More mail than you can imagine, or I can carry, Bag No. 2
And here’s some from earlier in the week to wind up today’s mailbag. And maybe we won't need to do one on the weekend (yeah, right!)
Q: Hey Doug, I'm trying to settle an argument, who was the better player? Charles Barkley or Dennis Rodman?
Chaz E, London, UK
A: Chuck. Hands down. Could do way more on the court. Not even close in my opinion.
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Q: I know your answer already but I'm going to post the question to you anyways.
I think the entertainment value of the Raptors has fallen off over the years. I've been a diehard fan since Day 1; gone through the good & bad times. But one thing that a lot of people are agreeing with me on is that the Raptors are tough on the eyes in terms of entertainment value. "Where amazing happens" doesn't happen very much at the ACC. I think the patrons appreciate a winning team but also want to be entertained at the same time. The toughest part of the game for me to watch is the offensive sets where it's pick and roll after pick and roll and not much else going on. Sure the intensity gets amped up 200% which is makes up the difference during the playoffs, but during the regular season it's been tough.
And even the in game experience has dropped off. I've been going to 3-4 games every year but have decided to stay away and wait until the playoffs. The atmosphere isn’t what it used to be and again the product on the floor is redundant and the in arena boombastics are the same every game...again ho hum...
How do you feel over all about the overall entertainment value being at the games and being so close with the team?
Depressed Raptor fan,
BS, Scarborough
(Your answer here: you should be happy they are winning; what good is it to have an really entertaining team that's not winning; you can be Denver, one of the most entertaining teams in the NBA but not make the playoffs if you like...)
A: You know, I’m at so many home games, I’m sure of inured to the shenanigans that go on outside of the game. All I can say is I think it’s gotten louder and more intrusive, which could just be me getting older.
But if you feel that way, I’m pretty sure there are others who are having the same experience and maybe they can jazz it up, or change it up somehow.
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Q: My question for you is regarding Mr. Jay Triano. Last summer I believe he was an assistant on Team USA, which I thought spoke volumes (even though Canadians needn't wait for that to appreciate his contributions to the sport in Canada). Will he reprising his role this summer leading to the Olympics? Keep up the great work Doug - Have you been to Ghana? Over the last little while I've read entries from you where you have referenced a reader who is from there. I am a son of Ghanaians.
Richard A, Markham
A: Actually, Jay worked for the USA Basketball development team, the group of kids who worked out against the Olympic team. He and P.J. Carlisemo coached it. There’s a chance he’ll be back at it again this summer – definitive schedules aren’t done yet – but one thing I’m pretty sure of is that he’ll be in Beijing doing TV for CBC.
And I don't have any blood relations in Ghana, just a friend who seems to be quite enamoured of Accra (except for the days when there's no running water) and who speaks highly of Western Africa. And, besides, I need a football team to cheer for so why not the Black Stars?
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Q: Question on purchasing playoff tickets. For the Raptors, of course. Not those lowly Leafs.
Watching the Raptors games of late, I hear Chuck telling me to log onto Raptors.com to buy playoff tickets. Once on the web site, it seems to only be available to those with season tickets. Would you know when the tickets are available to the general non-season-ticket-holding-public? Am I looking in the wrong place?
Tina C, St. John’s, NL
A: You’re coming from the Rock? Cool.
I don't believe they've set a definitive day for single-game, general public sales yet, I’m told. But they’ll let you know the minute they do, I’m sure.
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Q: Hi Doug. I read somewhere last week that Sportsnet might drop their coverage of the Raptors in the next season. As a big Raptor fan who can't afford paying for RaptorsTV, this really concerns me. My 4 yr old son (who knows 10 Raptors by name and their number) and I always look forward to their next scheduled game on TV. Is there truth into this? If so, will TSN or The Score pick up the slack? Is CBC going to air more games next year? Hopefully you can answer this question. Thanks.
Arnold B, Mississauga
A: Your four-year-old’s pretty bright.
Nothing’s definite about who’ll pick what up but I know The Score is interested in becoming the basketball network of record (which is an excellent idea, methinks) and CBC has an option to more than double its broadcasts next season. I think you’ll still be able to find the vast majority of games on over-the-air networks rather than have to worry about spending on RaptorsTV.
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Q: Love the blog. I now read it over your print stories - sorry.
First a statement/question. A certain morning radio show I listen to on Canada's national station keeps mentioning that the Raps need to stay in 5th place so they can avoid playing Orlando. I swear I've read it here and elsewhere that Toronto is better matched against Orlando?!
Also, if the Raptors do wind up playing Orlando is there rivalry between Moon and Superman over the dunk contest? I think if Jamario made it to the next round he would have won.
Raf K, Toronto
A: Personally, I think they match up far better with Orlando than Cleveland because the Magic don’t have that LeBron dude, who is pretty good. So, I guess the lesson is don’t believe everything you hear.
And I've got a feeling Mssrs. Moon and Howard will be concentrating more on winning games that doing dunks. I don't believe any rivalry will enter into it.
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Q: Any chance, and I know it's a longshot, that the Raps or Wiz could knock off Cleveland for the 4 spot? If so do you think home court would help stop in any way LeBron from dominating that series?
Graham H, Toronto
A: A very big longshot. The Cavs, as I type this, are three games up on Toronto and Washington with eight to play, it’d take some kind of collapse for them to fall out of No. 4.
And I don’t think it matters a lick where LeBron plays, you might want to check with the Pistons on how he does in the post-season without home court advantage.
Q: Doug, as I greatly respect your opinion on all matters of basketball, I will ask a question completely unrelated. And in no way feel judged as I'm just curious. How you feel about the recently released smoking commercial where the kid gives his dad a tape of himself begging him to quit? Do all the beat grunts enjoy the fresh air at half time?
Nathan J, Toronto
A: The commercial gets to me. I know fresh air is bad for you, I hope no one out there in any way thinks otherwise. Giving it up is something that’s never far from the front of my mind. As for the other grunts? None around these parts but there are a few of us throughout the league, probably about the same percentage that exists in the general population.
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Q: Basketball is naturally a game of runs. Sometimes the runs build up big leads which can be lost when the other team makes a run. It happens to every team in almost every game.
My question is, why do the ink stained (OK maybe chicken wing stained) wretches insist on the histrionics when the Raptors "almost blow" a lead? The bottom line is the "W", isn't it?
It's not just the Toronto contingent of writers (who maybe mimic the fickleness of the Raptors fans); it's writers in every city (which I know thanks to your excellent service of providing links to out of town papers in your blog).
Danny H, Fredericton
A: Yes, the bottom line is always winning, it’s why they keep score. But let’s say you’ve got to chronicle the events of a particular game. It’s often pertinent to way the contest unfolds to report swings in momentum, and letting a big lead almost slip away is often something that should be brought to the attention of the readers.
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Q: Is depth overrated? It seems to me that depth is something that gets you through the regular season. As inconsistent as the Raptors bench has been this year, things could have been far worse if it wasn't for the bench. However, when it comes to playoff ball, does depth really make a difference (barring injury)? The big talk of the NJ series last year was it was the "Big 3" against a Raps team 12 deep. The one problem with that in the playoffs is that generally the opposing team's best players play 40 minutes or more a game. Thus, very little bench vs. bench. I guess what I'm getting at is, do the Raps need to increase their star power even if it means giving up depth?
Aaron J, Markham
A: You’ve got a very valid point. I think depth is necessary in the regular season to work through the inevitable slumps and injuries that arise but in the post-season, I think a nice tight rotation of eight guys is enough. That’s why I’d expect good teams to start narrowing the rotation in the final, oh, I dunno, eight games of the regular season to get everyone primed for the playoffs.
In the post-season, there’s no back-to-backs, not much practice time other than getting shots up and doing video work so it’s not like you’re going to wear anyone out playing them 40-42 minutes a game.
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Q: Long time reader first time question asker (or so the saying goes). I love both yours and Chuck's blogs for varying outlooks on my favourite team. My question is what do you think about the possibility of an NBA expansion team in Mexico City? Why have "our" professional sports leagues not opened their doors to a neighboring city of 20 000 000ish people? I have been and thought it a great place for the league. Basketball is apparently the second most popular sport in the country after soccer, although some might argue for wrestling. Is it a question of infrastructure? Safety?
Nick C, Toronto
A: I think it’s a combination of things. Start with the cost of tickets (is there enough corporate money?), toss in the lack of a first-rate, NBA-ready facility and the general concerns over the long-term economic viability of the market and I think there’s a wariness that far out-weighs any possible interest in putting a team there.
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Q: Hey Doug. Love the blogs, keeps me from going insane during exam time! I just have a few random questions.
1. You follow the Raptors wherever they go to report on them causing you to be away from your home and family during the winter. And you also get paid a tad less than NBA players. So my question is this, Why do you do it?
2. During the summer time what do you do? Relax for a while and keep everyone updated on the Raps? Or focus on other sports?
3. Obviously you're a basketball fan. Are there any other sports that you follow as a casual fan?
Dave R, Markham
A: Yes, there is a tad less in the pay packet.
I do it because it’s my job, one that I’m not bad at, and I still like it very, very much.
Summer? Well, the summer keeps getting shorter but I always try to find time to coach some Little League baseball out in Erindale ‘cause it’s a great organization and it gives me quality time with Super Son although the pesky Beijing Olympics will get in my way this year.
And I’m a big fan of September baseball and have a casual interest in golf.
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Q: I’m thinking that this is (or should be) one of the most crucial off seasons in Raptors history.
Do we sign Delfino to a mid level for multiple years?
What to do with the TJ/Calderon situation? Ahem!… not that there is one.
What to do with our wing position. Eight games left in the season and we’re bringing in a guy on a 10 day? You’re right... this speaks volumes! We’ve got the 3-point champ at $5-6 million who doesn’t get minutes?
When Garbo comes back is he still capable of bringing what we need him to bring from a physical standpoint?
Do we have enough patience to stick with a kid at centre that has a very unique set of skills but not ready. If not, is Rasho’s expiring contract still in play?
Geez! I tell ya, we didn’t have all these problems when we were a 20 win team. Colangelo probably hasn’t slept in 2 months.
Anyway I don’t expect you to answer all of these (unless you want to) however I’m just wondering your thoughts on my initial point.
Rob V, Waterloo
A: Given how he’s played this year, so up and down, I don’t think Carlos is going to get the full mid-level from any team. And I believe the Raptors feel that way, too. I’d say something in the range of three years, maybe $12-$14 million might be a good jumping off point in negotiations.
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Q: Doug, you gotta print this one!
Without naming any names, have you ever seen (this year or past) any relationships between Raptor players and Dance Pack Dancers that was more than just "professional"?
Not that I think there would be anything wrong with that (quite the opposite, it would kinda be wrong not to), but it would give me one more reason to say "man, I wish I was a baller!"
Alex L, Sudbury
A: I’ve never seen anything like what you’re asking. I know very little of the Dance Pak but what I do know is they are professional in the way they conduct themselves.
Oh, and I don’t “gotta” do anything.
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Q: Two questions for you:
The first is an NBA-101 question (since the answer may not be the same for NCAA, CIS, high school, SuperSon's league, etc.) In the Charlotte game on TV, the announcers were discussing that Charlotte was trying to change a player (Wallace??) from a 4 to a 3 (or vice versa), and they were commenting on why it would/would not work.
In your opinion, what are the offensive/defensive qualities required in each of the five positions? And, if you could, which players in the NBA today epitomize those qualities?
Secondly, in response to a comment, you replied along the lines of "I'll get to it later - I have work to do right now." That got me to thinking - WHAT is a day in the life of Doug Smith really like?? It seems that you are always either: posting stories at thestar.com; putting up your blog; responding to comments on the blog; answering the mailbag - SEVERAL times a week now!; and living a family life (apparently on a part-time basis??) Is your job now - thanks to the internet - pretty much a 24-7 job?Tim H, Windsor
A: Okay, the positions
PG: They need to be smart, comfortable looking for someone else’s shot before theirs, but quick enough to get in the paint and get the defence moving to dish the ball off; defensively, quick enough to keep his man in front of him. Two best in the game right now are Nash and Paul.
SG: As it says, a good shooter, probably the best on the team, but also capable of driving the ball when necessary; you’d like him to be 6-6 at least and a capable rebounder. Kobe’s hands down the best in the game.
SF: These days, you need to be multi-faceted, a shooter who can drive and you’ve go tot be 6-8 and strong. LeBron’s the prototype.
PF: A tough one. Must have shooting range and a post-game and be strong enough to defend on the block but quick enough to run the floor and beat the defenders to the block. Tim Duncan and/or KG are the best today although Amare Stoudemire, if you think of him as a PF instead of C is re-defining the position with his strength and quickness.
C: Big, bulky, great rebounder, with one or two signature back-to-the-basket moves. Before he got hurt, Yao would have been the best because he’s also a great free throw shooter so you can leave him on the court in the dying minutes of a close game.
Now, to my day? Let’s just say they’re as busy as you’d think. Start around 7:15 each morning blogging, game nights end around 11 p.m.; practice days I usually file by 7 and then do some mail. But, you know what? You cover a beat and take on internet responsibilities and the job is what the job is. Just put your head down and go to it. Luckily, I can spend a lot of time working from home on off-days, which keeps me around.
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Q: Thanks for answering my previous question about Bargs improving his fouling...I think I jinxed him. Three questions for you this week.
1) Do you think BC and Maurizio would take a run at Rudy Fernandez this summer. Internet reports have him questioning his role if he were to join the Blazers.
2) You are the GM of the Raptors and Elgin Baylor calls you this summer. Straight up sign and trade, Maggette for Calderon, do you do it?
3) If you could bring back any former Raptor player who would it be?
[For me, right now with this team's needs I'd have to say T-Mac]Bonus Question: Would you ever kiss "TheStar" logo, as you enter your offices?
Rahulan S, Winnipeg
A: The Rudy Fernandez thing has as much to do with his buyout and his NBA rookie scale salary slot so I’m not sure that any team that takes a run at him would be successful.
No, I wouldn’t make that trade straight up, that’s too high a price to pay for Maggette.
Sure, Tracy would fit well and so would Marcus Camby.
The Star logo? Um, no. Mostly 'cause I try to avoid the office, and mimicking AI, at all costs.
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Q: After watching Chris Paul the other night I was wondering if the Toronto PG's are as highly ranked as last year?
I don't have a PG favourite (I wish they were both more consistent) but I think they are well below the top level this year (at least in the past 4-6 weeks).
Does BC make do next year with whichever guard he keeps or does he start looking for an upgrade in the next season or two?
Kevin M, Maple
A: Well, neither of the PGs are at the level of Paul, Nash, Parker, Davis, Billups or even Kidd, no. But there are more pressing needs that have to be addressed before they worry about a couple of years down the road at PG.
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Q: Doug, is there any way that Sam can FORCE Kapono to take threes? (Like have everyone give him a few punches in the locker room after each game when he doesn't take at least three good attempts)?
I know you've mentioned reasons before about why he isn't getting the 3-pt shots up... but is another contributing factor his stinginess, not wanting to ruin his percentage? Bosh with more threes than Kapono in March... this is getting outrageous.
Kevin D, Toronto
A: I don’t think it’s got anything to do with percentages. There’s no money in leading the league, his contract doesn’t change if he’s tops again.
One thing I’d like to see is on the occasion he gets the ball a step or so inside the three-point line, that he make a jab step and move back to shoot a three rather than drive and take a floater in the lane or along the baseline.
I don’t think a few punches would work, though.
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Q: Hey Doug, I have cut down my remarks from a previously unanswered email to make it more appealing to the old fella. Away I go:
Your thoughts on potential off-season moves to bring us the more "substantial" wingman (at the 2 or 3) we MUST obtain to better this team and take them to the next level.
TJ Ford (and a daft pick or what not) for Al Harrington?
Would we even want to touch Jamal Crawford on the Knicks?
Lastly...what about Colangelo pulling out a crazy move way outta left field and signing free agent Iverson to a three year big money deal? Would that be NUTS in a good or bad way?
One last Question to slide in...of the four Raptor wingman (Parker, Moon, Kapono, Delfino) who is back next year?
Jacob W, Toronto
A: Is all you do read for your own name? Been there, done that on a lot of these.
I like Harrington but don’t think the Warriors are in need of a PG ‘cause of that Davis fellow.
Crawford’s just the kind of high-scoring swingman this team needs.
I hadn’t heard the Iverson one but they have no money to even think about it.
I believe the first three will be back and am uncertain about the fourth.
Oh, and if you're always talking about what "we" have to do, why don't you just do it. You must work there, right?
Old fella? Thanks
Doug - BS makes some interesting points about the Raptors in-game experience. The first time I went to a Raps game (a few years back), I was shocked at how engaged the fans were. I've been to Jays games and a Leaves game and the crowds are like cardboard cutouts compared to the Raps crowds. I remember my uncle pointing out how many people at the Jays game were carrying McDonald's bags and reading newspapers...I've always thought that the Raps crowds were an anomaly in the city (soccer is too new, it'll change too), so I wouldn't be surprised if the atmosphere has slipped now that they're winning (and a more 'attractive' ticket).
I also wanted to mention the in-game music. If my memory serves me correct, think back to Jordan - Bulls days, they used to play music when the PG was carrying the ball up the floor, but it would stop when the teams crossed half-court. Now, it seems that they play music right through the offensive and defensive sets on both ends of the court. Am I wrong about this? It seems to me that it'd be impossible to communicate on the floor with that music blasting that way it does. Which all reminds me of how awesome it must be to attend a Golden State game...
Posted by: Derek L | April 04, 2008 at 08:35 AM
Orlando has beaten the best teams in the league CONVINCINGLY, Howard negates what Bosh does point wise and wipes the floor with Bosh in rebounding. Orlando has a more experienced (better) coach. Orlando is playing with the confidence that a talented team on the rise with a great record SHOULD be playing with, and is not blowing 17 point leads in important games down the stretch. Orlando has a coach that is willing to call out his star if that star is not being aggressive enough.
Orlando will have a chip on its shoulder because all these lesser teams like Toronto are hoping to get them in the seeding...they will want to use their home court advantage to punish these lesser teams with a little mustard for the home crowd.
Swirsky made a major fool of himself last year when he kept saying "bring on the Nets, I think we can beat the Nets"...(actually, he makes a fool of himself every time he opens his mouth) but he is doing it again this year "I think we can beat Orlando"...how long do you have to be around sports before you "get" that you shouldn't say things like that??
LeBron is suffering from back spasms these days...wouldn't it be ironic if the Raptors get what they think they want: Orlando and then LeBron is out for the playoffs and Washington gets to exact its' revenge...that would be karma...
Posted by: jk | April 04, 2008 at 08:57 AM
Hey Doug, I'm hoping you can help me out here. Obviously playoff matchups are anything but determined at this point but I was just about to pick up some tickets for the two Toronto playoff games and had a couple questions about scheduling. I see that the final games of the regular season are on the 16th of April. Do you know how long it will be before playoff games will start roughly? I'm wondering if it will be the Friday or the Saturday following that in say Orlando or whoever the Raptors draw. Also I understand that there is one day off in between games typically but is for the format game 1 and game 2 in the city that has home court and then game 3 and 4 in Toronto? Sorry for the long winded question but I'm just trying to get an idea of where the games will fall roughly fall. Thanks as always!
Blogger's note: We'll get into this more as the pairings work out but the playoffs will start on the Saturday and the Sunday. And -- this is just a guess, mind you -- the way they've dragged the first round out in the past couple of years, I can see a Sunday-Wednesday or Saturday-Tuesday pair of games away and then maybe Saturday-Monday or Saturday-Tuesday home pair.
But, again, it's not going to be totally clear until the night of the 16th.
Posted by: Luke | April 04, 2008 at 10:50 AM
Re: Entertainment Value Has Dropped Off
Within the past couple of months, I have visited two Raptors games. Once was with someone that was only mildly curious about the Raptors and didn't know the first thing about the rules.
The other time was with a group of guys. Only one was an avid sports fan, one despised watching sports of any kind, and one was a ten year old kid who was dragged along.
I was obviously the one that was most involved, shouting and booing and clapping and all that. However, the game itself and the theatrics around it were fascinating to each one of these newbies. As the games went on, each person eventually caught the spirit of it and joined in the fun of it all. They loved the intensity on the court when it was competitive, they enjoyed the atmosphere, they liked/disliked the fans around us, depending on who those fans were cheering for.
Based on the feedback from my friends, this was an an extremely entertaining afternoon for each of them. Much to my surprise, and much to their own surprise. Are the games still entertaining? Oh yeah!
Posted by: Jamie A. Grant | April 04, 2008 at 10:53 AM
Hey Doug... isn't it awesome that no teams in the West have booked playoff spots yet! LOL thats great.
Posted by: Stephen | April 04, 2008 at 11:05 AM
What is it with Raptors fans and their obsession with mediocre players? Al Harrington is NOT THAT GOOD people, he's a brutal rebounder who jacks up 3's like he's the second coming of Antoine Walker. Any GM who would trade TJ ford (plus a draft pick mind you) for Al Harrington should immediately be stripped of his title immediately. And while we're at it, what's with all the Magette love? He doesn't play any defense, has a poor attitude, hogs the ball and takes bad shots.
A lot of you absolutely KILL Bosh, Bargnani and Ford, two of which are YOUNG and already very good players who will get better and the other who has a ton of potential and shown he can be a dominant player at times, and then you clamour for career LOSERS like Magette and Harrington. How many times have those two made the playoffs combined? Why not go out and trade Bargnani and two first rounders for Shareef Abdur Rahim while we're at it?
Posted by: Serge Papineau | April 04, 2008 at 11:38 AM
RE: diminished entertainment value
I agree with the poster's feeling re: entertainment, but it has nothing to do with game-ops and everything to do with the Raps' game. There isn't much player movement in the offense, and our trademark selfless extra-pass ball movement has pulled a Polkaroo. I'm with Doug - the game-ops are over-the-top enough already, let's not point the finger there.
That said, the in-stadium experience can still be fantastic. I was at the Nov4 Celts game and it was a playoff atmosphere (even KG commented on this). But what's really stuck with me was sitting balcony prime for Game 5 vs the Nets last year - my friends and I agree, it's been far and away the most intense stadium experience we've ever had (including sports, concerts, shows). Check this out:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=jLZfxoNvM6A
Raps return the playoffs, a tight game 5...and then the VC-hating took it to another level.
Posted by: Michael Mak | April 04, 2008 at 12:36 PM
For those who say there has been diminished entertainment value ON the court, I have 2 words for you:
Kevin O'Neill
Posted by: CB | April 04, 2008 at 01:22 PM
Serge, you are a gentleman and a scholar and I couldn't agree with you more. I'll bet my paycheck that Maggette and Harrington are bigger cancers on their best day than TJ will ever even think of being on his worst.
Posted by: Jason Michaels | April 04, 2008 at 02:07 PM
In response to Arnold B.'s question about Raptors broadcasters...
Doug says that the Score is looking to take over more games. I say if they are serious about being a serious game broadcaster, they really need to lose the ticker during games. It distorts the feed, and is totally unprofessional. I know it's the station's branding to be a 24hr news outlet, but maybe just have it up during breaks.
Sure the Score has some good points (Adnan), but they really need to lose the ticker. It makes me not want to watch.
In other broadcasting opinions, I say, "more jack, less leo!" Anyone want to start a petition?
Posted by: liam c | April 04, 2008 at 02:16 PM
JK...calm down fella ! Why do you even bother watching or following the Raps these days ? You just hate everything about them. If we do face Orlando in the first round, odds are that they probably will beat us, but sometimes things don't go as expected in the playoffs, so you gotta believe and hope otherwise why even follow a team ? Why do you always write such negative-end-of-the-world stuff ?
Posted by: leigh | April 04, 2008 at 02:19 PM
I learned to put up with and/or enjoy the extracurricular stuff long ago. I've been a basketball fan my entire life. But there is in my opinion something to be said on that point as it relates to the team this year. It's not that it's not entertaining, it's just that it seems to have less life, if you will. Not enough energy. I find the crowd is looking to jump into the game quite often but can't find a reason to. I think the players are primarily responsible for that.
It occurred to me against New Orleans last week. The run that the Raptors made at the end of the game was like a time machine. I remember thinking, man, we haven't seen a run like that in awhile. Fans were into the game and even the players were. Jamario Moon, for example, was excited enough to yell, "Let's go!" after hitting a jump shot. The team this year has simply not done that very often and I feel the fans are left wondering when they should cheer. It's true that "composure" is good but too much composure may alienate the fanbase, and that's not so good.
I personally wouldn't mind seeing more games like the one vs New Orleans (though they lost). I'd rather that than watch the players go through the motions for 48 minutes and look up at the end of it to see what the score is. The players just don't seem be having much fun. And if it's not fun, the score just doesn't seem to be very important.
Posted by: Eric | April 04, 2008 at 02:24 PM
I think any fan who spends hours every day reading about the team, then watching the team, then paying for tickets and jerseys and Raptors TV and is providing the money for those contracts is allowed to say 'we' Doug. If the fans dont include themselves wit hthe team theres less passion and no reason to cheer or care what happens with the team, i.e. you have no job either. We're fans not customers. Dont be one of those people.
Posted by: matt | April 04, 2008 at 02:38 PM
Doug, smokers are jokers.
Posted by: Dave | April 04, 2008 at 03:17 PM
I really am not a huge fan of the score because there HD channel is always choppy for Raptor games.. The last game it didn't even work. Same with the Cavs game last night. Myabe my tv is the only one, but of all the channels that cover Raptor games that is the only one i have trouble with. Regular cable it's fine.
Posted by: Dan | April 04, 2008 at 03:21 PM
As for playoff home games, normally we would be looking at Fri-Sun as the home pairing. BUT, the ACC is booked Friday the 25th and Saturday the 26th (Stars on Ice and then the Toronto Rock), so I'm thinking they will have to do Thurs-Sun. That would probably mean the first four games go Sat-Mon-Thurs-Sun, unless they play the Magic, in which case a Bruce Springsteen concert at Amway makes it Sun-Tues-Thurs-Sun.
Actually Doug, is there precedent for the Raps and Rock playing a game the same day? Seems like the set up time would be too much.
Blogger's note: No, there is no precedence for that; and here's another thing to think about: If it's Orlando, they can't open until the Sunday because Bruce Springsteen's in the arena on the Saturday night.
Posted by: Sean | April 04, 2008 at 03:45 PM
Sorry Doug, I wasn't trying to order you...rather it was a dare. Friends still?
And I didn't so much mean anything bad goes on between players and dancers...Im sure that they are all nice girls (very hard work being on the DP and a lot of them are students too) but I was just curious if any players/dancers had dated or were a couple. I could see the organization would frown on that because players/dancers are at work to do a job as professionals. But I will say that they are beautiful women and if I were a single player it would be hard to shun them!
Posted by: Alex | April 04, 2008 at 04:17 PM
the raps only have quiet character guys on the team. they are missing the emotional types like jyd or mopete. as for sour players, maybe we need a maggette or harrington type to show that emotion. plus those two guys are very rugged. i think maggette is 3rd in the league in points coming from foul shots ratio. 33% of his points comes from the foul line. whereas kobe drives 26% of his points from the foul line. plus maggette avgs 5.7 rpg. thus, he is exactly what this team needs, sour or not. i don't need to like the players on the raps, i just want them to win.
Posted by: bballer | April 04, 2008 at 04:48 PM
"Mostly 'cause I try to avoid the office... at all costs."
Are you EVER at 1 Yonge Street? Do you even have a desk there?
Blogger's note: I was at my desk today, head down avoiding bosses, but I was there. A boring 90 minutes.
Posted by: Kaitlyn Ethridge | April 04, 2008 at 05:44 PM
hey leigh, first, what makes you assume I am a "fella"...a little sexist are we??
I can voice my opinion just like anyone else and the fact is, I have been a huge Raptor fan for years, have spent hundreds of dollars on tickets and actually have an emotional investment in them the way many a sports fan does in a home team. If you are so dense that you can't recognize anger at what is clearly subpar effort and above par arrogance on the part of the team and a lot of the fans, then I will pull my own sexist card and say it is because you are a typically dense man who doesn't "get" it instinctively and has to have it spoonfed to you.
If there is one thing I cannot stand it is stupidity mixed with complacency and that is what the whole Raptor experience is becoming...the games are circuses for children, the announcers yammer like yentas about themselves (and they are the least interesting people on earth), and the players are barely competitive against weaker teams let alone playoff teams.
It is a particularly Canadian thing, this pompous complacency mixed with an inferiority complex that is boring, already.
Expect the BEST, be competitive and don't settle for mediocrity...hate to be un-canadian, but that's how I feel..I'm entitled to it, and yeah, I'm a female....fella....
Posted by: jk | April 04, 2008 at 07:56 PM
One last thought on entertainment value. The last time I was there, for a home game against the Knicks, my seats were up in the nose bleeds & near an aisle. At regular intervals throughout the game, someone would come and sit on the stairs right beside me and attempt to start a cheer. As the game went on, I saw that same person, and many others like her, scattered throughout the arena. Some 'hired guns' to fire up the idiots in the stands, I guess. Between them and the giant teleprompter above the court (DE-FENCE! DE-FENCE! MAKE SOME NOOOIIISE!!) you start to feel a bit like cattle in those seats...Maybe you can now define a great home crowd as one that excels at following the commands of the organization.
Posted by: Derek L | April 04, 2008 at 10:37 PM
Alex writes "i don't need to like the players on the raps, i just want them to win." I'm pondering this one. I protested when the Jays signed Jose Canseco and I sure didn't cheer for the wife beater when I went to my annual Bills game. Yet I'm wondering how far the nice guy Raptors can go.
This team has really been exposed on a number of levels next year.
The TJ/Jose debate has been everything from interesting to ridiculous with the accusations of "hate" in this blog. Ford has really struggled, but will he grow and mature over time? If he does then he is probably the choice as I fear Jose may be having a career year on offense.
Bosh is a very good player that can be built around. Rasho has been unbelievable the past month, but I don't think he can maintain this pace. Ideally he may be the key to getting an upgrade. Bargnani's inconsistency is maddening. I see glimpses of greatness, but the lack of intensity really scares me. Hopefully he is just taking a long time to develop. The reality is that he has no trade value at this time anyway so let's hope that he improves.
Delfino (see AB without the potential). Parker is the poster boy for this team. A good solid player who should be the seventh or eight man on a good team. Right now he is the 3rd or 4th option on the team and he just doesn't deliver consistently. I like the way he plays but on a better team he goes down the depth chart.
Moon has been a great story. Kapono, I really don't know.
I think this team has really missed Garbo and I have no idea what sort of Garbo comes back next year.
You would think that BC gets blamed for all of this but really most of the team has been significantly upgraded over the past few years. It's going to take some time to upgrade again.
Do we need an upgrade at coach? I'm wondering due to the lack of intensity and the number of defensive mistakes this team makes. I get the sense that the players respect Sam but I look at Moon and Bargnani (intensity and smart play issues) and Kapono (no role on the team) and I question their development.
I guess this year makes you appreciate how weak the East was last year.
Posted by: Kevin | April 04, 2008 at 11:36 PM
After careful thought and consideration ... There is no reason to get all caught up with the whole state of the raptors. We must all just have to accept that this is their 2nd year together and that we are in the process of development. We must accept the truth that the raptors last year overachieved big time , and because of that season we hold up an identical expectation for this season.
So if any of the players are reading this have fun and train your tails off in the summer . And one pet peeve i do have though .. its w/ Sam Mitchell its his job to make sure his players are ready and that they are prepared every game and he has failed horribly(just speaking due to recent breakdown or at the least about 35% of the season) . It's as if he has lost his team due to so many distractions.. After watching the game w/ the bobcats i was just disappointed that some of the raps just looked so out of it. The playoffs are around the corner and Sam has this team still looking like fresh from training camp. They just seem that they are not focus . I mean come on now the coach is so inconsistent w/ his players. Barg for example had an amazing year last year and i believe that happened because they let him just play basketball, almost in every statistical category is down w/ comparison to last year and i think its due to his decline in playing time . We all want to compare Barg w/ Dirk but Dirk got time to develop .
Something is not working because Sam and the coaching staff are not correcting their mistakes. And its as if the whole team lost its faith in one another . To every rap fan reading this post just look forward to next year because BC will definitely not let this collapse happen again. The one consistent thing BC shows is that he corrects his mistakes, and he knows his basketball...
P.S Doug this raps blog is crazy( as in real,real good)
I have a odd question for you ... Do you know if any raps check this blog out ???
Blogger's note: I hope they do, but no one's ever said anything to me about anything written here.
Posted by: chris | April 05, 2008 at 01:03 AM
It appears that Damien Cox may be a contributor to your blog. Either that or Jose has bought a vowel.
http://www.thestar.com/columnists/article/410576
Posted by: RaptorMike | April 05, 2008 at 05:53 AM
RE: Alex L (Sudbury) question about the Dance Pak. I used to date a girl during the Raps 2nd season who used to live who lived with two of the dancers and got lots of free tickets. They have a clause where they are not allowed to even speak to the players. I was fortunate enough to be the sole guy sitting with 10 of the Dance Pak at the Hard Rock (when they played at SkyDome) and had 5 players come and 'speak' to me. It was quite funny as all the did was just look at the girls and try to get their attention. But I felt special that Marcus Camby and Walt Williams came over and said hi to ME!
Posted by: Kangaroo | April 06, 2008 at 06:03 AM