Where they lacked in talent, they made up in character. This was always the least I could say about my Raptors, but no longer. Between Antoine Wright’s public criticism of the Raptors’ pre-game attitude to their lack of toughness, as far as character goes, what’s to be proud of? On a team with a losing record, pride should have been the minimum.
I can now finally say that I am no longer a fan of the Raptors. So long as there was effort, there was a reason for me to have hope. Effort means that steps – be they even tiny ones – are being taken, and that time is meaningful. Time would come to show the fruits of their labours. Time. Time is what I don’t want to lose.
It’s the end of an era. Time to move on.
>I’ve always felt as though Raptors’ ball was an analogy for my life.
Yes.
//
The addition of JO August/September of 2008 was a hopeful, and brave move. It signified a willingness to change the mentality, as well as the direction of the team. They _moved in_ a different direction. Yes, they fell short but one can’t blame them for that. It was admirable. Raptors tried.
They fell flat on their face sometime after new year with the injuries of JO (_experiment failed_) and Calderon (_injuries_). The Solomon-led offense led to their lowest point during Winter and Spring of 2009 which in turn led to predictable _end_ of their season and no playoff spot. It was sad to watch.
There was no way to salvage this. Organization blew-up the team in June and July. They started over (nine new players!). Time was a factor, the star player (Bosh) needed to be convinced to stay so the organization had to rebuild the team to entice him to stay. There were setbacks and wins at that time.
Turkoglu (another star player) was committed mentally and verbally, though not contractually, to Portland (an occasionally unethical, though good team) through-out June and beginning of July. He was pursued by Portland too – they needed a star player like him, apparently. But he made a momentous, and very surprising (according to most analysts) decision to sign with the Raptors. Interestingly, his decision wasn’t “basketball rational”. __Toronto was simply more of a home to him than Portland, even though Portland had great potential__.
And now, here we are in 2009/2010 season. A season with some some good times (a win against Cleveland early on, for example), but mainly marked by fuck-ups, lack of consistency, lack of effort and a Misguided “fake-it”, half-hearted attitude (fans noticed). We reached our absolute lowest point end of November. A blow-out by Charlotte and an ugly loss to Boston with an ugly foul by Pierce on Bosh. Season is now looking like a wash.
Chris Bosh, the star-player, will leave. He wants championship rings, and time’s a factor (he’s pushing 30). He’ll get them with LeBron outside of Toronto in free agency. Nothing to do but cry about it. But here’s the thing, the fans still like him. VC gets booed, but Bosh still gets the lovin. And he actually likes Toronto too.
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It’s sad to see you give up on Raptors, Carolyn, but understandable.
However, as messed up as the Raptors are (and they are – everyone agrees!), there’s something about them I can’t quite place. A winning Leaf team would do nothing for me.
It’s why I’d still pay to see Raptor games even though the outcome is _inevitable_. There are magical nights in the travesty of a team we ended up with – for however long that’s left.
Go Raps Go!
Well.. off to bed.
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//
Some references:
Portland pursuing Turkoglu: http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/06/blazers_pursue_hedo_turkoglu_a.html
Example of unethical action by Portland: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3831137
Reason for Turk choosing Toronto: http://blogs.suntimes.com/sportsprose/2009/07/did_hedo_turkoglus_wife_sway_h.html
I liked the parallels I could draw from stories such as Davis turning around a losing record, JYD rousing the masses with his barks, Alvin’s solidity at the point, MoPete’s endurance and defensive contributions, and most importantly, the team’s sincere effort in their hard-fought losses. They were moral victories. It was tragic. It was meaningful.
I deserve a better analogy.
How is your mom gtiteng you into all these premieres? I’m jelly! LOL! Of course, it could be that I am just in the mood for a bucket of buttery popcorn… Hmmm, do we have popcorn in the cupboard…?Love your blog, the design is adorable! Thanks for stopping by my blog from SITS! Hope you have a great day today!