A Reposted Open Letter to Stephen A Smith from a Canadian Fan who Listens
Originally posted in May of 2014
Ah man! I am ahead of my time. I had to go back 2 years to repost this letter which is even more relevant today. If it is new to you, I hope you enjoy it. If you are Stephen A. Smith, we have room for you in Jurassic Park!
Dear Stephen A.,
I feel very confident you will never read this, in fact I might be tempted to wager my Raptors shooting jersey you will never read this. (Of course, if I lose the jersey, you would have to wear it on First Take! It is also a Patrick Patterson jersey so you know he can ball.) It's not that I consider you above reading a fan's blog, I just feel it's not a necessary part of your day.
I am a fan. Every day I leave Sarnia after work and I am sure to download First Take for my ride back home. I love hearing you and Skip go back and forth and most of the time I take your side. I even used you two as an example of debate in my English class and when I teach "Rant" type oral presentations, you know you come up.
That said, I think you need to show the Raptors and Canada some love. (Or at least stop hating on us.) Look, it was rough when you called us out after we took Charlie V. We did not need another power forward and there were a lot of better players we could have taken. Despite his solid start, Charlie V did eventually prove you right but we did turn him into TJ Ford before he slipped. I am also sure the fan reaction was not pleasant but we are not the only community to have ever hated on you. I follow you on twitter and there are as many offensive idiots south of the border as there are north.
Since that time, you seem to relish every opportunity you have had to disrespect or hate on the Raptor organization and Canada in general. You gleefully reported the departure of Chris Bosh, you gave us no chance in this year's first round, and you even called out Brooklyn when they could not cheer "as loud as Canadians and they like hockey."
So why do you have to change your mind, because one of your greatest causes is diversity in coaching and the plight of African American coaches. This week, you complained how guys like Mark Jackson are quick to lose their jobs. You also hate how teams give opportunities to white inexperienced coaches like Steve Kerr while experienced coaches like Lionel Hollins can't find a job; not to mention your distain for the lack of African Americans in front offices around the league.
Here is why I believe the Raptors sould be relevant, if not a favorite, in your books:
Coaching:
Since their inception in 1995, the Raptors have had eight coaches. Of them, five have been African American. Of the five black coaches, three were given their first head coaching position with the Raptors. In each case, the coach was given a solid opportunity to prove their worth before they were let go. Many teams would have let Duane Casey go before the start of this season but we held onto him and thank goodness we did.
Front Office:
We have also had seven general managers and three of them have been black. Isiah had no front office experience before we hired him and we decided to make him the face of the franchise.
Present Team:
They are a bunch of scrappers and heart guys. Don't get me wrong, to use a Smithism, "They can ball." but they also show great heart. I have never enjoyed a Raptors team like I did this year. Maybe it was the serendipitous nature of their season or the crowds who occupied Jurassic Park during our Battle with Brooklyn, but this was a true team and one a true sports fan should love.
The City:
I have been to a lot of the great American cities and Toronto ranks right up there with all of them. We have a great community spirit and we are proud of our diversity. We support our teams through thick and thin even if it has been a little thin as of late. It also has a great night life, awesome dining, and we also have our share of fine suit stores; during his tenure, Sam Mitchell was one of the best dressed coaches in the NBA and all of his suits were bought and made north of the 49th parallel.
So I am not asking you to fall in love with us or run for the mayor of Toronto. (Just gonna leave that idea alone and not attempt to crack a joke.) But talk us up a little more, we are a basketball-loving community who understand the game. Yes, Canada is known for its hockey but a Canadian did invent basketball too. Don't be so quick to proudly announce or anticipate the collapse of the team or the departure of one of our stars if we slip a little or get off to a slow start. Hey, even come up for a game and see for yourself why we are such a great city.
Your listener,
Corey Crewe
Epilogue
After dismissing the Raptors, Stephen A was forced to eat some of his words, a high caloric snack on any day.
