OT: Toronto's next champion?

[LittleOzzy]

I was going to post this on the Raptors forum, but it's just too crazy on that board at times and I think the poll would quickly become one sided.

So I'm going to ask it here, where most people post after thinking about the question first, haha.

Which Pro team will be the next to win a championship for Toronto, when and why?

[s e n s i]

I'd go insane if either the Jays or Raps won it. I'd go buck if the Leafs won it too.

I think the Jays are the closest though, and I'm not taking their good start the season into consideration. The Leafs are still in the early stages of the rebuilding process, and the Raps still have a long ways to go as well. The Jays, imo are a healthy Marcum/McGowan and a big bat away from being legit contenders.

[LittleOzzy]

For me I think it will be TFC.

The team is still extremely new but they are starting to put things together. That and the league is still growing so they can hopefully pounce on a title before three or four more teams are added.

I don't see them winning a title this season, but in another two or three I could see them easily having one.

The Raptors, Jays and Leafs are still a long way off, and are all is very tough leagues, the Argos are also rebuilding and I can't see them putting together a team quick enough.

[oomalay]

I'd probably say the Argos, I can't see any of the other teams winning in the near future. Runner up is the Jays since once they're in the playoffs, it's a little easier than NBA/NHL to make it/win the world series.

[MjJunkYard]

I''d vote with the way things are going "we are unlikely to win a championship in the next 50 years", while Boston is likely to win one every two years.

[evilRyu]

given the choices, i'd say the Argos as well... they are the largest marketed team, and fewest competition with respect to its own league..

[LLJ]

If the Jays make the playoffs in any of the next 5 years, they have to win it the year they're there. There's just such a small window to win in baseball if you're not the Yanks and Red Sox. But in the MLB, the odds of you getting hot and riding it to a title are much better than a team getting hot and riding it to a title in the NBA/NHL.

[J-Roc]

TFC and the Argos and the Toronto Rock don't count. No one cares.

Between the Raps, Jays and Leafs....... My gosh, I really can't picture either.

[LittleOzzy]

TFC and the Argos and the Toronto Rock don't count. No one cares.

Between the Raps, Jays and Leafs....... My gosh, I really can't picture either.

I suggest going to a TFC game before you say no one cares about the team.

20 thousand plus fans screaming at every game proves otherwise.

[Nolan]

I gotta say TFC, we're first in the east right now and third in the overall league standings, TFC is a good team thats only going to get better. Hopefully Carver leaving the team doesn't have too big of impact on our season.

[billy_hoyle]

^ I agree with J-Roc - put the major sports in a different bracket.

Of the big-3 - this might sound crazy but I think the leafs. I know, I know... the leafs suck, BUT they have a frontline GM that seems to always turn things around and build teams the "right" way. Then theres the issue of the hard cap - which leads to greater parity (unlike the AL east which is a horrendous place to be and - all but a magical 1 year run - rules out the BJ's). The raps have some nice peices, Bosh and Bargs are top 5 picks, Marion is a solid former all star, Calderon a fringe all star. The problem is none of these players is close to top 5 talent in the league - which is almost always what it takes to bring home a 'chip. They need to draft a GEM or get some lotto luck, find a nice piece for the MLE (AV/CV/Chill?)to round out their bench, don't lose assets (sign n' trade matrix), turn **** into dung ( kapono for maggete) and then hope Bargs takes a leap. Sounds far-fetched to me.

[Hendrix]

I think the Jays are closest to contending, but not this year. If they can actually nab a WS is up in the air. In the next couple years they should have a very good pitching staff with Marcum/ McGowan coming back and some nice young prospects coming up too to add to Halladay. They have some solid defence. And it's looking like the bats are coming along nicely.

I wouldn't be suprised to see them contending strongly for the wild card the next couple years, and once you get in the PO's anything can happen.

[Mustard_Tiger]

There are only 3 major professional teams in the city. You shouldn't have included the Argonauts or TFC because they play in much smaller leagues with sub par players.

Of the 3 major professional teams, I would say that the Jays are the most likely to win the soonest. They may just make the playoffs next year (or possibly this year if they get extremely lucky), and once you are in the playoffs in baseball, anything can happen.

[Mustard_Tiger]

TFC and the Argos and the Toronto Rock don't count. No one cares.

Between the Raps, Jays and Leafs....... My gosh, I really can't picture either.

I suggest going to a TFC game before you say no one cares about the team.

20 thousand plus fans screaming at every game proves otherwise.

The only people in Toronto that care about the TFC are the ones in the stadium. They get horrible television ratings. The Jays are far more popular.

[J-Roc]

The Argos have more fans than the TFC. And when the Argos won their last Cup a few years ago, the city was hardly all abuzz. Obviously I'm comparing to how the city was when the Jays last won, or when the Leafs win a "game" in the playoffs. I think the Raps would bring about near the same excitement.

[RINSE]

I agree that TFC and the Argos don't count.

Yeah TFC draws great crowds and there's a serious following in this city, but in the grand scheme of things, the MLS Championship doesnt mean much.

[LLJ]

Torontonians like sports that nobody else in North America cares about. Except hockey, where it's only uncared about in the U.S.

[LittleOzzy]

TFC and the Argos and the Toronto Rock don't count. No one cares.

Between the Raps, Jays and Leafs....... My gosh, I really can't picture either.

I suggest going to a TFC game before you say no one cares about the team.

20 thousand plus fans screaming at every game proves otherwise.

The only people in Toronto that care about the TFC are the ones in the stadium. They get horrible television ratings. The Jays are far more popular.

TV Ratings for Saturday

260,000 Toronto FC vs. Columbus Crew - CBC
255,000 Orioles vs Blue Jays - SportsNet
103,000 NBA Boston vs Chicago - Score
80,000 Chelsea vs Fulham - SportsNet
62,000 Portsmouth vs Arsenal - SportsNet

Soccer is clearly growing in Canada.

[tecumseh18]

Best team ERA last year. Best hitting this year. Decent defence. Put it all together and ...

But as someone said above, it is a small window for the Jays. That's why if the Bosox, Yanks and D-Rays continue to struggle this year and we get back a few pitchers, it makes to be a major buyer in at the trade deadline.

Question: would you give up Snider and/or Cecil for a big-time 09 free agent (e.g. Bedard)? In other words, do the Celtics regret the KG trade ... yet?

[arrpy]

Right now, the Jays are way ahead of everyone else. But I would rather see the Raps win before the Jays.