How Canada, and NBA fans, see Toronto:
This is the time of year when the media like to go over how the rude Raptors tried to steal The Fort from Boston by exchanging damaged goods.
When Raptors management used profanity to insult Paul Pierce, that would have been more than enough for basketball fans to know the Raptors had a problem, but it was known to many long before then.
When the Raptors managed to defeat the injury-depleted Atlanta team recently, the "coach" of the Raptors launched into a profanity-filled attack on the Atlanta coach, after the Toronto players went out of their way to disrespect the Atlanta team during the game. There is certainly a pattern of rudeness, among management, staff and fans of the unnecessary and problem-causing Toronto basketball team. Not long after, a Miami Heat team with their heroic center from Kamloops visited Toronto, and Raptors like Ibaka and DeRozan were throwing punches. The locals there must have thought they were watching NHL, with all the fisticuffs and the Toronto team losing in an embarrassing fashion.
Was talking to Pat Benatar a while ago, and didn't mention the NBA. Her songs, they could explain NBA teams. The Celtics, All Fired Up. The Cavs with Delonte West, Love Is A Battlefield. The Celtics, Invincible. Mike D'Antoni teams, You Better Run. The Raptors, I Want Out.
To have a team in Toronto brings down the standard of the NBA so much, it is just terrible that the real teams of the league have to put up with it.
Cedric Maxwell used to say that you needed to treat other NBA teams the same way you would someone robbing your house in the middle of the night. He was fortunate enough to play in the NBA before reckless expansion allowed in too many teams, and the Raptors.
Larry Bird would say that if you didn't play for the Celtics you didn't really play NBA basketball. Just imagine what his thoughts would be towards the Raptors, as fortunately they did not exist as Stern's mistake when Bird played and saved the sport.
To bring balance to the NBA, teams need to be deleted. At least two, probably four, maybe more, so the standard of the NBA can be what it was in the 1980s. Unlikely to happen, the money element of it all, so relocation is at least something that fans and owners and players can get behind. If no players want to play in Toronto, and that is a very understandable and logical request, then the team has to go. Seattle, there are still NBA fans there.
A basketball team in Toronto, it makes as much sense as a hockey team in Atlanta, a CFL team in Alabama or a baseball team in Montreal.
Don't just take the word of NBA players for what a disgrace Toronto is to the league, take the many words of the many NBA players who were forced to play for Toronto.
Damon Stoudamire, "I Want Out". He certainly did. Can't blame him, the place was a mess, on the court and off the court. He was the only point guard on their roster, how does that happen? Demanded a trade, he rejoiced when the trade happened.
BJ Armstrong, "I Want Out". Wanted out before he got there, the smartest move of his career. BJ Armstrong is to player agents what the Toronto Raptors are to NBA teams.
Kenny Anderson, "I Want Out". Retirement or playing for the Raptors, an easy choice. Would go on to play in many heroic playoff games for the Celtics.
Marcus Camby, "I Want Out". The coach of the Raptors would file a lawsuit against Camby after he was traded away. Nobody can say the Raptors are a real NBA franchise with that going on. Camby knew the place was somewhere he didn't want to be the second he arrived. A lawsuit against a player from a former coach, could only happen in the city that arrested New York Yankee Dave Winfield for throwing a baseball at a baseball game.
Gary Trent, "I Want Out". They traded for a mini-Shaq and then didn't use him properly. As soon as he could, he got out and headed to Dallas, where his shooting numbers and his cheerfulness both increased.
Tracy McGrady, "I Want Out". Toronto played him in the wrong positions, tried to trade him for Jerry Stackhouse, fired and traded away his friends, made him talk French, and he was just out of high school when they did all this to him. As there was only one basketball used on the court, and he didn't see a lot of it, it was off to Orlando for him.
Alvin Williams, "I Want Out". He wanted a team that would use him, the Raptors traded him away and said it was good that he was gone. He was injured, no trade, and he went back to Toronto.
Doug Christie, "I Want Out". Not exactly how his wife planned for his NBA career to go. She made sure that they were headed to California as soon as possible.
Kevin Willis, "I Want Out". Raptors spent two first round picks to get him, dumped him in package for Keon Clark not long after. First the Raptors told him he was the center of the franchise, and then he was told he was just a backup, then he was dumped. Happy to get away.
Charles Oakley, "I Want Out". Oak never wanted to be there in the first place. Went from the big media spotlight of NYC to the least important basketball market there was. Was insulted by the mother of a Toronto Raptor. He was a hard-working professional player for Toronto and happy to leave.
Chris Childs, "I Want Out". Hated Toronto so much he took a pay cut to live in New Jersey than stay in Toronto. The last shot he took in a Raptors uniform is the most famous shot attempt in Canadian basketball ever.
Vince Carter, "I Want Out". They turned Antawn Jamison into Vince Carter, but would later turn Vince Carter into Aaron Williams and Eric Williams. The Raptors repeatedly let Carter down, and for him it would mean concerts and graduation events were more important that Toronto NBA games. He certainly wanted out, and had a big grin when it happened, even though he landed in New Jersey.
Alonzo Mourning, "I Want Out". The Raptors have a long history of paying their former players to go elsewhere to win NBA championships, and he is on that list. Wanted out so much he didn't even arrive to tell them he wanted out.
Lamond Murray, "I Want Out". Lamond would later explain to NBA fans that Toronto was considered by players to be the dumping ground of the NBA, where careers went to die. Toronto was like Siberia in the Soviet Union, so maybe cold and no basketball talent, was another description he had. They said they would trade him, then didn't trade him, he was injured and they didn't look after him, they suspended him for not defending, they kept changing coaches, of course he wanted out.
Antonio Davis, "I Want Out". Jonathan Bender or another potential superstar could have been added, but the Raptors instead traded for Davis. They forced the Metric System onto him and his family, he did not appreciate that. Went from a title contender, which would have contended if not for NYC referees, to an obscure expansion team.
John Salmons, "I Want Out". There was a time when the Raptors showered him with a gigantic contract offer, and he said no because he did not want to go there. Later, he would be traded there. He got away as quick as he could.
Michael Bradley, "I Want Out". A superstar in the post, got to the Raptors and they didn't know how to use him. Ruined his career.
Rafer Alston, "I Want Out". Had a lot of trouble with the Raptors, and was certainly glad when he got away from there.
Lindsey Hunter, "I Want Out". Kareem Rush and others were in a draft night deal, and Hunter went to Toronto. He was not impressed. From the bright lights of the Lakers, to the igloos and baby seals of Canada.
Donyell Marshall, "I Want Out". Had some amazing games for Toronto but then for no reason they cut his minutes in half. Donyell then happily moved to Cleveland on less money to escape the Raptors.
Jalen Rose, "I Want Out". He hated Toronto more than he hated Duke players or road laws.
Chris Bosh, "I Want Out". All the money, all the shots, all everything that Toronto has to offer, or go to Miami to be the overlooked third banana, he chose Miami. The lesson, better to be a banana than a basketball player in Toronto.
Rafael Araujo, "I Want Out". A big and powerful center, a lottery pick, but when he got to Toronto they just didn't want to use him. Another young player with a career derailed by Toronto.
Joey Graham, "I Want Out". A swingman who scored with good percentages should be someone that a team likes, but the Raptors never gave him the minutes he deserved and he left as a free agent when he could.
Charlie Villanueva, "I Want Out". So many skills, but he was drafted by Toronto when his game and position was the exact same as the only useful player on the team. He got out after a year.
Hedo Turkoglu, "I Want Out". He was tricked into signing there, after being very close to a deal with another team, but after he arrived he knew it was a mistake and he had to get out. His family refused to go to Toronto.
Predrag Stojakovic, "I Want Out". Raptors paid him to win with Dallas. He was excited to get out of Toronto.
Jermaine O’Neal, "I Want Out". Could have had a future All-Star center, but gave them to Larry Bird and got old O'Neal. He did not want to be there.
Shawn Marion, "I Want Out". Got out as quick as he could.
P.J. Tucker, "I Want Out". He learned, although it did take him a second visit to figure out that when you can get out of Pig City, Oink Ville, Hog Town, whatever it is, you go, to Houston.
Andrea Bargnani, "I Want Out". Bargnani rightfully said, the Raptors are "the worst team in the NBA." His career was mismanaged by the Raptors, telling him to get stronger to play center one week and then starting him at small forward the next.
DeMarre Carroll, "I Want Out". A star for Atlanta, he knew how to play a team game. When he ended up in Toronto, he thought it was terrible. When he complained about their fixation with "Iso-Ball", some on his team didn't pass him the ball. They didn't pass him the ball before he said that either.
Terrence Ross, "I Want Out". Hit his free throws and 3pointers, unlike most swingmen on his team, but they didn't play him. Might have called DeMar DeIso DeRozan a liar recently.
Bruno Caboclo, "I Want Out". Had such athletic potential, but being drafted by Toronto has ended his enthusiasm for the entire sport of basketball.
Sad, the levels of sadness Toronto fans exist at.
Crying, acting like babies, it got so bad that they actually were asked by the Raptors franchise to wear baby bibs and diapers.
The fans sometimes throw a tantrum on the actual basketball court.
It isn't a weekly event, but happens two or three times a month.
Oh, how I remember visiting the Boston Garden and the new Boston Garden and understanding what greatness, teamwork, success, power, respect, politeness, history, tradition, architecture, winning and safe public transportation were all about.
How I remember visiting Maple Leaf Gardens and Le Air Canada Centre?
Oh, how I remember visiting Key Arena. Fresh air, knowledgeable basketball fans, good food, a safe area, a monorail, a giant fountain, helpful venue staff, exciting games, a payphone outside that took American quarters, it was the opposite of Toronto. Really, Seattle is so much more deserving of NBA basketball than Toronto is.
Here can be seen the difference between attending the NBA in Toronto versus Seattle. One time, for some unknown reason, thought seeing a Raptors game would be a good idea. Arrived in the country a bit late and the game had already started. The entire Air Canada Centre was locked up. Nobody allowed in, nobody allowed out. Must be scared of all the crime around the stadium. Eventually, after politely knocking, some teenager wandered over and let me in. The Raptors lost, so it was definitely worth going for that, although the horrible food and seating and entertainment wasn't something fans would want. The local fans, those who were not drunk seemed to have no idea what basketball was. The drunk ones, they thought they were at the hockey. I was speechless, had no idea what to say as I was lining up to buy a Whopper when a local appeared and told me, "ma maple leaf (hiccup) is dit ma team! (hiccup)".
Going to see the NBA in Seattle, so different. Let in late or as scheduled, and the best fun was being allowed in before the official opening time. An elderly black guy would let me and other fans in 20 or 30 minutes early. He would also insult a certain immigrant group, as they were never nice or polite to him. He was a very funny guy. I could then walk around the court as the teams were warming up, or go and talk to the players. They used to allow the children to line up and shoot free throws at the home team end of the court, which I thought was polite. Exciting games, good food, great customer service, and while the stadium was often said to be a reason why the team should leave it was actually much cleaner, comfortable, and fan-friendly than many other NBA venues.
They have a tower, some locals will point to that as some odd idea that Toronto is a good place. Guess what, Seattle has a tower. If you leave Le Air Canada Centre and turn left, after going past drug dealers and homeless and homeless drug dealers, you will come to this eerie CN Tower area. Then you go back the other way, find a taxi, and the Third World driver is angry and sad as they wonder why they left their country for this, and then they kick your bag because you were not going to the airport. Leave Key Arena at night, walk on over to the Space Needle, you see people wearing tuxedos and other high-fashion items, and you can get a taxi right there. The taxi is driven by a Third World driver who is grateful they escaped their former country, and gets to live where Elvis made a movie about the World's Fair. Also, comparing the dance teams, no contest. At a Raptors game, I saw a father shielding the eyes of his son during one of the timeout breaks. I thought it was because of the inappropriate strange movements the dancers were going through. Then I heard him say to his child, "Those women are so ugly, you don't want to see that." The Sonics Dance Team, it was like twelve Christie Brinkleys.
In the universe aligning and wrongs being corrected, Memphis would move into the East and the new relocated to Seattle team would replace them in the West. Vancouver, who had been sabotaged mightily behind the scenes by the Raptors when they entered the league, will have gone one way and the Raptors would have gone the opposite direction when they land in Seattle.
As very few people in Toronto speak English or can afford electricity, thanks to Raptors superfan Kathleen Wynne, the local NBA team leaving won't even be noticed. But, a team arriving in Seattle, there would be celebrations among the fans who were ripped off when that coffee shop team owner did his tricks and moved their previous team.
A team name that went extinct a really, really long time ago being replaced by a team name that represents great technological achievement and tremendous speed, lift and power. It would be a win for the NBA, as well as Seattle, and the fans in Vancouver who could drive south for games again too. There was never anything Super about the purple dinosaur basketball team.
Everything that makes Toronto unliveable for the locals makes it terrible for NBA players forced to be there, unless they are so grossly-overpaid that some of it becomes bearable. The taxes, the weather, the languages, just a terrible burden on NBA players. The franchise, just doesn't belong in the NBA, one draft plan they had was to get Olivier Saint-Jean with their lottery pick. The only depth they had was at the position he tried to play, but they wanted him as he spoke French.
The frustration of trying to switch your phone over to Metric.
What you want to do when you get the first pick.
The Raptors said they would be like the Knights of the Round Table, but nobody remembered to order the table.
That restaurant has some good pizza. All you can eat, around $8, tasty.
The first Toronto player to dive for a loose ball.
They traded him away because his effort and unselfishness made the other players look bad.
When Raptors fans talk about their best roster, they point to this one.
He learned English his whole life so he could fit in when he played in the NBA, and now has to speak French.
Sometimes it suddenly hits a player there that they are stuck in Toronto.
The only game when the Raptors jerseys didn't look like trash from a Brampton landfill.
You may think the money would make them happy, but you should feel pity for them, they are stuck in Toronto.
Raptors, when you think of them, and forget about those terrible dinosaur movies, you think of this guy.
When you hear about what Ricky Rubio did.
Ricky Rubio!
What was this, an ugly jersey convention?
I felt violated. I had to ask people here what was going on and a few told me. I then felt better and understood then finally what was happening.
