The Raptors Have Lost Toronto

[Danny1616]

Another weird Winnie the Pooh post.

Raptors are huge in the GTA and easily the most popular sport among the under 40 crowd.

The GTA has a huge and expanding immigrant/minority population since the 1990s that aren't puck heads, with a huge proportion becoming Raptor fans.

Only when you leave the GTA and go to places like Kitchener, Barrie, Oshawa etc. which are more homogenous communities do you it being mostly hockey.

[PerfectJab]

What a melodramatic post using different sports with different CBAs and different issues as a means to reiterate the same argument that is being posted again and again on this board.

To tank or not to tank.

Confirmation bias at its finest.

[Pooh_Jeter]

Raptors just won the championship a couple of seasons ago.We’ve been a winning team for nearly a decade. Contrast that with the Jays championships decades back that the younger generation no longer remembers, or the leafs last championship in prehistoric times that only senior citizens witnessed.

Even if this is the end of an era, the Raptors remain the most successful team in recent memory.

The thing is, the Leafs have been mostly bad for essentially decades now and there has been little to no erosion in terms of fan support. As much as their first round exits have been a laughing stock, they ignite the city when they are even remotely good.

The Blue Jays have seen a dip in fan support no doubt, but I think Canada wide they have quite a following still and we saw that the moment they became relevant again the fan support sky rocketed.

No doubt the Raptors have been very successful, but they don't have the built in fan base those other two teams have. They NEED that star power and success to be at the top of the food chain. Being ehhh just doesn't cut it.

[Johnny Bball]

Some people lives must be like tasting ashes 24/7.

[Badonkadonk]

You look now and without a doubt the Raptors are at the bottom of the list in terms of sports excitement. The Leafs have had their struggles, but have a star core and have made a fundamental shift towards contention and are playing at home in Toronto in the North division which is going to do massive numbers across Canada.

Seems like an odd thing to post in a hoops forum? Speak for yourself, I totally forgot the NHL was starting today. TFC is cool, but they're not the Raps. And lol @ the Jays, I'll always have my eyebrow raised at them as long as Rogers owns the team directly, it's literally the only Toronto sports property that is allergic to spending even up to its league's tax threshold.

Raps over everything.

[Tor_Raps]

Yeah it’s more exciting than Blue Jays headlines of ‘being interested’ in players like Springer, Lindor and Kris Bryant while ending up that their biggest move is to extend Shapiro by 5 more years.

I have been checking every damn day for the Jays to announce something. Not only were they getting all those headlines, our own management was talking like it was a certainty we were doing big things. Lots of free agents on the board still so let's see how it goes lol.

[Jetfire]

what's the opposite of an and1 on this forum? I want to give that to the OP.

Pure D'Italgarbagio...

[720]

Hockey and the leafs have always been number 1 in Ontario and Canada. Ratings prove it. Let’s not confuse our niche bubble in the gta to the rest of Canada.

[Valard]

Mr. Jeter, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

[Badonkadonk]

Hockey and the leafs have always been number 1 in Ontario and Canada. Ratings prove it. Let’s not confuse our niche bubble in the gta to the rest of Canada.

Sure, you can argue that, but by that logic the Raps never had Toronto in the first place.

The OP is suggesting there's been some shift in the general popularity or following of the team, I see no evidence of that and it's a take that'll definitely be met with skepticism here lol

[rocky_da_best]

You had me in the first half but then inexplicably decided to mention TFC as if they are at all relevant in the discussion. A TFC team no less that has just lost their winningest manager and boasts a team who's most pivotal player is over the hill and on his last legs (Michael Bradley).

[Danny1616]

Raptors just won the championship a couple of seasons ago.We’ve been a winning team for nearly a decade. Contrast that with the Jays championships decades back that the younger generation no longer remembers, or the leafs last championship in prehistoric times that only senior citizens witnessed.

Even if this is the end of an era, the Raptors remain the most successful team in recent memory.

The thing is, the Leafs have been mostly bad for essentially decades now and there has been little to no erosion in terms of fan support. As much as their first round exits have been a laughing stock, they ignite the city when they are even remotely good.

The Blue Jays have seen a dip in fan support no doubt, but I think Canada wide they have quite a following still and we saw that the moment they became relevant again the fan support sky rocketed.

No doubt the Raptors have been very successful, but they don't have the built in fan base those other two teams have. They NEED that star power and success to be at the top of the food chain. Being ehhh just doesn't cut it.

Raptors were still one of the top teams in attendance even in the Bargnani era.

Raptors fan base is huge and secure around the GTA.

Immigrants, minorities and young people easily prefer the Raptors over the Leafs.

You clearly don't live in the GTA.

All you have to do is look at the explosion of basketball talent and youth basketball programs over the past decade. The GTA has built a powerhouse basketball program that rivals some of the best cities in America. You see homegrown talent entering the NBA draft nearly every year.

[Danny1616]

Hockey and the leafs have always been number 1 in Ontario and Canada. Ratings prove it. Let’s not confuse our niche bubble in the gta to the rest of Canada.

His argument is that the Raptors have lost Toronto, not Canada.

I think generally everyone agrees that outside of the GTA, hockey reigns supreme. But in the GTA (the most dense and highly populated area in the country) basketball is just as, if not more, popular than hockey.

[Coco Costanza]

[Clay Davis]

I mean you could say that other teams have brighter futures rn and not be wrong, but plebs are still high off the championship. Takes people longer than you think to flip a switch.

That being said, this will always be a hockey city. Always.

[Basketball_Jones]

Interesting take from someone who lives in BC.

Lol I was there back in the summer. Definitely seems like a hockey town

[Reverend X]

Interesting take that i don't agree with at all

He put a lot of effort typing it up. So it’s not a bad report for an amateur reporter. But next time can use more logic and makes more sense

[right between the eyes]

Pooh Jeter has lost realgm

[douggood]

wrong, just wrong.

[FreshyFlames]

Nice try puck head. Wake me up when the Leafs win something.