Of AP and distant Sam memories and more TV troubles

It’s a crappy, snowy, sleety, slushy, yucky day here in Jersey. (Yes, that’s a tad out of the norm). How’s everyone back home?

STEVE RUSSELL/TORONTO STAR

Parker takes charge in so many ways that help the Raptors.

Good? Cool.

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So, how valuable has Anthony Parker become? Is he now virtually untradeable?

I’d say that’s probably true.

Bryan Colangelo was dead set against trading the veteran six weeks ago – he loves is leadership, his role in the locker room, he likes the fact Parker’s contract expires at the end of this season – and AP’s emergence as the team’s backup point guard and starting shooting guard just adds more reasons why they can’t let him go.

If these guys harbour any hopes of making the playoffs – and I think that’s a legitimate hope for the rest of this season – I think you have to put AP on the list with Jose, Bosh and Bargnani of guys they can’t deal.

And that, of course, diminishes the chances of any trade significantly since I don’t think teams are lining up to make serious offers of good players for guys like Jamario, Joey and Jason.

What’s that leave? JO as the only one who could be moved for someone, or a package, that could help.

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I could almost hear Sam talking when we were standing around after practice yesterday.

The chat turned to this week and the importance of the games with New Jersey and Milwaukee and while no one said the words “must win” you know they were on people’s minds.

And in the distant echoes of my mind (there’s lots of space in there for echoes, by the way), I could hear that drawl:

“Must win? What if you don’t win? Is the next game a ‘must, must, must win?’”

Sam did have a point. Yes, games like these are big but, no, the season isn’t over if they don’t win them. It makes things harder, yes; ruin the year? Not so much.

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Checking into the Newark airport Marriott yesterday (it’s one of the staples on the circuit ‘cause there’s not a lot of options around these parts) brought back trade memories that bear repeating here given what’s going on with JO and Marion and the Raptors and Heat.

I checked the handy, dandy media guide and on the evening of Nov. 21, 2003 I checked in (could be the same room) and began tracking down the veracity of a story that broke earlier that day that said Antonio Davis would be traded to the Chicago Bulls.

It sounded like a deal was imminent but a couple of GMs and agents told me it wasn’t going to happen that night. But, as one said, “be patient, if it got as far as getting out, it’s 99 per cent going to happen.”

It took until Dec. 1 for the deal to get finalized but the initial reports were bang on.

Sometimes these things take time to be finalized and as I was told by someone in the upper echelons of Raptorland the other day “be patient.”

That’s advice I’ll pass on.

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A quick question that apparently I must answer:

Q: Hey Doug - you gotta answer this one! When Jose is shooting free throws in practice, does he ever miss? Any idea what his record is for consecutive free throw makes is when he is just in the gym working on his shot? You should ask him next time you get a chance.

Steve J, Toronto

A: I have seen Jose miss a free throw after practice. Not many, mind you, but some have bounced out. And I haven’t specifically asked him about how many in a row he’s made but I’d be shocked if he actually counted.

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This has nothing to do with basketball but I’m doing you a favour.

John Updike died yesterday, a tremendous loss for literature. Go now, or sometime today, and read his story, “Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu” from the archives of The New Yorker.

It’s generally considered one of the greatest sports stories ever written and you should read it if you haven’t.

I know, I know, it’s not some Raptors-Bobcats gamer from November but it’s pretty darn good.

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What’d Dave write today? Check it out here.

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Oh yeah, this is a TSN2 game tonight, remember? Just sayin’.

And since they are dawdling like no one can believe over there – I wonder when they last had serious discussions on this fiasco – someone might want to bring this up.

If there are playoffs, they’ll be held at the same time as the NHL playoffs, as we all know, and if there’s a conflict between TSN carrying a Stanley Cup game or an NBA playoff game, which one do you think gets relegated to TSN2?

I have no idea if that’ll happen – it’s impossible to see those schedules this far out – but I’m putting in your minds now so you can start hammering both sides a wee bit more.

(Not that that works, of course, because fans and viewers apparently count for nothing to Rogers, TSN or Maple Leaf Sports in this despicable exercise)

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Finally, from the mail:

Q: Dougie-boy. I absolutely love the blog. I read it regularly and you are converting my 16-year-old to read it too, especially with your "chicken" mascot wisecracks. Anyhoo, on to my question. Will Solomon? what happened beyond the obvious(that he is really not a NBA-ready back up point guard)? I have not read anything regarding his being lost to the end of the bench, I am just curious. Believe me I am more then fine him staying there, as Roko has so much more potential and AP is doing yeoman’s work as back up. Just looking for Triano's explanation. Thanks and keep up the great work on this.

Bill M, St. Catharines

A: Finally, someone appreciates the Chicken stuff. And I will say that anything that encourages teens to read more is a good thing (Got that, teens?)

Anyhoo …

What happened with Will is this: He’s a 1 1-2 guard, not a true point, not a big enough threat to be a steady two and Jay just likes the way the team’s offence runs in the 10, 14 minutes he’s got AP out there directing traffic. It’s not a huge slight against Will (some of us figured from Day 1 that he’d struggle running an NBA offence with regularity), it’s just a simple fact.

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I’m hearing on the news this morning that LeBron was going on and on about Mo Williams’s 43-point game Tuesday night being some kind of “statement” game for Williams and his all-star hopes.

Too bad coaches votes had to be in by 3 p.m., about four hours before tip-off.

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Speaking of TSN2, remember that if you can’t watch, the next best thing (even if you can watch, you should do this anyway) is to check out our in-game blog. And I’m told that the good folks at Coveritlive have worked out, or are working out, a Blackberry friendly version of the thing that could very well be up and running before the 7:30 p.m. start.

See you then.

Comments

[DougG]

Doug does Jalen Rose know something about Bosh's plans in 2010, that no one else does, or is he as stupid as he sounds, every time he opens his mouth? My guess is he is in some sort of competition with Stephen Smith for number one Canada hater, because we speak more than one language and don't always eat foods that lead automatically to obesity. Either that or he thinks Bosh will leave 30 million on the table, and the role of team leader and number one option, in order to flee from a decimalised measurement system.

[Parker]

For anybody who really wants to watch the game, its always at www.justintv.com. Quality various the full gambit from good to poor.

[Patrick]

Morning Doug,

What do you make of Jalen Rose's comments regarding Bosh's free agency (i.e. Rose's assurance that CB is going to leave Toronto no matter what)?

Is there any legitimacy to the statement or is this just a case of Rose sticking his nose where it doesn't belong and making random statements in the hopes of looking good on TV?

Thanks!

Blogger's note: Jalen being Jalen. It's a lot easier to say he's going than to say he's staying. And about as accurate at this point.

[dsl]

If you lose a 'must win' game, then the next game is a 'must, must win'. If you lose that game, THEN it becomes a must, must, must win. It's a breach of etiquette to jump straight from 'must win' to 'must, must, must win', much like jumping from double dare all the way to triple dog dare.

With thanks to the writers from A Christmas Story...

[Aaron Campbell]

Call Rogers and get a $20 discount off your bill for not having TSN 2 yet. I did it once and I'm going to call them again because this is ridiculous.

Oh and the best thing to do would be to watch American Idol or whatever during the game and switch to Raptor TV to watch game in an hour at 11 or 12 tonight. At least you don't have to watch a game for two and a half hours if they stink up the joint(although I do think with a healthy line-up they will do OK).

[FK]

Hi Doug - I just wanted to say, an alternative for Rogers customers other that reading the blog for updates is to watch the game live on http://www.justin.tv/

Its a neat site that streams live feeds of sports around the world - including on bush league channels like TSN 2

[Richard]

RE: TSN2: I always go to St. Louis bar up at the Annex about 1 block 1/2 west of spadina on north side of Bloor St. W. They show all the Raptors games with volume - Leaf game or no Leaf game! Tom the bar manager is a Raptors fan as it turns out. For the games on TSN2, the bar shows the Dishnet satellite feed from the U.S. side. They haven't missed a Raps game all year. Oh yeah, great cold tall boys and the wings are killer! Come by.

[gdr]

This TSN2 fiasco has gone on long enough. Its obvious that all parties involved could care less about the REAL fans as they try and squeeze out more money from the other side. Come'on, let us watch our beloved Raptors! I continue to write emails to both sides, but now I don't even get a response (back in Oct/Nov, automatic emails or personalized responses were sent days after my initial emails).

Unfortunately, if this lasts longer than the end of January, I will not be renewing my season's tickets for next season. MLSE does not deserve another penny from my pocket if this is how their paying fans in the team's hometown are treated. I hope others will follow my lead and that he "SUITS" of all parties are listening!

[Matt G]

Cogitate? Not surprisingly, given my own limited vocabulary, I had to look it up. But I am suprised the readership of the Star-Ledger will know even how to spell merriam-webster.com never mind understand the meaning of 'cogitate'.

[Jacques]

who do you think is on the Raps roster for the start of the 09/10 season.

Blogger's note: Too early to tell, actually

[wes]

I just checked NBA.com and saw that Steve Francis has been released. I know this is the guy who refused to play for vancouver coming out of college, so the prospect of him playing for the raps is nil. with that said, i just wanted to be the first to tell everybody that BC would probably consider Andy Rautins over Steve Francis right now. A bad locker room guy, injury prone, selfish on the court, 10 inches off his once impressive vertical and a serious dislike of our glorious country. So before anyone writes you with the "we should sign francis" idea, let them read this first.

[Chi of Steel]

"Sometimes these things take time to be finalized and as I was told by someone in the upper echelons of Raptorland the other day “be patient.”

That’s advice I’ll pass on."

Sorry, Doug. Did you mean that's advice you're passing along to us? Or are you taking a pass on it?

Blogger's note: Passing along for your information

[Talha]

Doug, do we need to install anything on our BlackBerry to read the blog? Or, do we just go to thestar.com from there and navigate to the sports page? Thanks.

Blogger's note: Far as I know, there's nothing to add; but I'm not nearly literate enough to know for sure

[Alex]

I really hope AP comes back next year. From day 1 in Toronto he has been the epitome of professionalism and has been steady on the court. Maybe he has to come off the bench covering the 1 and 2 but his contributions go beyond just his play.
I was wondering, if the Heat pick up O'Neal for this year and next who will they have play the 3? I guess it will go to one of their rooks who will face a steep learning curve. I have trouble understanding this deal from Miami's point of view.
Looking forward to the live blog. It would be cool if they gave you the ability to see how many people were on it and maybe a little map showing where people are around the world.

[Jojo]

Called Rogers last night and got a couple free promotions for the next 3 months (extended the HD pack from a promotion that was expiring and picked up the $41 all channel promotion), and if the situation isn't resolved in 3 months I will call again and demand free stuff. I'd rather be able to watch the Raps games but any Rogers subscriber who isn't at least getting some free stuff out of Rogers is missing out. Just tell them you're thinking of cancelling and going to Bell.

I would switch to Bell but it's too much of a pain in the butt and ultimately I'm most upset with MLSE who should have guaranteed something like this wouldn't happen before they signed the contracts.

[Brian]

RE: TSN2 yes, I got a discount on my Rogers bill after my continual harassment of them, which I have no qualms about. Even after getting the discount I told them that this was not the end, but I did politely thank them for throwing me a small bone. What irritates me to no end on this whole matter is that it can be easily resolved through mediation, as when two sides are at complete odds in negotiations, all it takes is an agreed upon mediator to settle the whole thing once and for all.

If the Raptors make the playoffs and are on TSN2 I will have no choice but to scout out a bar to watch it and support some of my local businesses. What kills me is that I can't get out of the house some nights with my kids until the game is well underway, so I will have to listen to the first half on my radio, or catch it on your blog via my blackberry.

The bottom line is that the fans are being completely inconvenienced on all levels, and the backlash has already happened. Some have walked from Rogers, some have stuck it out but gotten discounts on their bills, and the silent majority has probably griped about it and done nothing, but the sour taste of the way they were treated will linger on and be felt for many years to come by the powers at be.

Sorry for the rant but I just can't understand how supposedly major corporations could screw things up this badly for so long with no end in sight. It is truly astonoshing.

[Andy]

What did you think of the Laker's loss?

Blogger's note: Looked like a heckuva game

[Ryan]

Doug, can you draw? Because reading the game online is something not so much fun, but if you at least use stick figures to show what's happening...

No I'm not serious lol but this TSN2 thing... imagine if this happened to the Leafs!

[Aaron F]

Doug,
Please inform your loyal readers that most raptors games can be viewed for free at.ATDHE.NET
I've been watching all the games that they had on TSN2.

Aaron

[Casey]

Doug, no doubt your in game blog is great, but the second best option to watching it on TV has to be listening to it on the radio. I don't recall you giving that out as an option too often, do you have a bone to pick with Paul or Eric?

Blogger's note: No, not at all

[Leigh]

Hey Doug,

Can you explain why some people think including Marcus Banks in a JO-Marion trade is getting everyone all worked up? Would adding his 5mil/year salary really going to the kill the raptors chances of doing anything?

Blogger's note: No, not really

[Bernard]

So I heard this morning on the radio about the Jalen Rose comments and another caller talking about a D-league player who grew up with Bosh saying that "100% Bosh is leaving for NY or Dallas in 2010" and Eric Smith is saying maybe they should consider trading him and that Collangelo better get a wink wink commitment from Bosh soon or chance loosing him for nothing.

So I'm thinking about it and is it really the end-all if Bosh does leave in 2010?

With all the cap space can we get someone like Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Amarie Stoudemire, Yao Ming, Manu Ginobli or some other stars to fill the void and make Bargnani the centre piece of the team instead?

Wouldn't the cap relief from not resigning Bosh be as useful to Collangelo as trading him considering the years free agents available?

[J.Lee]

Hi Doug,

Trading Anthony Parker would be a good idea since his emergence as a back-up point guard along as a starting shooting guard. I would absolutely hate to see him go however he is at his highest value right at the moment. With the expiring contract up at the end of this season, teams must be conveting his services. I believe he is on is downward slide into his career and is the time to trade him along with O'Neal. Maybe not with a package deal together but to different teams. Its something to ponder about, it has to be intriguing.

[City Country]

Just quoting myself from the end of last week, as I think this deserves reposting, and people should call in. I challenged them a lot, including on whether they are 'in negotiations' at all, whether they care about the customer or only perceived loss of $ (or lack thereof), etc.

Hey, everyone in Toronto, call Rogers (1-888-ROGERS1 (1-888-764-3771)) and complain about the TSN2 fiasco. Just sound pissed and they'll give you 20% off your tv/internet bill for the next 12 months (I told them the 24 missed games is worth more than the $100 saved to me, and that I still was very unsatisfied, that Rogers isn't trying to negotiate due to an evaluated inconsequential market and is keeping the story out of any media they control, but hey it's something). Also, the customer service rep told me that while a fair amount of people called about TSN2 back in November, not very many have been lately (which helps them take the stance that it doesn't really matter), so if you care about not seeing the games, give them a call!

[Patrick]

I love my STarChoice and my TiVO. All channels all the time and I still have a social life and can watch the games at my convenience. The only downside is no one is allowed to listen to the radio or watch a channel that may give away the outcome of the game until I am safely in my Man-Cave :-)
Great Work on the Blog Doug, so much less fan angst, and that with only 2 wins under our belt. Can't wait for the ticker tape parade when we hit 3

Blogger's note: Or the angst-overload if You Know Who gets 35 and they lose