The end of the weekend mail

One more sleep and real work starts.

Excited?

Maybe this will help pass the time.

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Q: Hi Doug. I'm considering making the 4 hour drive to Halifax to watch the intersquad game. Do you think it would be worth the drive? I know the ball won't be that serious but it could be good to see all the new players. Your thoughts?

Also, During training camp are there ever any official opportunities for autograph signings or is the team more focused on training and less focused on public relations in their adopted city for the week.

Thanks!

Jeff M, Saint John

A: You know, in all good conscience I can’t really tell you to take a four-hour drive. It’s a glorified practice with drills and a short game played at less than full intensity. I guess it could be fun but you’re looking at a 10-hour day, I’d imagine that might be a bit much. Up to you, though.

And with two-a-days Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, a single practice and rest on Thursday and the open practice and flight on Saturday, there is nothing official scheduled for the players at all.

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Q: Okay, here's another one, since you asked for more: I read today the NBA is finally going to do something about the flopping. I heard it was going to be in the form of a fine after the fact. Not sure what I think about that. On the one hand, I'm glad because I think flopping cheapens the game. On the other, I kinda think it's up to the refs. They're taught to call what they see, not just the results of what might have happened. If they don't see a foul happen, they shouldn't call it based on a player falling to the ground. Also, flopping isn't a new thing. I remember being new to the sport in junior high and going to watch our senior high team play. That'd be 1979. I'll always remember being awed at this one wiry player who was a master of the flop. Maybe now it's been elevated to a new level, but that guy obviously learned it from somewhere. So question time: What's your take on the new penalty? Think it'll work?

G M, Vancouver

A: Had a couple on this, I’ll use this one and hope the other questioners see it.

I’m not sure it’ll work totally but it’s entirely worth the attempt because flopping is endemic and a blight on the game.

I would hope that officials are able, and willing, to call the most flagrant of flops that are easily seen in the course of a game at real speed.

It’s the other ones, the ones that refs don’t see at true speed but that can be picked up after the fact that I’m glad they’re going after.

And I think the way they’re apparently going to do it – with possible fines and, hopefully, suspensions after a certain number has been reached – is fine with me. I don’t want games stopped repeatedly for instant review replays, I don’t like the idea of a “coach challenge” because it slows the game down just as much so having league officials review games – and you know teams will be pointing out episodes where they think opponents flop – seems to me to be the most workable solution at the moment.

The trickery of the flop is become greater with each passing year and if it takes some league type in the office the next morning to figure out what’s transpired that officials might have missed, I’m fine with that.

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Q: Hello Doug! There's something akin to sadness about my garden right now. The mandevilla, impatiens, portulaca and amaranthe are all offering up their final blooms of the season and as I sat admiring their shades of rose, cerise, magenta and fuschia I wondered when, oh when, I would see such glorious hues of pink again. And then it hit me. Doug's Shirt! And while it doesn't feature all the pinks in my garden, it is bright and cheerful and even during the dreariest of dreary Raptor contests, well, just looking at it can sort of cheer one up. Or cause one to mock. Either way it's a fun distraction. (I know, I know....it's "light red".)

So, Doug, as you prepare to head off to Halifax and really get this season's show on the road, what's your plan for Raptor coverage this season? Big changes? Small changes? No changes? Will there still be IGBT's? And gamers? And off-day stories? And morning blogs? (Whew!) And - every now and then, because we all like it so - a pink shirt? Thank you.

Lorie P, London

A: I wish I knew what, if anything, we can do to enhance our coverage this year. I’m sure we’ll still have the IGBT, we might do something each afternoon of games that’s a bit interactive, or at least informative, but the Tall Foreheads and I haven’t really had a chance to sit down and go over the season and the plan.

We’ll listen to any and all suggestions, though.

And I’m sure the light red shirt’s hanging in the closet somewhere and I think I can probably still squeeze this rather substantial girth into it. So, there’s that.

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Q: You know upon your 20 million milestone hit I saw this article the next day and now I am not advocating for this site to become a public broadcast site to talk about this and that but this girl touched my heart, made me shed a tear and want to reach out to her and just give her a hug. It has to do with bullying, yes we have one for a mayor but he is what he is plus he was voted in but bullying in our young ones is so damaging, so isolating and just wrong.

I remember many moons ago when I was in high school, I walked into one of my classes and there was this girl close to tears, for whatever reasons she was always teased, ridiculed.. Well this day someone had taken her stool and books and put them out on the roof, all were laughing it just annoyed me, I went over to the window, reached down got her books and stool and told her here sit down and don't pay attention to them and no one said a word to me the teacher walked in and said what's going on I said nothing, absolutely nothing.

I just don't get it never have never will, as these people are not only people, but vulnerable so to see this Michigan town rally around this girl is the right thing, and Doug you have a young son, peers listen to peers kids need to stand up, bullying is just wrong not only in all aspects of society but especially in our schools, it will never stop as it is what it is, but administrators/teachers/parents/students can't allow it to occur under their watch.

Here it is.

Cheers.

Doug B, Toronto

A: I heard about this story the other day and was equally touched by it.

I know there’s no question here but people need to know about it.

Bullying is one of the scourges of our time, it’s far too prevalent and needs to be eradicated entirely.

Some very good friends of mine run a website that promotes one of the very best messages we can deliver to our youth.

Yes, Different Is Cool and we all need to be far more accepting of everyone. That we aren’t is a shame.

The start of the weekend mail

Well, here we go again; there’s this, there’s almost as much left over for tomorrow and if you want to get in on the fun …

Click. Write. Send.

Can’t be too sure what time we’ll be around tomorrow, though. It’s the annual Mighty Red Tigers Wrapup Party and buntoss at a local saloon where the kids shoot pool and the coaches and parents socialize.

(Yes, we are truly leaders of youth and shapers of men, aren’t we?)

Anyway, we’ll be around Sunday morning some time with the rest of the missives.

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Q: Doug, do you think that a first round playoff spot is a minimum requirement for Raptor management this year to main their credibility (and jobs)?

Ron F, Toronto

A: Let’s see how the season unfolds before we rush to fire people, okay? I will say this, again, any time a team fails to make the post-season, everyone is held accountable. That’s the case here and with 29 other teams.

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Q: Hello. Does body slamming your coach tend to limit the time you get on the floor? Does the same slamming get you traded for a couple of basketballs and a bunch of pylons?

Apropos of nothing, are you a fan of the 2000 year old man? Have you checked out comediansincarsgettingcoffee? Thank goodness training camp is upon us!

Bob E, Kanata

A: Who doesn’t love a little Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks?

They were a classic.

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Q: Hi Doug. I know that this is not Basketball related, but from years of following your Blog and articles I know that you are a big proponent of journalistic integrity and will hold others in your field to account for being sensationalistic and bombastic. I've seen comments from you about the lack of true professional journalism from the standpoint of not being factual, not doing enough research and reporting false statements to generate reactions. I would really appreciate your perspective/reaction to the Margaret Wente situation at the Globe and any thoughts you have to her reaction statement.

Tom H, Guelph

A: Well, a lot smarter people than I have weighed in on this issue, as you know, but I do have a bit of an opinion, which may or may not surprise you.

Plagiarism, the lifting of original thought and passing it on as your own, is, to me, the most egregious thing a writer can do. It strikes at the very heart of our craft, if you want to use someone else’s point to make your point, make it clear. There is no other way.

These are difficult times for us, in some regards, though. The age in which we live makes every reader an editor, they have access to information and the ability to share it that didn’t exist up until a relatively short while ago. And because of that, we have to be extra diligent not to pass of the work as others as our own. And it doesn’t take much to do it, the use of quotation marks, a simple phrase of attribution, it’s easy; I don’t know if it’s ego that drives people to pass off the words of others as their own or laziness or whatever but it’s unconscionable and I’m glad people get caught and punished somehow.

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Q: Hey Doug. You touched on something terrific today in your column - expectations. They seem to factor into the enjoyment/fulfillment of almost every entertainment in life, from sports to films. (I saw THE MASTER last night and was underwhelmed, not because it was flawed, be because my expectations were astronomically high).

It seems like running a sports franchise is an exercise in managing the expectations of a fan base, within the larger context of a plan to win a championship.

So what are the expectations this year for the RAPS? Squeaking into the 8th spot? If so, what's the larger plan? Gain some credibility in order to attract free agents, and draft craftily out of the lottery to win that elusive championship? I'm kinda bummed out that we've gone through a prolonged dry spell without sowing the seeds of a championship-calbre nucleus. Or are my expectations too low?

Thanks, Boogie!

Adam B, Kingston

A: The expectations, clearly and oft stated, are to be legitimate challengers for a playoff spot, whether that’s sixth, seventh, eighth or whatever. And the larger plan is always – for every team in every league in every year – is to build a successful franchise that is consistently good and can chase a championship. But that takes almost as much good fortune as it does good management, it requires health, solid drafting, good coaching, and some players achieving unexpected suggest.

But as we’ve seen a few times, getting in the dance presents all kinds of opportunities – look at what happened to Chicago last season? – so if you get there, and keep getting there, who knows what will happen.

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Q: Hi Doug, I can't wait for some real basketball to be on. I have two questions for you:

Since I'm moving around a bit, I don't anticipate having cable TV any time soon. I'm considering getting NBA League Pass Broadband. Now, I know that there are blackouts for local games, what I'm wondering if you can ask some poobahs at NBA TV Canada is whether I would be blacked out (living in Pennsylvania or maybe even Ottawa) because the Raptors games will be on TSN or Sportsnet?

Took 5-minutes to watch Antawn Jamison talk on NBA.com. The man looks like he's been in the gym with Antonio Davis. I remember in the early 2000s when the Raptors had Antonio Davis, JYD, Kevin Willis, Keon Clark, and watching those guys line up on the free-throw line was like a string of biceps. Even Vince was starting to chisel out. The modern NBA has guys a little leaner and more fluid, but who's the guy on the roster who will get the players into the weight room the most?

You have to admit -- as terrible as it is for the Vegas guys (I say that not having checked the spread) -- the "Touchderception" was great TV. I definitely stayed on a stool about half an hour longer than I would have otherwise to catch the finish of that game. You just knew something like that was going to happen.

Cheers

David T, State College, Pa.

A: I will ask – or an Irregular will answer because they know far more than I do – but my thoughts are if you’re based in the USA, you should get Raptors games. But others will know better than I.

Who gets ‘em in the weight room? It’s such drudgery, it’s generally a coach; they have scheduled days for lifting that comes from the top.

Not sure on this roster there’s one veteran who can command others to hit the weights; they do it, but not at any one person’s urging.

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Q: Doug: We all hope that the calf injury to big Val won't be a lingering problem, but could you contact Reggie Evans and try to borrow his blue sports coat. I think he looked pretty neat on the sidelines, not to say quite dashing. The jacket looks classy with a boot cast. Thanks.

Ken B, Matheson

A: I’m waiting for the Reggie Evans Line Of Linen Sports Coats to hit the malls. I’m seeing standardized grunt uniforms in varying shades.

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Q: I know you're not the biggest Lenny Wilkens fan – at least not when he was coaching the Raptors. But I tuned in to NBA TV a couple nights ago and they were rerunning an old game back when he was coach. The play-by-play guy (I have no idea who it was) said that Lenny was the best thing to happen to Alvin Williams' career. And Leo seconded the sentiment. I'm wondering what your thoughts on the matter are, being a big Alvin Williams fan. Was this just local announcer homerism or was there some truth to it?

G M, Vancouver

A: Lenny did give Alvin the opportunity and the confidence to become the player he did, and for that he should be given all due credit. Not sure if it would have happened with another coach – Butch for some reason had buried Alvin on the end of the bench – but Lenny did see something and gave Alvin his shot. It was by far the best thing he did here.

My beef with Lenny, and it was mentioned even when he was here, was that he simply did not work hard enough; practices were easy, there was no originality in game management, play calling, defensive systems. It was like he was retired and it rankled.

Oh, that he could be a tad condescending to us writers was a pain, too.

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Q: Hi Doug. Agree with your assessment of the Jays season but I felt at the beginning of the season they had too many "ifs" and once the pitchers went down so did their season.

I don't want to be negative but don't you think Raps, even if improved, have too many "ifs"?

If Lowry brings what we think he can. If Jose can coexist with Kyle. If Double D can rise to increased competition. If Andrea can build upon last season. If Eddy D can get that jump shot working. If Fields plays more like his rookie season as opposed to his sophomore season.

You see my simple theory is those with the least "ifs" make the playoffs.

Your thoughts?

Freddy W, Cambridge

A: They have a lot, no doubt, but so do a lot of teams and I don’t know that all of them have to come to fruition to be a success. Am putting together a list of priorities that’ll be part of our big pre-camp Raptors package on Monday afternoon but let’s just say now that, in my opinion, the biggest involves Bargnani.

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Q: Hi Doug. Thanks for the blog and the milestone that was reached in terms of views. I look forward to reading it everyday.

I had a question regarding social media as many of the Raptors are on social media (twitter) and it appears from the outside in that Landry Fields/Quincy Acy/Kyle Lowry and Terrence Ross have what appears to be a nice off court chemistry. How important are these relationships and can it have any impact on their on court play/relationships?

Monty M, Toronto

A: Not sure how important they are but it’s unquestionably true that the better guys get along off the court, the more chance they have of meshing well on it.

I think what we’re seeing is kids of basically the same age hanging out in the manner so many do, via social media. Guess it’s fun and it has to be seen as a good sign for the Raptors. Of course, a far better sign would be Landry tweeting that he’s playing like he did in his first year rather than his second and Acy tweeting that he’d grown three inches.

It's just a bit too over-the-top for golf, isn't it?

There was a time when I considered myself something of an avid golf fan. Knew the players, knew who was hot and who was cold, could probably rattle off the top of the money list and I’d closely watch all four majors, the big mid-majors and if it was a Sunday, I’d probably be prone on the couch alternately napping and watching.

Now? Not so much. The confluence of life and too many Sunday afternoons spent in too many arenas has turned me into a less-than-casual fan; I can’t remember a weekend when I paid rapt attention to what was going on.

And all that’s a way to suggest that the Ryder Cup that’s unfolding this weekend holds very little allure to me.

Not just because of the golf, to tell you the truth.

I’m sure the golf will be exceptional and it may draw me in; I love great shot-making, appreciate the drama of team play and those singles matches on Sunday are more intense that any golf you’ll ever see.

No, what’s turned me off the Ryder Cup a little bit is the over-the-top fans, the flag-waving, booing, jingoistic fervor masked as patriotism.

I guess it began with the War On The Shore at Kiawah whenever that was and it’s just gotten worse of the years.

I have issues, big issues, with the American fans who try to rattle the European players, I have a bit of an issue about the us-against-them mentality that pervades the whole event.

Golf should be a gentlemanly game where great shots, no matter who strikes them, should be appreciated and marveled at.

I have no problem with cheering for your guy or your side but I do have a problem with wishing ill upon the playing partner, cheering a missed putt, mocking a shot that goes awry.

The TV guys feed into it too much, the writers try to make it a bigger deal that it should be.

These are the greatest players in the game, I think they deserve respect; the Ryder Cup fans just go too far over the top for my liking.

That said, I’ll probably tune in – in fact it could be white noise after I get this done and start puttering around on gigantic Nothin’ But Net-like pre-season preview and Raptor camp set up for the first of the week – but I’ll try to ignore the noise.

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I know I’m late to the party on this new Mumford and Sons stuff might surpass Little Lion Man as one of the favourites of this era.

A friend passed on this band a while ago – my sincere thanks – and this is the kind of music I like. A lot.

Not a lot of noise, discernible lyrics and just a solid sound.

Guess they do do some good stuff these days.

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You know what we need?

Another iconic Canadian sports moment.

Look, as we know, I’m quite comfortable with re-living the good old days, or the bad old days, a simpler time.

But, jeez, this whole 1972 pucks thing is really getting old, isn’t it?

Yes, I was as caught up in the event as anyone. I remember getting sprung from school the afternoon of Game 8 and I vividly recall bursting out of my front door when Henderson scored to celebrate with the other street urchins and I would imagine a road hockey game broke out right after.

It was “the” moment of a kid’s life.

And it’s nice that they celebrate it, nice that it’s remembered but it’s been so over-done in the intervening four decades that it’s almost become a joke.

Every year, it seems, we get stories about it, the requisite “where are they now” pieces, we have been inundated with remembrances for too long; maybe the 25th anniversary would have been enough, but not the 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 30th, 35th and now 40th.

Don’t you think it’s almost too much?

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There’s always room for more mail, Irregulars.

Click. Write. Send.

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I can’t remember exactly what day it was but there was a day when I was sitting on a stool …

(I could probably start a lot of stories that way, but that’s another story entirely).

Anyway, I can’t remember what day it was but there was a day when I was sitting on a stool doing a wee bit of work and I was hooked into a wireless network thanks to my iPhone and the guy one down from me was watching some video on his phone and the guy one down from me the other way was checking his e-mail on his phone and I’m thinking I can probably put away the old Remington electric typewriter that’s somewhere in the basement and I can probably make sure the old Tandy2000 is relegated to some dustbin and how did we ever get through the last quarter of a century?

Oh, and that my basement bar, whenever I get around to setting it up, is going to be a testament to technological changes over the years.

Something like a grunt’s museum except with a wet bar.

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No exhibition pucks games?

Whatever will we do?

Maybe the NBA will take notice and whack, say, four of theirs per team.

Actually, this has turned out to be perhaps the best pre-season of all time for the HOTH, only seven games instead of eight, four at home, only one in a neutral site which isn’t an issue because it’s Montreal and they put on a great show last time.

Besides, it’s Montreal for goodness sakes, if you can’t find a way to enjoy a Thursday night there I fear for you.

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Okay, I need to say this one more time.

Thank you.

The kind comments yesterday, the thanks, the notes; it was almost too much.

But it was so so so appreciated, I can’t tell you how much.

So, thanks.

 

A significant number arrives; thanks for validating what we do

A bit of a digression off the top, please indulge me a few personal paragraphs (boss’s idea) if you will.

I don’t think any of us had a clue what might transpire here when we began this little experiment back in November, 2007; we weren’t sure how sustainable it would be or whether it’d just be a place to park excess Raptors information.

Well, think we’ve found out.

According to our little page-view counter, we went past 20,000,000 some time late yesterday afternoon, a feat we should all be kind of proud of.

Now, I know a bit of it is simply a function of time – we’ve been at this almost five years now – but even to me that’s a rather impressive number and it’s got to do as much with the Irregulars as it does with me.

It’s turned into one of the most fun and rewarding things I’ve done in a longish career, some days we joke, some days we educate, some days we entertain in any manner of ways and, yes, some days there are snippets of news and opinion about the Raptors and the NBA.

And it always seems to evoke response, there have been 20 million page views but there have also been more than 55,000 comments posted in that time; some quite complimentary, some not so much but many heartfelt and I appreciate that.

As we’ve said before, this is like the world’s biggest cyber-cocktail party, a disparate group where if you don’t like one conversation you can simply move to another part of the room where the cool kids are hanging out.

And it’s generally fun.

Not sure what you all get out of it but I get a terrific sense of accomplishment most mornings, I like most of the interaction, I’ve really enjoyed branching out a little bit (not a sentiment shared by all of you, unfortunately) and when I hit the post button each morning, it’s done with the knowledge that it’ll either inform you, perhaps infuriate you but always entertain you.

And that’s what it’s all about.

One of the Taller Foreheads at Mother Star was asking me last night about favourite posts over the years and that’s a difficult exercise.

Remember Sam getting fired?

Or Jay getting fired?

Or Jose-TJ or Jose-Jarrett and how cool would it have been to be here when HWSNBN was traded?

But maybe it’s me and a desire to do a few different things but two that stood out?

This one, the first Canada Day one we did, a celebration of our great land, a chance to do something out of the ordinary.

And if that made you smile (and I hope it did) the one we did the day Yao Ming said he was going to retire gave me a chance to tell a story pretty well.

I take great pride in what we do here; I try to be reasoned and a bit provocative and a bit entertaining and, as the counter clicked past an unimaginable number yesterday, it proved that it’s working.

Thanks. Thanks an awful lot.

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Now … usual tripe.

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Sure, you all probably spent some time yesterday humming Moon River to yourselves after news broke on the passing of Andy Williams and who could blame you.

Here’s another wee ditty he did you might recall.

RIP.

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So there was a bit of basketball and a tiny road trip yesterday.

Gumby, The First Lady Of The Beat and I, along with various and sundry others, traipsed off to the far off edge of the Beaches to watch Landry Fields deliver some season tickets to some fan.

Yeah, that was as thrilling as it sounds but it did afford us some time with Fields pre-camp and it’s always good to chat with a player because you never know what he might say.

Apart from the basic boilerplate stuff (‘I’ll do whatever the coach needs; there’s a lot of talent on this team; we have to develop some chemistry; I’m really happy to be here, yadda, yadda, yadda’) there were a couple of salient points.

One, of course, had to do with the contract – barely above the league average, mind you – and whether it adds any pressure to him:

“Not really. Honestly, with the guys and the coaching staff, they haven’t put any of that kind of pressure on me, and I haven’t felt any at all either. I just have to maintain this attitude throughout this season.”

One of the more interesting part of the chat was about where he plays, given that Dwane Casey is going to have an awful lot of options at the wing positions with DeRozan, Ross, Fields, Klieza and, who knows, maybe even McGuire. That’s going to be quite interesting over the season because there are an awful lot of options available.

“I don’t care, it doesn’t matter. You put me out there, I’m going to do what’s asked of me, it doesn’t matter what position.

“Not really (a difference). Players today are so great, they can do a multitude of things so it’s had to define a specific position unless you’re a big-time centre, I think that’s pretty obvious. I think a lot of guys can do a lot.”

But is it a problem?

“I don’t think so. It helps with defensive matchups; if you get cross-matched you can still guard the same kind of guy. It definitely helps players but it also makes it much tougher because now all these guys are at the same level and you really have to beat out some great competition to stay on the floor.”

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You know how some of us can tell fall is here?

You have to put a jacket on to walk Super Dog at 5:30 a.m.; first day today and while it was still shorts and flipflops weather, a jacket was a must.

Guess summer is over.

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You folks sent some doozies to the mail yesterday but there’s always room for more.

You’ve got the drill down pat, right?

Click. Write. Send.

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Welcome back, real NFL refs. Don’t you dare blow a call late in a close game.

Funny what a huge public outcry over a travesty of a call will do to spur stalled negotiations that end with a sudden settlement to a long work stoppage.

Wonder what the pucks equivalent would be?

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And, finally, one of the hardest-working in show business put together a list of the highest read things we’ve done. It’s an interesting one.

Please have a read.

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Some seasons simply cannot end quickly enough

We were talking the other day about the Blue Jays and it was deadly quiet in the world of basketball yesterday so this is what we’ve got:

Worst.

Season.

Ever.

Yes, I know they’ve won two in a row and the Laffey dude looked good last night and Romero finally won a game the night before but, still …

Worst.

Season.

Ever.

Even worse than the early years because there was no expectations and less talent

Even worse than 1985 when they blew that series to Kansas City and I can still see Jim Sundberg’s triple hitting the top of the wall in right

Even worse than 1987 when they dropped those final seven games of the year to break everyone’s heart.

Worse than them all for a variety of reasons:

Expectations unmet.

Yes, maybe they knew it would take a confluence of unlikely events to make to the playoffs this year but remember the optimism coming out of spring training? Now they’re dead last in the division? Yeah, that’s a huge part of it.

Regression.

I think they have issues in left field and first base and second base and I’m not entirely sold on the centre fielder and they took some steps back that few saw coming. Costly steps because it’s added to Alex Anthopoulos’s to-do list this summer.

Injuries.

Sure, they happen and what can you do? Missing Bautista and Lawrie and Arencibia and a bajillion pitchers was part of it.

Pitching

Yeah, the big one. Nice to see Brandon Morrow emerge, as I figured he would, into a stud and it’s nice to see Casey Janssen get a bunch of stress-inducing saves but if anyone even thinks for a second they don’t need major reconstructive surgery to the staff is kidding themselves. As they say, you can never have enough pitching; this team doesn’t have nearly that much.

Anyway, I like Alex and I like Paul Beeston and I know they feel crappy about the way the season unfolded and the proof of their crappy feeling will be in what major steps they take to improve things this winter.

Is it fixable quickly? Sure it is; it takes good management and better luck but if you hold up the Oakland A’s and Baltimore Orioles as examples, and you should, it can be done. It’s not easy, nothing ever is, but it can be done.

But to these eyes, and I will leave the heavy analytical thinking to Messrs. Griffin, Kennedy and Zwolinski, there is only one way to describe this year:

Worst.

Season.

Ever.

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So Super Son and I are big NCIS fans as it turns out; at least that must be the case since we were anxious for the season debuts last night of both the original and NCIS Los Angeles.

(Now, I’m not usually a big spinoff fan but NCIS Los Angeles and CSI New York might eclipse their originals, don’t you think? But I will go to my grave arguing nothing will beat the original Law and Order.

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Raptors news?

Wish I had something fresh for you, I really do.

But was an off-day pour moi yesterday and while we’ll get some time with Landry Fields and, perhaps, Kyle Lowry this afternoon, there was a dearth of “new.”

So here’s a day-old Dwane comment that kind of confirms what we’ve been saying here for weeks:

“We’re going to have competition at every position. There’s not going to be one position where a guy is going to come in and say, ‘hey, I’ve got my spot, my minutes.’

“That’s kind of the way you want it, it’s going to be a competitive camp from that standpoint. But at some point, we’re going to have to have a first unit and a second unit … I like that competition because it’s just going to raise everyone’s intensity.”

And I will say this again: The one guy I want to see react to true competition, and to raise his game to expected levels, is DeMar DeRozan. He’s never been in this situation before but there are legit contenders for his minutes and his job for the first time in his career and it’ll be interesting to see how he handles it.

The other guy?

Ed Davis.

He’s never had a training camp, he’s never had a full pre-season and if Dwane’s honest in his assessment that everything is up for grabs – and I know that he is because he is an honest and forthright man – it will be fun to watch how Davis competes for a significant role in a crowded front court.

They did a total reconstruction of his flawed shot over the summer – it’s still a work in progress he told us the other day – but this year presents his best chance ever to cement a regular, and significant, role.

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I’m looking at the generic in-basket and Jays and Leaves questions are out-numbering Raptors about 3-1.

We can’t have that, can we?

Click. Write. Send.

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I heard the pucks talks are back on starting Friday so you basketball people need to try this trick.

When Bettman and Fehr come out to talk, close your eyes and I swear you will hear David Stern and Billy Hunter.

Yawn.

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NFL officiating is a farce and the lads are back on the court

To quote the great Frank Barone:

“Holy crap!”

If you saw the end of the NFL game on Monday night you saw the greatest ripoff perpetrated by pretend referees in the history of all professional sport and it wasn’t such a travesty on such a grand scale, you’d have to sit back and howl in laughter.

Short story:

Seahawks throw last possession pass into end zone, Seattle player pushes off a Green Bay defender, two guys go up for the ball and then there’s a tussle.

Two refs – more used to doing NCAA DIII and high school games – come over, check out the end of the play, look directly at each other and one signals interception and the other signals touchdown.

Incredible!

They got to the replay booth, of course, and the verdict is the call on the field stands and a zillion people go:

“Which call, you idiots?!?!?!?!?”

Seattle gets the touchdown, wins the game, and the NFL suffers a blackmark that may never go away.

You all know that I think refereeing professional sports – in particular basketball – is one of the hardest jobs in the world and if we’ve learned anything over the first three weeks of the NFL season, it’s that you need professionals to do it.

Now, I’m not saying regular refs don’t blow calls but there is no way they blow that call that way; the two guys LOOKED AT EACH OTHER before making contradictory calls.

Unreal.

It is entirely conceivable that the Packers, now 1-2, could miss the playoffs by a game, or at least be involved in a dicey tiebreaker, and this blackmark isn’t going away any time soon.

The replacement situation has decline so rapidly it’s not even funny. The game is too fast for them, a lot of the calls are peculiar if not phantom and it underscores for all fans that good referees run games well. Pure and simple, they are the best at their jobs and the product suffers when they aren’t working.

The dispute between the league and its officials is simply about money and for a league with as much money as the NFL has, it’s utterly ridiculous that it’s come to this. It strikes at the very heart of sport – honest competition decided by players – and it’s becoming a joke.

The NFL, frankly, is in a sorry state and this is just exacerbating it. You’ve got a huge problem with concussions and players as missiles and bounties and I’ve warned before that incompetent officials are going to make the game more dangerous than it already is because they are so over-matched.

This whole mess is in the lap of the commissioner and if Roger Goodell doesn’t do something quickly, his legacy will be lost.

End of rant.

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Romero wins!

Romero wins!

Romero wins!

(Words I thought I might not write until spring)

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We don’t get in to see them, but I have a sneaking suspicion that these five-on-five scrimmages the lads are going through at the “informal workouts” would be just undisciplined enough to drive a coach batty.

Sure, there’ll be some intensity – some, not a lot – but because it’s mostly fun and quite apart from a regular practice scrimmage when there’s always a coach around to blow a whistle and restore some order when things get a tad ragged, I would bet coaches bite their tongues while watching.

Dwane Casey kind of confirmed that yesterday when someone (E.Koreen, I believe) asked if he could envision an “identity” for this team.

“I’m going to withhold comment until we get started for real because some of it is good, and some of it is not so good. I like the pieces that we have so far, I was watching the individual workouts and them going up and down scrimmaging, playing pick up games.

“There are a lot of things we’re not going to allow to happen once we go five-on-five but I like the spirit, I like the camaraderie and the guys voluntarily coming back and getting together and playing this way.”

Kind of damning with faint praise but a coach is always a coach.

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You know how we mentioned briefly the list of top sitcoms yesterday?

I’m thisclose to pitching one about the pugnacious buffoon Mayor and his equally bullying but less accomplished loudmouth councilor brother and how all they do is rant and rave and threaten and make an absolute joke of themselves while purporting to run the most significant city in a country.

Trouble is, there isn’t a producer in the world that would buy it; it’s too outlandish and incomprehensibly impossible that no one would believe it could happen.

And yet …

All we truly need is Barry Bostwick and Michael J. Fox to show up in Toronto; they'd look like the greatest leadership team of all political time.

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So, you want to know what Raptors training camp is going to be like?

Intense, with a few big decisions made quickly, or so Dwane told us yesterday about figuring out who plays where and with whom.

“Probably, before Halifax is over with, we’ll have a good feel of where we are and who we want to have. It’s not going to be to the point where a guy is clearly going to beat out another guy, we’re just going to have to have balance between our first unit and our second unit, both offensively and defensively … We did not have last year.”

Looks like we may have some work to do down there; hope it doesn’t get too much in the way of seeing what Halifax has to offer.

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A week away, anticipation and excitement building? And an update

Hmm.

Guy shuts it down for a night to fall asleep on the couch and wakes to find there’s a report out there about Jonas Valanciunas being in a walking boot or somesuch.

Glad we’ve been invited over to the arena this morning to catch up with some of the guys working out so we can, you know, find out what’s real.

And here's what's real: It's a left calf strain, "not thought to be serious" according to team officials but there is no timeline for when he'll be able to resume full basketball work.

I will say this though: If the kid misses some time at camp – and I repeat NO ONE KNOWS NOW WHETHER THAT IS OR ISN’T THE CASE – it’d be too bad.

I fully suspect Dwane has all kinds of work to get done with a group that’s going to include probably four and maybe five guys in his top nine.

This, as we’ve said, is shaping up to be one of the more intriguing camps and pre-seasons in the last few years with genuine competition for jobs and a handful of promising players to integrate into a system that made major strides in an abbreviated 2012 season.

If I know Dwane, and I do pretty well, he’ll want to hit the ground running with some long, teaching-filled practices in Halifax next week (and thanks to all for the recommendations, we’ll be asking more later on this week) and that’s when most of the work is going to be done.

The CBA limits the number of two-a-day practices a team can have (if memory serves it’s three) and there can only be one “contact” practice on those two-a-day days.

That means the other workout those days will comprise drills and teaching and implementing defensive principles that they hope continues the improvement we saw a season ago. It’s where Dwane and his staff will be doing their most important work.

Having everyone ready to hit the ground running is significant – it’s not a death knell if they’re not but it’s big – because guys like Valanciunas, Kyle Lowry, Landry Fields, Terrence Ross and perhaps a couple of others need to mesh fast.

Because once the pre-season starts, and especially when the regular season starts, they’ll lose some of those valuable practice days, the days when the staff really gets down to working.

I actually find myself getting kind of excited with media day and camp only a week away. It’ll be nice to get back to the regular rhythm of a regular season (I’ve banished almost all thought of last year from my mind) and even a wee bit of news to find out heightens that anticipation.

It’ll be good to be back around the gym this morning; it’ll be really good to be back there full time a week from now.

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Who among us – at least those of us in this part of the world – didn’t spend at least a few minutes of our misspent youth wandering around a Sam The Record Man record store?

The iconic one in Toronto was a downtown landmark and even the satellite stores were, I’m sure, must-visit locatlons in whatever cities they were in.

No, they don’t make ‘em like that any more; sure, there is more variety and choice and all kinds of music-shopping options but there’ll never be another Sam The Record Man.

The man or the store.

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The Argos lose their quarterback and the Bills lose their running back and if there was a worse Sunday for football in this area, not sure I remember when it was.

Tough for the Bills, I was starting to get kind of jazzed about them and CJ Spiller; tougher for the Argos, though, because they were becoming quite a likeable team and seemed destined to host at least a playoff game in advance of the Grey Cup.

Now, it’s not like Hamilton or Winnipeg are looking like any kind of legitimate challengers to second in the East but the rest of the regular season is going to exponentially more difficult for Toronto if Ray’s out of any length of time.

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No, I didn’t see a second of the Emmys and not a minute of Treme (the nap was that good) but now I know I have to put Homeland on the must-find On Demand list and they absolutely got it right with Modern Family.

Now, I need to see what’s up in New Orleans in Treme. No spoilers, please, not sure when I’ll get to it.

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Kind of missed the release of the Raptors broadcast schedule at the end of last week; was off doing other stuff when it was put out.

Nothing’s changed, really. TSN and TSN2 have 47 games, Sportsnet and Sportsnet One have the other 35 and it’s Matt and Jack on the TSNs and Matt and Leo on the Sportsnets.

But here’s the one thing that hasn’t changed that’s perhaps most important.

All 82 games will once again be produced by NBA TV Canada so the look could mirror last year’s and won’t vary much game-to-game. You regular viewers (I’m not likely to see 10 games on TV this year) might want to weigh in on that.

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I will fully admit I didn’t watch a lot of W5 or much other Canadian news consistently growing up – the Falls, sadly, was more Buffalo than Toronto – but I did know enough about Henry Champ to know broadcast journalism lost a giant when he passed away this weekend.

RIP.

It’s funny, isn’t it? Even back in the day when reporters were simply reporters and delivered the news straight without a hint of personality coming through, greats emerged by the strength of their personalities and their skills.

Champ was one of them, unquestionably, but the manner in which he emerged as someone we knew and could trust was much different than it is today. He and others rose above by dint of their work ethic and stories they told not by screaming or over-emphasizing themselves above the story.

Like Sam Sniderman, they don’t make ‘em like that often enough any more.

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One late Emmy note.

I heard or read or was told that the show with the most Emmys ever is Frasier and I find that hard to believe.

It was pretty good but I can’t imagine it being on anyone’s list of Top 20 sitcoms all the time. Must have been a dark, down period in sitcom history when it was on.

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The end of the weekend mail

Happy Fall, everyone.

Tough TV night tonight, you’ve got your Emmys and your Treme debut and I’m guessing Treme gets relegated to On Demand status.

Too bad.

Anyway, enjoy this, see you tomorrow.

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Q: Thanks for your comments on Escobar actions, Doug. It is a challenge in men's sport to overcome homophobia. Interesting that Navratilova and other women lead the way quite a few years ago and that this issue does not appear in women's sport. That tells us that what is really at stake here is HOW MEN THINK ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MAN. Homophobia is more than an incidental mistake in this context: it is at the heart of a macho view of manhood, ensuring that men who would be more open, inclusive and (dare I say?) gentle are kept in place: play on a team and step outside that idea of "manhood" and you're called homophobic names. To break up this long-standing system in men's sport requires team ownership, management and players (and the media) to support gay men athletes and work actively to build a different culture of what is and is not OK. It would have meant a lot for a teammate to say no publicly to Escobar in that dugout. What will it take to build this new locker room-dugout culture?

Charles N, Toronto

A: Man, I wish I knew.

I think it’s going to be a combination of things but mostly it will take time, pure and simple.

There have been some baby steps taken – very small but steps nonetheless – but there is a long road ahead.

Continued education process for players and coaches (if I ran a team it would be mandatory every year, at the same time they get media training) would be a good start; I think as part of the mandatory public appearances players have to do a certain number of days each season I’d have them meet or work with advocacy groups.

Know what else would help? I think a gay athlete coming out during his career would be hugely beneficial; I understand the trepidation but that would be another big step.

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Q: Hey Doug: You may not know the answer to this; if that is the case, just throw away the question.

Was listening to the sports talk radio station in Detroit, and they were interviewing Brady Hoke. It at times seemed like he was prepared with answers. Now, it may be it was because everyone asks him the same questions, but it might have been because he knew what the questions would be in advance. That way, he could not be caught off guard.

 

I don't know if your work on TV has involved interviewing anyone, but if it has, does the interviewee know the questions in advance?

Thanks!

Tim H, Windsor

A: I don’t conduct any TV interviews myself and in my normal course of interviewing I don’t tell my subjects what we’ll be talking about; I’d rather have a conversation flow and see where it takes us.

But I do know TV interviewers who will give a subject a head’s up, like “I’ll want to talk about this or that” so that no one’s caught totally off guard. Not saying it happens all the time, and rarely does it occur in things like post-game scrums, but it does happen.

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Q: Topic for stools. Fred Couples in the GHoF with 15 PGA wins including 1 major. Would you say Yea or Nay?

I suspect the halls in general have eased the qualifications, it's marketing, publicists, uninformed voters, lack of transparency.

I want the members to be Great, not good, their careers to resonate as the best of a generation.

Fred? He has had a good career to date but not great!

John C, Mississauga

A: Nay, nay, a thousand times nay.

Now, I have nothing against Fred Couples as a golfer or a guy but when I watched him play, I never thought he’d be a Hall of Famer. Good? Yes. Great? I don’t think so.

But I have a longstanding reputation as a hard-ass when it comes to Halls of Fame, I think they’ve generally become too lenient when it comes to who gets in. Guess it goes to golf, too.

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Q: Was having this discussion earlier in the week with a buddy over a brewski and was interested in your take on it.

To me the sport out of the 4 major one's here in North America that to me a coach/manager has the most impact on IN GAME is baseball as no matter the skill level of a team the manager ultimately controls the game from naming starting pitcher, handling of pitching staff throughout the game, setting of defense, hit and running, pitchouts etc the list is endless, next would be would be hockey as line changes, ice time, etc are all a factor.

Then basketball as in game coach can only do so much but can make a key move here or there such as going small etc that could turn a game.

And last to me is NFL as once game commences offensive and defensive co-ordinators more or less run the show. That’s why to me JF of the Jays just can't be rubber stamped moving forward, as baseball managers do and have shown they alone can turn a team’s fortunes.

Thoughts?

Doug B, Toronto

A: Basically, I agree wholeheartedly, especially if you’re going to separate football co-ordinators from head coaches, although I think head coaches there can get changes made if they see something they definitely like.

And you’re bang on with the baseball being first because there is time to think about matchups, make strategic decisions isn’t available in other sports.

Not sure where I’d put hockey in all of this, probably in your method third ahead of football.

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Q: Alright Doug, it's media day, or the first workouts or whenever you first gain access to the players. Who's on first as the player you want to talk to and why? What's on second? Cheers.

Jonathan M, Toronto

A: Not entirely sure, haven’t given it a lot of thought and tend to go with the flow once the group sessions begin. But I’m sure it’d be a new guy to find out more about them as people as much as anything. We haven't really learned anything about Terrence Ross, he might be first.

And we’ll figure it out soon, there’s an informal session Monday morning and it’s a week and a day until camp starts.

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Q: Doug. I always love your blog._I see that the Raptors on Friday signed Jerel McNeal and Chris Wright to contracts, but that there's been virtually no reporting of this event. What's the story? Don't they already have too many players under contract? And if so, does this mean that they are in the process of completing a multi-player trade?

Stephen B, Kingston

A: Actually, I wrote a bit about Wright about three weeks ago and we had a small item on McNeal and Wright on Friday on the website.

It means nothing. It means they brought two extra guys in on non-guaranteed contracts as, basically, training camp fodder. Happens pretty much every year with every team; nothing to get too excited about.

The start of the weekend mail

Morning, folks.

Have a read of this and there’s more fun and frivolity for tomorrow. If you still want to get in on the shenanigans, you must know the drill by now.

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Q: Hello. If you drafted a young Lithuanian centre, would you contact Hakeem zee dream, and his low post dance class? Or, would you just show him old Kevin McHale VHS?

What is "called" more in an NBA game, illegal screens or travelling?

What court is the best for being relatively "quiet" when there is a dead ball? i.e. no manufactured noise.

Bob E, Kanata

A: Nah, I’d probably let the coaches I’ve hired and in whom I have some confidence get some work in with a young Lithuanian first. And we’ll see where that goes.

Calling illegal screens was the flavour of the month last year, maybe it’ll be travelling this year. Or flopping. Or carrying the ball. Each season’s like a box of chocolates.

And there is NO arena that’s quiet, although Portland is always a game well managed where the game counts first and foremost.

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Q: Hi Doug. Are you a journalist?

Jeffery A, Toronto

A: No but I play one on TV.

I do attract some bright ones, don’t I?

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Q: Hey Doug. Long time reader first time yadda yadda yadda. As a Nova Scotian who has never been close to any NBA related events in his life, I was elated at the news of camp coming to Halifax. Me and some friends bought tickets to the intra-squad game and I have a question that you may have the answer to. I know each camp is different but in general, how are the crowds at these intra-squad games? The tickets are sold as general seating, and i wanted to know how early I'd have to show up to get up close. 20 minutes? An hour? Two? Any general advice would be appreciated! It is a 5 hour drive to Halifax from where I live and I'm trying to work out how early I have to leave that morning.

Thanks Doug, keep up the stellar work!

Adam M, Glace Bay

A: It would be prudent to get there at least an hour before if it’s general seating. It’s been my history – and we didn’t have one of these last year, of course – that younger fans like to get there bright and early to snap up good seats. And there’s generally something going on on the court before the actual practice to keep people entertained.

But perhaps a Haligonian Irregular can add to this?

Five-hour drive? That’s some dedication, congrats.

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Q: Hey Doug, is there anyone on the current Raptors' roster that can consistently attack the basket outside of perhaps Kyle Lowry? We all know DeMar DeRozan is not the guy who does that, for far too often he would settle for jumpers.

Ralph, Toronto

A: Not entirely sure about your DeRozan point, he was 20th in the NBA in free throws attempted per game last year, actually. He was ahead of guys like Tony Parker, Monta Ellis, Lou Williams and a few others that might surprise you, especially considering there were probably two or three times a game when he went to the basket and didn’t get a call.

Maybe he doesn’t go as you like, and I’m sure he could do more, but he’s okay at it, actually.

Other than that, there probably isn’t anyone.

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Q: Hey Doug. Other than the PGs, who is the best passer on the team?

Danny P, Montreal

A: I’d probably put Bargnani at the top of that list right now but am unsure of the skills of the other new guys, haven’t seen enough of them to really say.

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Q: Hi Doug. Forgive a 50% pucks question. If you're the bigwigs at Castle Stern, are you looking on this Hockey lockout as a boon? Can you take advantage of it and poach viewers, or is it assuming they'll all watch football?

Kerry O, Waterloo

A: I don’t think it’ll have any discernible impact at all, actually. You won’t see a spike in attendance and I don’t think you’ll see more basketball on the news. I would imagine some teams would increase local advertising in an attempt to attract new fans but I don’t think it’ll work to any large degree; and anyone they do get will go racing back to the rinks as soon as they’re open again.

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Q: Hello Doug. Reminiscing about the Raps back when they were pretty darn good prompts a few questions. Any idea what Butch Carter, Kevin Willis, Antonio Davis and Muggsy Bogues are up to these days?

Is Boogie still a front man for the Raps? And is Oak's back healthy enough we'll see him again this season?

Finally, what prompted Glen Grunwald's move to New York? Is he highly regarded in The Big Apple and around the league, or is he one of the more under-appreciated GMs in hoops?

Thanks for the great blog.

David M, Ottawa

A: Funny, I’ve run into all four of those guys at some point over the last few months so here you go:

Butch is living in Orlando where he has a handful of business interests and he was interviewed for the head coaching job that Jacque Vaughn eventually got with the Magic.

Kevin’s in Atlanta, I believe still, and he’s got some fashion design business going on.

AD’s also in Atlanta and was, and probably still is, doing some work for the players association.

Muggsy I’m less sure about but he was in Toronto during the Ex as part of a Raptors initiative to bring former players back into the fold somehow. He had been doing some broadcast work in Charlotte and may still be but I’m not sure.

Alvin’s scouting for the Raptors still, was based out of Philly last year and Oak’s okay but not coaching anywhere this season.

Glen’s actually highly regarded as a voice of reason in a rather dysfunctional Knicks organization. He’s been around the league so long (has to be more than 20 years now, I’d guess) that he’s seen as a solid, respected pro.

While Washington celebrates, we mourn for Montreal. Still

A bunch of little things because there’s really nothing big going on and yesterday was lost in a haze of birdies and frivolity.

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Try as I might and as much as I’d like to, somehow I can’t get too jazzed about the Washington Nationals clinching baseball’s first post-season spot.

Yes, it’s a good young team – I really like the Harper kid – and they have what looks like a very pretty ballpark and the fans have been supportive but given their Montreal history, there’s jus some niggling anger and disappointment that won’t go away.

It’s not the player’s fault at all, I know. They just play where they are told to play but even if you like the way they handle themselves, what that ownership did to Montreal will bug me until the end of time.

I really can’t see a way that major league baseball goes back to Montreal, a great city with a long sports tradition. There’s no stadium, there’s no apparent owner willing to do to another city what was done to it and that’s too bad.

But if carpet-bagging ownership had never allowed them to leave, and I find it impossible to think some resolution couldn’t have been reached, I’d say they’d be one of more successful organizations around. I’d venture to guess they’d be better supported than either of the Florida teams and probably a handful of others in cities far less suited to major league baseball than Montreal.

The Expos were cool for a long time. Loved the logo, loved Youppi (he’s up there with the Chicken and the Philly Phanatic as the all-time great stuffed animals) and the players who ran through that city, from Rusty Staub to Gary Carter to Andre Dawson, were outstanding.

So, yes, you can like Harper and wish Strasburg was still pitching but you can’t hope they win.

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Hey, if you’re in Toronto and downtown late Friday morning, you probably could do worse than hanging out and watching this Olympic parade they’ve got planned.

Bay and Albert down to the Air Canada Centre; starts at 11:30 a.m., enjoy.

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Yes, we did make eight birdies as a team and had a wonderful day on the links, even if it did rain for the first nine or 10 holes.

But, yes, as well as we played, some shots did go awry.

Like this.

(And, no, it’s not mine; really)

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They’ve got way down the list again at the FAN590 it seems.

Yep, I’m on the round table tonight, 5-7 p.m., with McCown and a coupe of other unnamed bon vivants.

Hope we talk pucks.

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So it’s that time of year around most NBA cities where the players get their pre-camp physicals and it’s becoming one of the most important things teams do.

There’s some first-hand knowledge here about the depths of the examinations; remember when they found a slight irregularity in Nathan Jawai’s heart that kept him off the court for a couple of months a couple of years ago?

Well, that pales in comparison to what happened in Phoenix yesterday when Channing Frye, after a routine stress test all NBA players undergo as part of the medical exams leading up to camp, found out he has an enlarged heart and will have to likely sit out the entire season, if not longer.

(Here’s my man Coro’s story on it.)

Frye’s case is the most significant in quite some time, at least to my quick recollection, and underscores just how involved the pre-camp exams are.

There are MRIs and blood tests and stress tests and any manner of physical exams meant to both provide a health baseline for each player for team physicians and training staffs and to ferret out any lingering health problems that would put a player at risk.

I’m not sure how long each team has been doing these extensive examinations before camp even begins but it does provide a much-needed service to both athlete and team.

Way back in the day, players used to just show up and go about their business on the court; now teams are wary and protective and responsible enough to make sure everyone’s 100 per cent healthy and able to withstand the rigors of a camp and a season.

It’s a giant step forward and guys like Frye, and Jawai before him, have to be thankful for it.

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Mail?

Sure. I’ll have a couple of hours somewhere this afternoon to get some done and who knows what the evening holds; maybe I can get enough done that tomorrow can be a coasting morning.

Click. Write. Send.

Thanks.

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Reason No. 1,301,192 to avoid downtown Toronto on Saturday night:

MMA at the ACC.

Now, most of you know my aversion to the sport (if they held the card on my back deck, I’d go sit on the front porch) but there’s a bigger thing to think about and it’s this:

At one time, all of these cards, even to people like me who don’t appreciate the sport or know much about it, seemed to be big events; they didn’t happen all that often and there was some mystique about it.

Now?

Now I seem to see fliers for another card and another pay per view event every other weekend, it’s becoming routine and when you become routine – in any sport – interest wanes, if even only slightly.

Or am I wrong on this?

I do know it still attracts throngs to bars that show the fights – I’m quite able to find one that doesn’t if I have to – but doesn’t it seem that it’s more humdrum now than it ever was?

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