26 Indiana, 1:00 (TSN)
Tue 28 at NO/Okla City, 9:00 (RapTV)
Wed 29 at Dallas, 8:30 (Score)

December
Fri 1 Boston, 7:00 (RapTV)
Sat 2 at New York, 8:00 (TSN)
Wed 6 at Cleveland, 7:00 (Score)
Fri 8 at Chicago, 8:30 (RapTV)
Sun 10 Portland, 1:00 (TSN)
Mon 11 at Miami, 7:30 (Score)
Wed 13 at Orlando, 7:00 (Sportsnet)
Fri 15 New Jersey, 7:00 (RapTV)
Sun 17 Golden State, 1:00 (Sportsnet)
Tue 19 at Phoenix, 9:00 (TSN)
Wed 20 at LA Clippers, 10:30 (RapTV)
Fri 22 at Portland, 10:00 (RapTV)
Sat 23 at Seattle, 10:00 (RapTV)
Wed 27 Minnesota, 7:00 (Score)
Fri 29 Chicago, 7:00 (RapTV)
Sat 30 at Memphis, 8:00 (Sportsnet)

January
Wed 3 Phoenix, 7:00 (Score)
Fri 5 Atlanta, 7:00 (Sportsnet)
Sun 7 Washington, 1:00 (TSN)
Tue 9 at New Jersey, 7:30 (Score)
Wed 10 at Milwaukee, 8:00 (Score)
Fri 12 at Boston, 7:30 (TSN)
Sun 14 Dallas, 1:00 (TSN)
Mon 15 at Philadelphia, 2:00 (Score)
Wed 17 Sacramento, 7:00 (Score)
Fri 19 Utah, 7:00 (RapTV)
Mon 22 Charlotte, 7:00 (TSN)
Wed 24 NO/Okla City, 7:00 (TSN)
Fri 26 Boston, 7:00 (TSN)
Sun 28 at Indiana, 7:00 (TSN)
Wed 31 Washington, 7:00 (Score)

February
Fri 2 at Atlanta, 7:30 (RapTV)
Sun 4 LA Clippers, 12 noon (Sportsnet)
Wed 7 Orlando, 7:00 (Score)
Fri 9 LA Lakers, 7:00 (TSN)
Sat 10 at Detroit, 7:30 (Score)
Tue 13 at Chicago, 8:30 (Score)
Wed 14 New Jersey, 7:00 (Score)
Wed 21 Cleveland, 7:00 (Score)
Fri 23 Indiana, 7:00 (RapTV)
Sat 24 at Charlotte, 7:00 (TSN)
Mon 26 at San Antonio, 8:00 (RapTV)
Wed 28 at Houston, 8:30 (Score)

March
Fri 2 Milwaukee, 7:00 (TSN)
Sat 3 at Cleveland, 7:30 (Score)
Tue 6 at Washington, 7:00 (Score)
Wed 7 Memphis, 7:00 (Score)
Sun 11 Seattle, 1:00 (Sportsnet)
Mon 12 at Milwaukee, 8:00 (RapTV)
Wed 14 New York, 7:00 (Score)
Fri 16 Houston, 7:00 (Sportsnet)
Sun 18 at New York, 12 noon (TSN)
Wed 21 Orlando, 7:00 (Score)
Fri 23 Denver, 7:00 (RapTV)
Mon 26 at Boston, 7:30 (Sportsnet)
Wed 28 Miami, 7:00 (Score)
Fri 30 at Washington, 7:00 (RapTV)

April
Sun 1 Charlotte, 6:00 (RapTV)
Tue 3 at Miami, 7:30 (Score)
Wed 4 at Orlando, 7:00 (Score)
Fri 6 at Philadelphia, 7:00 (RapTV)
Sun 8 Chicago, 6:00 (TSN)
Mon 9 at Minnesota, 8:00 (RapTV)
Fri 13 Detroit, 7:00 (RapTV)
Sun 15 New York, 6:00 (RapTV)
Tue 17 at Detroit, 7:30 (Score)
Wed 18 Philadelphia, 7:00 (Score)

Comments

[coach]

the raptors tv team has a new look a la nfl. it looks impressive guys but somehow it's lacking in credibility. you need to add a bona fide former nba star in your panel. otherwise, your so called 'raptors hq' is no different from everybody's corner gas congregations!