The Improving Life of a Canadian Basketball Fan
Yes we can be sensitive. No you cannot say anything about us or our team and not expect a reaction. You cannot praise others and ignore us. Some of it is our own fault or teams mismanagement. That said, as a Canadian basketball fan, I have wanted more respect for me and my Raptors for a while. For that, you will get no I’m sorry from me.
It’s exhausting really. I have been a fan of this team since 1995 and we have been fighting a constant uphill battle ever since. Sure we had our moments where we were cute or fun, but it only lasted a season or two. It always felt we had to work so hard to start something but it always vanished much quicker than it was built or we were building around a faulty foundation.
It started with Mighty Mouse and Isiah Thomas. Damon Stoudamire was the cute point guard who the Raptors took instead of fan favorite Ed O’Bannon. The experts were right and the expansion club seemed to be on the right track. Unfortunately, the rumors soon started and as soon as he had value, Damon wanted out of town. Living in Newfoundland, I noted how the American media seemed to fuel these rumors. The grumblings were over-publicized and they pressed to have it happen. Soon he was on his way and the team slipped back into futility.
Around the same time on the West coast, the Vancouver Grizzlies could never quite get it right. Stu Jackson passed on Steve Nash, Big Country Reeves was overpaid and had to retire because of knee issues, Steve Francis refused to come, Antonio Daniels never panned out, and they never did make the playoffs. David Stern never wanted the team to move but Michael Heisley purposely mismanaged the team and made it clear he just wanted to relocate. The players never really embraced Vancouver but the negative press I heard about the Grizzlies team was silenced once they landed in Memphis. They started getting lucky bounces and they have been respected for a while.
So we were down to one Canadian squad just as the Vince and Tracy Era was taking flight. Many believe the team could have won a championship or two if all the pieces were kept in place. We started to rise and soon after the media began to take us down. Anonymous sources were constantly releasing information about players who wanted to leave. Tracey was quick to jump ship after he told us he would stay. Weird accusations about our schooling systems and the exaggerated horror stories about our taxing overshadowed the excitement surrounding the team. A missed VC jumper kept us out of the Eastern Conference Finals. Not long after, the rumors got louder and eventually Vince was on a plane for Jersey in a trade that got us nothing.
Predictably we fell again and everyone pounced on the inability of Toronto to have a championship basketball team. ESPN never carried a Raptor’s game and we were always discussed as a small market team. (Despite being the fifth largest market in North America.) So when we rose again with Bosh and the boys, we knew it wouldn't last. Somehow, Bosh would be drawn away and the Raptors would always be the black sheep to the north. All we had in the 2010-2011 season was cheering as Bosh collapsed in tears after the Heat lost to the Mavericks in the finals. Of course the big story that year was the tragedy in Cleveland. We could not even be the league’s best tragic story.
Listening to the media talk about Bosh over the last couple of years, it is apparent they knew how good those Toronto teams were. They discuss Bosh’s Al-Star stats and how he sacrificed so much to come to Miami. The same guys who doubted his talents as a Raptor, praised them as a Heat.
I understand that this happens all over the league but we seem to get the brunt of it. I didn’t hear the same no can do attitude about the smaller US markets. We seemed to be the favorite whipping child of the NBA media. Well, no more.
Now it feels a little different. The American media haven’t really changed but the fan base is more confident and supplying more push back. Insult the Raptors and we will let you know about how little we like it. Zach Lowe and Bill Simmons rank us in with Spur’s fans, pretty good company. Jalen Rose only sheds a positive light on the city. Duane Casey was on the verge of being a lifetime assistant until the Raptors gave him a coveted second head coaching chance. Now he has established his team and he wants to be here. Masai Ujiri wants to be here and left a good situation in Denver to come. The Roster wants to be here. We have a lot less rumors about this team than we have in the past. I do not hear a lot of rumblings and the foundation seems stronger.
It’s said if you mess with the Bull and you get the horns, imagine what you get when you mess with a dinosaur! Question the city and you will get the deserved response from the nation. We are nice Canadians but we can pound our chests and compete too. We can be heard at every NBA Arena cheering loud, sometimes louder than the home fans. We are no longer the meek and whiny. Like the players on the floor we are gritty and passionate. As the tune south of the border continues to turn, I hope you are ready for the change.
Besides, I like these Numbers: Wins in 2014
Los Angeles Clippers 55
Chicago Bulls 55
Memphis Grizzlies 55
Toronto Raptors 54
San Antonio Spurs 54
Dallas Mavericks 53
Golden State Warriors 53
