The Misunderstanding of the Raptors.

[bondom34]

Hey could be worse, your team could lose a game and get a 10 page thread asking where your top players are leaving when they become free agents.

[BBallFreak]

Believe it or not but I am as critical of my team, as any other non Raptors fan. I know what's good there and what has to change. So I am not sensitive to criticism. On contrary I invite it as tool to get better.

That's fantastic. But this isn't about criticism to get better, this is about jealousy.

As far as your Miami is concerned, I know truth hurts. I am sorry but you cannot compare stacking all stars "buddy-buddy", "we'll take ring on discount" Miami style with regular free agents where player decide to go to a place where he is offered money and prospect to play for the ring. Even than priority for them will always be Miami and such. Not to mention Jo Johnsons and wish to play for contender (like Miami is contender!?).

The fact is that no mater how good your team is, but it's not "sexy" enough, best players won't come and for these not as good even if they come you will have to over-pay.

Cleveland! Sex appeal, city!

No one expects that teams play only players they develop. FA is part of the game, and as such should be fair and open for all teams. But unfortunately it is not! How can you develop talent when as soon it blooms and shows potential it gets stolen from you? Do I need to remind you of Carters, McGradys and Boshs of NBA. Are you suggesting that when they leave we have to play only rookies, because you deny us a chance to get FA because they are not someone we developed?!?. Mind you all current Raps players you mentioned were third tier players who increased their value while playing in Raptors, not before. The only one who was "big name FA" is also the only one who regressed.

I suggested no such thing. You did when you negated two of Miami's championships. We stole Bosh from you and James from Cleveland, therefore our rings don't count. That was you. I only brought Miami into this to illustrate the point that winning is always going to draw criticism.

We, as Raptors fans, accepted the fact that we are not Miami and our road to title is going to be ten times harder. But you don't have to listen what I am saying. You KNOW how NBA fans from all 30 markets feel about Miami, Cleveland, LA and New York. So keep you rings, wear them proudly, no one will take them from you. But let us, the drags of poor side of NBA community, have our opinions and put asterisks where we think they belong. Call it envy or jealousy or anything you like. To be totally transparent, after all I would not mind if Raptors win few titles and Miami fans count them as titles with asterisks!

One of these things, is not like the other, one of these things, just doesn't belong. Can you tell which one is not like the other, before I finish my song?

Thanks for your asterisk. You proved my point.

As for your criticism of Cleveland, man are they ever the sexiest city alive! I join you in that sentiment. And New York, and all their gaudy rings?!?!?! Wow! They're a current dynasty!

This is just more big market/small market clap trap. Cleveland and SAS...they win and draw players because they have someone to play with and a legit chance at a ring. New York? Not so much...

[BBallFreak]

Oh I totally forgot that shameful moment. Till this day I cannot understand how NBA allowed it. But I am man of my word so I am giving him 2006 without asterisk.

Oh thank you! We'll remove it from the championship banner, today!

[gino_giode]

i think its more of an anger towards playoff structure.....some western teams could have brought a better show but we have to watch the Raptors because of the conference they are in

This is the primary reason, Toronto is a team that has capitalized on a horrid eastern-conference; they are rather mediocre. Along with this, the size of the fan-base leads to really, really annoying individuals.

They also play in the weakest division in the NBA. Sixers, Nets, Knicks are like automatic 4 wins each. Boston has become more competitive this year though. But credit to them for winning those games. I recall the Cavs lost to the Nets near the end of the RS.

Anyways, we'll see if this thread gets bumped after game 3.

Edit: Also want to add that I think it's human nature to tear down something when you feel like you've been lied to. When a team is hyped up all season and then proceed to lay an egg, they would get demolished. If the Warriors and Cavs went through similar struggles these playoffs, damn right they'd be torn apart in the national media. I think the hate for the Raps was tapered a bit in the first 2 rounds because most non-Raptors fans expected them to be eliminated by the Heat (especially after seeing them struggle in round 1). It was like "well they had a heck of a season, but this kind of play won't make it to the ECF". Unfortunately the Heat played equally as bad/erratic with DWade being the only exception. I think a lot of the extra hate is coming from fans pissed that LeBron/Cavs are seemingly having a cakewalk into the finals.

[CrazyB0y]

i think its more of an anger towards playoff structure.....some western teams could have brought a better show but we have to watch the Raptors because of the conference they are in

Completely disagree. The Spurs are the only eliminated team that would brought a better show than Toronto. The Clippers and Blazers would've gotten mauled by the Cavs as well. AND the Raptors have yet to play a home game. Look at the NBA League Standings. East teams in bold:

Golden State 73
San Antonio 67
Cleveland 57
Toronto 56
Oklahoma City 55
LA Clippers 53
Miami 48
Atland 48
Boston 48
Charlotte 48
Indiana 45
Detroit 44
Portland 44
Dallas 42
Chicago 42 (no playoffs)
Memphis 42
Washington 41 (no playoffs)
Houston 41

The West is just Top Heavy.

not sure if new to the NBA or just running an agenda.

I recently talked to an international female casual fan who had no understanding of the game (only knew soccer). when ESPN showed the standing she asked me if East and West teams play the same number of conference to interconference games. when I pointed out that you play the other conference 2-3 times each year, while you play your own division 4-5 times each year, she correctly pointed out that a conference featuring juggernauts like the Warriors and the Spurs will have a lower win total besides the top-2 teams, thus teams in that conference will have a harder time reaching the playoff threshold. she then assumed, without knowing, that the still rather even number of mid tier win-team points to the West being the better conference in interconference games. and she was right (West won .516 of the games).

whenever I recall that situation while reading a messageboard thread, filled with die hard fans of that sport, and I see a post like the one I quoted, I always wonder if the fans are just trolling or really dont get the spot they are following.

[mixerball]

if it makes you feel any better OP, people would also knock down heat if they went through.

i am still waiting for you home games to pass the final judgement.

[Ponchos]

Also, The Raptors are one big free agent away from being a dominant, championship caliber team....

I think the fact that you think this perhaps leads some people to get annoyed.

[Ice the knees]

Damn OP, it's just ball

Sent from my XT1526 using Tapatalk

[_jin]

maybe if raptors fans stopped making threads and whining, they'd get a little more respect. But since they cant help themselves.

[tsherkin]

Riiiight... This entire thread has been garbage pretty much from the start, so it's now locked up.