Friday, July 30, 2010

5 Things To Look Forward To...



You made it through the work week and if you are reading this from Canada you get to enjoy a long weekend. If you are reading from elsewhere, all you can probably think about is only two days until I need to go back to work. So, with that forward thinking, here is what you have to look forward to next week...

1. NFL - Training camps around the league open this weekend. From the circus that will be Cincinnati and NY Jets camps, to the expectations in the Dallas and New England camps or the hope in places like Miami and Kansas City, fans from everywhere will be tuning in to see how their teams are progressing and hoping there are no injuries.

2. The MLB Trade Deadline - Saturday at 4pm is the baseball trade deadline. Even though their aren't many "big" names that will be on the move, there will be lots of movement as contenders try to shore up rotations, bullpens and depth and those out of the playoffs build for next year. Also, interesting will be where the Blue Jays fit into all of this. They are sellers this year and have interesting pieces to move including Jose Bautista, Scott Downs and Lyle Overbay.

3. More LeBron Bashing - It hasn't stopped since "The Decision", everyone has been taking shots at the King. Most recently ESPN pulled an article talking about a day in the life of LeBron while he was in Vegas. As I read the story, I was wishing it was my club experience...Expect more piling on until training camp opens.

4. Rogers Cup - Tennis comes to Toronto and this year it is the men's turn to take the Rexall Tennis Centre by storm. It is your chance to see Rafeal Nadal and Roger Federer. Should be exciting and there is nothing like seeing the action up close and personal.

5. Kanye West on Twitter - Through just 3 days on the site, has 310 000 followers and has been talking jibberish non stop, it's great! Can't wait to read what he says next.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Batman and Robin



I bet NFL Network is wishing they could change their minds on which team to cover for their Hard Knocks training camp series. No matter how good a quote Jets head coach Rex Ryan is, he has nothing on what will happen in Cincinnati this August.

Yesterday, the Cincinnati Bengals signed 36-year-old free agent Terrell Owens to a contract. He will join forces with probably the other most flamboyant wide receiver in the game in Chad OchoCinco (ne Johnson). The two paired together would have given defensive backs fits only 4 seasons earlier, now it will be interesting to see how they produce.

What do the Bengals get with Owens? As mentioned, he is 36 years old and near the tail end of a great career. He was a game changer in his time with the 49ers, Cowboys and Eagles. Last season after signing with the Bills it was obvious that Owens had lost a step and wasn’t able to break free of tight coverage and couldn’t outrun defensive backs like he had in the past. Owens did show signs of greatness, running an end around for a touchdown against the Texans and catching a long touchdown pass against the Colts in the regular season finale. The one thing that everyone expected in Buffalo last season, was the thing Owens didn’t deliver on – sizzle. Many fans in Buffalo were excited about the arrival of Owens because he would bring some cache to the Bills, which they haven’t had since the mid-nineties. The popcorn chugging, sit up in the driveway and sharpie in the sock Owens never showed up.

Will that same lame Owens show up in Cincinnati? Probably not. In Cincinnati, Owens will have Chad OchoCinco on the opposite side of the field as his running mate. Chad OchoCinco has been a prolific the last couple of seasons. First with TJ Whosyourmomma on the other side of the field, and then for the last couple of seasons without a real number two wide receiver. OchoCinco has talent and often that is overlooked amongst all his antics. With a second option in Owens, third in the other free agent signing Antonio Bryant and fourth, rookie TE Jermaine Gresham from Oklahoma, the Bengals have some offensive talent to challenge defenses.

The man that has to keep all the talent in line and distribute the ball is quarterback Carson Palmer. He is going to either have lots of fun throwing the ball or be stressed out every Sunday trying to get the ball to all his options and not have them bite his head off.

The fun now starts in Cincinnati. Will we get choreographed first down celebrations, lots of fines and the best press conferences ever? Probably, and maybe, just maybe a playoff team in Cincinnati.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Expos 2 – Blue Jays 0



On Sunday afternoon, the Baseball Hall of Fame inducted its 293rd member, former Montreal Expos Andre Dawson. This gives the now extinct Expos two players enshrined in Cooperstown. Dawson joins former Expos catcher Gary Carter. This gives the Expos a two player to nothing lead in inductees over their Canadian brothers, the Blue Jays.

Unfortunately, the Expos were moved in 2004 to Washington so the chances are slim that future players will be inducted wearing the Expos hat. The Expos are where many great players started their careers, but like Carter and Dawson, got more national exposure when they moved onto bigger clubs, the Mets and Cubs respectively. The likes of Pedro Martinez, Vladimir Guerrero, Randy Johnson, and Tim Raines are all likely additions to the walls of Cooperstown. Like Carter and Dawson though, those four all got their shine and awards with other teams, which makes it likely they will be enshrined wearing the caps of other teams. This is probably the way because the Hall has taken heat from both Carter and Dawson about being enshrined as Expos. They both wanted to be wearing the caps of other teams, but The Hall has the final decision and decided to honour their time Les Expos.

Since Les Expos, don’t have any new players that have the possibility of getting enshrined can Canada’s other team catch them in the Hall of Fame player race. The Jays have definitely had some stars, specifically from their World Series winning teams in 1993 and 1994, but like Les Expos, most of those players made their name before joining the Jays to win a world championship. The likes of Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor, Dave Winfield, and Roger Clemens are prime examples of players who played for the Jays but will be or have been enshrined wearing the caps of other teams.

So who can the Jays expect to be enshrined into Cooperstown and can they catch the Expos in terms of players in the Hall? Their best chance lies in Roberto Alomar. The 12 time all-star, 10 time gold glove winner and two time World Series champion is best known for his playing days in Toronto, but it was his actions after he moved on that garnered a lot of attention (spitting on an umpire) that may scare some voters off, but based on his play, Alomar deserves to be in the Hall of Fame and be there as a Blue Jay.

The other likely candidates include Carlos Delgado and Roy Halladay. Delgado is the Blue Jays all-time leader in most of the offensive categories including runs, home runs, runs batted in and slugging percentage. With almost 500 career home runs and 1500 RBIs Delgado was the most offensively gifted Jays player ever and therefore if any slugger was going to be enshrined it would Delgado. Since his forced “retirement” last season due to injuries, we will only have to wait another five years to see if the voters feel the same way. Without the magical 500 home run number though, it might be a tough sell for some voters.

Halladay is one of the best of the modern day pitchers and made a name for himself as a dominant starter during his years with the Jays. Although, he wasn’t part of the World Series championship teams, Halladay was the reason the Jays didn’t finish last every year. With outstanding records against the Yankees and Red Sox, Halladay proved he pitches his best when playing the best. Halladay, so far has one Cy Young and 3 other top five Cy Young finishes. Due to playing on some mediocre teams “Doc” is closing in on only 200 wins after 13 seasons, but with the pitching magical number being 300 it doesn’t look like Halladay will get there. The 300 win total for pitchers is about to move downward. The trend for specialty pitchers has put total innings and wins at a premium and Halladay bucks all those trends continually finishing either first or second in innings pitched. Although a good candidate for the Hall, Halladay will have to have some strong seasons with Philadelphia and beyond (a championship wouldn’t hurt) to be a lock for Cooperstown.

Although, the Jays are still playing and the Expos aren’t, it seems like it will be difficult for the Jays to catch the Expos soon…

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Snack of the Day




Spicy food in the summer isn't always the best idea. You are already sweating (at least I am) when you are eating, so adding some heat to your meal, not always smart. I really enjoy spice and Indian food so today's snack of the day is a samosa.

These tasty snacks can't be turned down and you can eat plenty of them. Mmmmm....


Also, for a little light entertainment on a Sunday, have a look at this...

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Blue Jays on the Move




The second half of the baseball season has started and even though the Toronto Blue Jays aren’t mathematically eliminated from contention yet, the odds are shrinking daily and being in the American League East doesn’t help.

So what is a team that is hovering around .500 for the season to do? They play in a very difficult division where the chances to win are very slim. With the trade deadline looming, the Jays can either be sellers or buyers.

Becoming buyers in the AL East wouldn’t be prudent. The Jays have a very good farm system and have acquired some good prospects in trades during the past two seasons. It would not be worth risking the long-term development of the franchise to make a run at the title this year when they are already 12 games out of first place in the East and 9.5 out in the wild card. Especially since the Yankees are a class to themselves and will spend to win. They don’t need much, but will probably go out and get another elite starter anyways. The Tampa Bay Rays have all the pieces in place and are primed to make another World Series run. The Boston Red Sox are on the outside looking in at the moment, if for no other reason than they have the injury bug this season. Their stars will return soon and make a return for a run at the playoffs.

So that leaves the Jays as potential sellers this August and with contenders trying to shore up fielding, offense and pitching the Jays just might have what some people are looking for. They have already moved one piece – Alex Gonzalez to the Braves, so who else would teams be interested in?

John Buck – a good catcher is hard to find. Buck is having a career year after being released in the off-season by the Kansas City Royals. He is on a one year deal with the Jays which makes him very attractive to potential suitors. Although it would be sad to see him go after a very good season, GM Alex Anthopolous should be able to get a good prospect for an every day catcher.

Scott Downs – With a 1.02 WHIP over 39.1 inning, Downs has been a lock down in the middle innings for the Jays. He has been so lights out that the Yankees have expressed interest in him. Another player with a manageable contract that would be easy to move to a contender, but it would be a blow to the Jays bullpen. If everyone was healthy was Dirk Hayhurst to Dustin McGowan it might not be so difficult to have him leave, but with the uncertainty of their return to form next season, it would be a shame for him to leave town.

Jason Frasor – The closer in waiting might have to get his saves in another uniform. Frasor was beaten out in spring training by the newly acquired Kevin Gregg. Although, Gregg has been shaky as of late, and Frasor is great to have on hand, but Frasor is still the pitcher that more teams would covet.

Lyle Overbay – The elder statesman of the Jays might be a good piece for many contenders. He is a great fielder, which is always nice for a team in contention. A former gold glover who can not only be a defensive replacement in the 7th inning, but he can also swing the bat. A consistent hitter, who makes contact is never a bad thing for a team trying to win the World Series.

So who do you think the Jays should move, if anyone?

Friday, July 16, 2010

Thierry Henry > David Beckham



Once considered a minor sport in America, soccer has begun its ascent into becoming one of the big 4 sports. While NFL, NBA and MLB will always dominate the headlines, the recent FIFA World Cup shed light on the growing popularity of soccer in America.

With record numbers of fans tuning into watch the games (and not just the ones the US team was involved in) the sport is beginning to get a foot hold with the public that started with the arrival of David Beckham in 2007.

The arrival of David Beckham from Spanish giant Real Madrid was supposed to ignite the passion for soccer in the States. There was a lot of pressure on the Englishmen to deliver brilliance every time he stepped on the field. He was not only supposed to carry his new team, LA Galaxy to a MLS championship, but he was saddled with the duties of being the face of the league in all their marketing. That marketing wasn’t just for the league it was also for his other sponsors.

As a player, Beckham could still create on the field and off the field as a spokesman he was everywhere, but fans still wanted more. There was so much pressure on him from every angle; there was no way for him to live up to the hype. When Beckham struggled initially on the field because of injuries and because he was part of a team with no real talent, he became the target of fans and the media. He turned it around sufficiently to earn a loan to AC Milan and make the England World Cup team only to suffer a torn Achilles months before the FIFA World Cup and forcing him to watch from the sidelines in South Africa. Beckham may eventually return to play for the LA Galaxy (he is still under contract), but he accomplished what he could in North America and for him, the place to end his career is back playing for a European team.

A “new” Beckham has joined MLS to take his place – former Arsenal, Barcelona and French international star Thierry Henry. At 37 years old Henry will join the NY Red Bulls and will no doubt be expected to contribute right away. He will be able to do so because even at 37, Henry still has his scoring touch, great pace and vision to make a difference in the MLS. He will also end up making more of a difference than Beckham.

Henry will have a far greater impact than Beckham on growing the game in the States because he scores goals. Beckham is a great player with excellent touch on the ball, no one can deny this, but the Americans love the glory players. Whether you hit home runs, score touchdowns or score goals that is what is valued in American sports. Therefore when Beckham didn’t put the ball in the back of the net he was vilified. Henry won’t have this problem. There isn’t the same expectation on him to be the face of the league and he scores goals. He will light up some teams and be a constant threat to defences.

With soccer now being a recognized sport in the States that has a following much greater than three years ago when Beckham joined, Thierry Henry has an advantage to be considered a much better player than Beckham in the eyes of the American soccer public.

Here is a short clip from Jimmy Fallon last night - Thierry Henry was the guest...

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Enjoyable/Aggravating Travel Notes



With a tip of the cap to SI Peter King, here are my enjoyable/aggravating travel notes during this busy summer travel season.

Most of my travel recently has been short trips to destinations not far away. This means I have been able to travel light and carry my bags on instead of checking. This is a big plus for any traveler, especially with most airlines now charging for checked bags and no one likes to wait at the other end for luggage when your vacation is so close.

The annoying part of everyone bringing carry ons onto the plane these days is the lack of room in the overhead compartments. These storage areas were not meant to hold a bag with a weeks worth of clothes. Some of the carry on bags the airlines are letting on look like you could travel for 6 months in them. With out a doubt the jackass that has this huge carry on bag is the last guy on the plane and can’t find an overhead compartment to store his enormous bag. This brings in 3 flight attendants who have to move everyone’s back around to accommodate the ugly flyer.

As an aside, this is similar to my thoughts on busy movie theatres. I got there early to get a good seat. Since you got here during the previews, you have no right to ask me to move down so you can fit your Goober eating ass in a great seat location.

So airlines, if you could deliver luggage to the right destination, get it off the plane in a efficient amount of time, travelers might not have to bring giant carry on bags on the plane and you could collect more checked bag fees.

On most of my flights, I like to be entertained by the in flight system. I read men’s magazines online now, so buying the newest GQ or Esquire before getting on the plane really isn’t that useful for me anymore. I will bring a book and my ipod, but the lure of watching a movie or TV show on the plane is just too great. This is especially true now that planes have personal TV’s and have them turned on from the second you sit down to the moment you de-plane. This gives you maximum viewing time and no need to interact with the smelly guy next to you (or am I the smelly guy, ahhh).

The one issue I do have with this is the passenger announcements that interrupt your viewing. Once the flight attendants start talking your screen shuts off while they babble on about flight safety (I know how to do up a seat-belt, thanks) or to let me know they are bringing the beverage cart around. Once you think they are done and you can get back to movie watching, wrong – they now do them in French as well. If you are on a short flight to say Montreal, you only have an hour and 10 minutes and you need all the viewing possible. Airlines – fix it so your passenger announcements don’t interrupt my on-board entertainment.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Movie of the Week



Salt – featuring Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie plays a good looking spy or secret agent type character. There is lots of explosions, gun play and Jolie looking sexy in black outfits. Her character Salt is accused of a crime and she has to escape and prove her innocence, all the while looking hawt! Unfortunately, it seems like Jolie has started to be type cast as the female action star type. It isn't a bad thing but once you have seen this it once you have seen it a million times.
Rating: Buy the Bootleg DVD 3 for $10


Despicable Me – featuring voices of Steve Carrell
The number of animated features continues to grow and this one stars the voice of Steve Carrell as an evil genius trying to rule the world with the help of some one eyed little people. Some little kids get in the picture and hilarity ensues. Little kids always have the ability to bring down evil geniuses. As with most of the animated features these days it is visually stunning and kids or adults alike should like.
Rating: Sneak into the movie theater to watch


Sorcerer’s Apprentice – featuring Nic Cage
Nicholas Cage in a Disney movie sounds like an oxymoron. The fact that Cage needs the money probably has nothing to do with this movie being made. He has long flowing hair and cool powers and he tries to teach someone how to harness his powers. Although Disney hardly ever misses, they might have to re-cast the part of the Sorcerer for the sequel.
Rating: Make it magically appear on your computer through downloading


The Last Airbender - M. Night Shyamalan
With some crazy effects - now in 3D - director M. Night Shyamalan brings his spotty track record back to the big screen. How many more movies is this guy going to direct before studios quit giving him money. With no major star power, this moves relies on great special effects and Shyamalan's name as director for drawing power. So, in the movie one man has to learn his super powers to overcome the forces of nature. If you combined The Last Airbender and Sorcerer's Apprentice you might have one decent movie. In this one, you just get Shyamalan's cameo appearance and of course **SPOILER ALERT** aliens.
Rating: Wait for M. Night Shyamalan next film


Karate Kid – Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith
Watch the original from 1986 - Daniel Larusso is going to fight!
Rating: Don't even think about it.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Gear Down



It is the time of year when the sports world slows down just a bit. The NHL and NFL training camps are still about a month away (although it is never to early for a fantasy football mock draft), the NBA has finished and all the big free agents are now signed and even MLB is on its All-Star break which means besides the exhibition match being played tonight, there was no baseball yesterday and no baseball tomorrow. Even the World Cup is over which means no early drinking at the bars. What is a sports fan to do?

Here are a couple of suggestions to get you through the July until NFL kicks in and the baseball pennant races heat up.

1. Tour de France – No Lance Armstrong no problem. The TDF as those in the know like to call it, can fill your morning sports void for the next couple of weeks. Unlike the World Cup, we actually have a Canadian to cheer for. Victoria's Ryder Hesjedal was in contention (top 5) until yesterday’s brutal ride up the hills and is currently out of the overall top 10.

2. Video Games – Today is the release of EA’s NCAA Football game featuring Tim Tebow on the cover (minus the writing on his eye black). So, even though the first game is a month away you can still win the national championship as your favorite institution.

3. Play a Sport – Here is a list of the best “adult” leagues in Toronto. I need a soccer team if you are in need of players.

4. Message Boards – Become addicted to message boards and you won’t even realize when games are being played. You get to argue about sports all day long with other anonymous people on the interwebs, make fun of them electronically and ignore them when they say you’re wrong. You also get to feel much better about yourself when you finally turn them off.

5. ESPY Awards - Tomorrow night is the annual ESPN awards show that allows you to relieve the best teams, plays and moments for the year that was. There is a lot of comedy gold that happens at this event. Think of how many awkward interviews, Kanye moments and tears of joy will be shed during this live broadcast. The one thing I can tell you that won’t be happening this year – LeBron James coming out and dancing as MC Hammer. Someone from the crowd is likely to throw a banana peel on stage so he slips and hurts himself. (header photo is of the newest ESPN ‘it girl’ – Jenn Brown who will patrolling college football sidelines this fall)

6. Watch a Movie – With that I will let you know that tomorrow’s blog post will be a summer movie guide. Reviews of movies I haven’t seen!

Still have time to kill and missing the FIFA World Cup – check out all the goals in one video segment, courtesy of The Spoiler GOOOOOOAAAALLLLL!… or this clip of German super kid doing a wonderful trick with a piece of gum.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Heartbreak Kids



The world is filled with ups and downs. For many the sports fans, there have been more downs lately.

For the past month 32 teams took part in the FIFA World Cup, and all but one left happy (unless you count New Zealand who finished as the only undefeated team). That means that 31 countries went home with their tails between their legs to a fan base that is dejected and must wait another four years for glory to come their way.

For the past two years, fans of the Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat dreaded the summer of 2010 when their star players could opt for free agency and leave their team and city for a new chance of winning. In the past week, it was first Chris Bosh who left his fans in Toronto and then, as part of a one hour TV special LeBron James left Cleveland. In Toronto, but especially in Cleveland these players were important to the identity of the city and franchise and they are now gone and a void is left. The fans in Cleveland are especially heartbroken since James was a native to Ohio and they thought he would have loyalty to the city. Alas, they were wrong.

Maybe you are a baseball fan, and since we have reached the midway point of the season you have analyzed the fate of your team and decided that they no longer have a chance to play in the post-season. If you are a Blue Jays fan, this happened in April since 3 of the best teams in baseball play in your division and no matter how many home runs you hit, it won’t be enough to topple the Red Sox, Yankees or Rays.

Although, I really enjoy sports, I have had very few “heartbreak” moments as a fan. Maybe I’m not wrapped up enough in my teams (the wife would disagree), maybe I have been lucky to be a fan of teams that have won recently (that’s not it – Packers, A’s, Nuggets, Jays, Raptors) or maybe it is I’m just not emotional enough (the wife would agree).

The first time I remember being really down from a sporting memory was in 1988. At the time I followed the Jays really closely. I was also a big baseball card collector and had grown attached to the Jays players by collecting all their cards. I had team sets from 1977 all the way to the present. Watching Sports Desk one evening, it came across the screen that the Jays had sold the rights to Willie Upshaw to the Cleveland Indians (at the time I remember him being traded). Upshaw was at the tail end of his career (only played one season for the Indians) and the Jays had a first base prospect that needed to play – Fred McGriff, so if I understood the business more it would make sense, but I was young and attached to Upshaw and his contributions in 1985 and 1987. It got a little dusty in the house that evening.

The other time I remember being really down about a sporting event was in 1993. It was a great year to be a Notre Dam Fightin’ Irish football fan. The team was playing great and ranked #1 in the country after beating the previous #1 Florida State the week prior. All that was needed was a victory in the last game of the regular season over pansy and un-ranked Boston College. It was not to be. The Golden Eagles kicked a last second field goal to beat the Irish. It dropped them out of the national title picture and they have never recovered and neither have I.

What is your sports heartbreak story?

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Stupid is as Stupid Does



When you cross the land, you may stumble across some weird and stupid stuff. These weird things are often times turned into competitions by bored individuals. Heck ESPN writer Rick Reilly even wrote a whole book about them.

If you want to be the stupidest of them all, you should be in Spain right now…not to be part of the World Cup finals experience, which would be unbelievable, not stupid – but to take part in the running of the bulls.

What was once a simple act of transporting the bulls to the market, became a competition between the men to move the cattle faster. They would use tactics of fear and excitement to get the bulls move quicker. This developed into a race to beat the bulls to their pens and attracted more attention developing into the spectacle on the streets of Pamplona that we witness today.

Not only is there no sense in running away from the bulls, how many of us can really pull off the all white look?

If you to argue about which other sports can be in the mix about being the dumbest, you have to include the following couple, but I think they all come in after the running of the bulls because it is the only one where you can leave with a hole in your body.

Cheese-rolling event on Cooper's Hill in Gloucester
The event where they begin by rolling a wheel of cheese down a hill and then have everyone chase it, often tumbling head over heels to be the first one down and claim the cheese as your own. Unfortunately for youtube viewers everywhere the 183 year history of this event ended in March because, get this – it was unsafe.

Wife Carrying
Popularized in Scandanavia where the wives are sometimes just as big as the men that are carrying them, this “sport” has grown in popularity for some reason. Competitors throw their WAGs on their back and carry them through an cross-country course consisting of obstacles that they must climb or water they need to wade through. The winner of the race is often awarded beer equivalent to his wife’s weight.

Competitive Eating
How this became a sport is beyond me. I enjoy eating, but that is mainly because I like the taste of food, I savour it, enjoying every bite, mmmm food. I don’t enjoy the sight of people stuffing themselves with food to the point of being sick. YOU ARE WASTING A GOOD HOT DOG! Give me competitions about food that involve the best of “insert tasty food”. The organizers and participants should be ashamed for contributing to obesity. By the way my personal best for hot dog eating is 13 (in one hour) and the other personal food best is 10 McDonald’s cheeseburgers, 1 fries and 1 McFlurry in one sitting.


Have you participated in any stupid sports? What are your competitive eating personal bests?

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

The Heat Is On



Well the NBA has a new team to beat, or do they? On Wednesday afternoon Dwayne Wade announced that he will be staying in South Beach and be joined by Chris Bosh. This gives the Miami Heat quite the star combo, but it is enough to be the best in the NBA?

Let’s examine the top teams and see how the Heat stack up…

LA Lakers – Still have all the pieces that won them the championship last year. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are a better SG and SF combo. Heat won’t be able to match up against Odom and Bynum.

Boston Celtics – The old guard still has some left in the tank as we saw this spring. Although another year older doesn’t do anything for the Big 3 (and Ray Allen probably won’t be back), but Rajon Rondo has developed into an all-star and could easily put the team on his back.

Cleveland Cavaliers – IF LeBron James re-signs with the Cavs, they will no doubt win 50 games and be a threat in the East. IF LeBron James re-signs with the Cavs and can bring one other decent player along with him for the ride, they can make any game or playoff series close.

New York Knicks – They are terrible unless LeBron signs here. With the signing of Amar’e Stoudamire and an offensive minded coach, could this be enough to persuade King James to play in the mecca of basketball? Knicks fans hope so. If they manage to sign James, it won’t matter who plays the point – Chris Duhon, Sergio Rodriguez or Andy Rautins, they will be a fun team to watch and the combo of Amar’e and LeBron is at least on par if not better than Wade and Bosh. What hurts the Knicks most in this scenario is losing David Lee.

Orlando Magic – The Heat still don’t have anyone to defend Dwight Howard. In every game versus the Raptors, Howard was dominant because Toronto didn’t have a centre. Welcome to our world Heat fans. The Magic need a piece or two to contend – Hedo Turkoglu ironically, but they will be tough to beat.

Oklahoma City Thunder – The young guns out West. With Kevin Durant leading the charge and a bunch of scorers, some defensive help and the best general manager in the league, the Thunder have quickly become an elite team. They will not surprise anyone when they make the playoffs this coming season and win a couple of series.

Denver Nuggets – The Nuggets probably had the best chance of anyone to beat the Lakers in the playoffs last season until they lost their coach George Karl and then lost their way. They return the same core of players including Carmelo Anthony, who is LeBron James West.

Sacremento Kings – No joke! The Kings are going to be a team on the rise this year. With Tyreke Evans and rookie Demarcus Cousins to compliment Carl Landry, Omar Cassipi and Jason Thompson (not to mention other big men Sam Dalembert and Sean May). The West just increased to 55 wins needed to make the playoffs.

So, how do the Heat measure up to the other talent in the league? No doubt they are good, but are they championship good? Looking at their roster and the teams listed above there is a good chance they don’t make the Eastern Finals, let alone win a ring.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Is Chris Bosh the New Vince Carter



Toronto Raptors fans have that sinking feeling. The Raptors are about to lose their marquee player again. This is a road they have been down before. Whether it is Damon Stoudamire, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter and now Chris Bosh (likely), all the super star players that have worn the Raptors jersey have left the city and the franchise high and dry.

After being the 7th pick in the Damon Stoudamire had a great run as a Raptor. Time finally came in 1998 when the team felt it was time to move on and dealt him to the Portland Trail Blazers. Unfortunately, all the Raptors could get back was a couple of role players and some draft picks.

Then came Tracy McGrady. A high school phenom, the Raptors took a chance on the tall lanky, athletic shooting guard with the 9th pick in the 1997 draft. McGrady was a great asset to the franchise. He sold jerseys and became the face of the team that was building and starting to contend in the NBA. A year later he was paired with Vince Carter and the duo wrecked havoc on the rims at the Air Canada Centre. Unfortunately, McGrady didn’t like the idea of sharing the floor with the new star in town (and his cousin) Carter, so when free agency finally came calling for McGrady, he decided to leave for greener pastures in Orlando.

The Raptors fans felt slighted when McGrady decided to leave the Great White North for the Sunshine State. McGrady had been nurtured in Toronto as he developed from a high school player into a legitimate NBA starter and scoring threat. By teaming McGrady and Carter together the Raptors made their first playoff appearance and fans could see the tides turning on the franchise. With two marquee players and the cache of having two of the best dunkers, the buzz around the 2000 season was huge. Unfortunately, with McGrady leaving via free agency the Raptors could only manage a first round draft pick in a sign and trade with the Magic, this made fans just a little angry with McGrady. Upon his return to the ACC, he was greeted with a chorus of boo’s every time he touched the ball and the public address system paid hefty fines to the NBA so they could play baby crying sounds. It was fun to have an enemy on an opposing team, but then it happened again.

Only four years later the Raptors fan base had another dilemma on their hand. The team had been struggling, but at least they still had the excitement of Vince Carter. He was a scorer that could carry the team on any given night…that is until the 2004 season. Carter’s play tailed off drastically in 2004 and many thought this was because of he did not agree with the direction the team was taking in rebuilding. Management and fans were under the impression that Carter had quit on the team and then General Manager Rob Babcock pulled the trigger on a trade to New Jersey for – three players and a couple of draft picks. Of those players, not one actually ended up playing meaningful minutes for the Raptors. One of them, Alonzo Mourning decided to retire instead of joining Toronto (only to come out of retirement later). Again, Raptors fans were jilted by the franchise player and received nothing of value in return. Tracy McGrady was no longer the most hated Raptor, that designation now fell to Carter, especially after an interview he did with John Thompson were he said "In years past, no. I was fortunate to have the talent. You get spoiled when you're able to do a lot of things. You see that you don't have to work at it." This was taken by Raptors fans to mean he was not trying his hardest while playing in Toronto. Although, Carter has been gone for almost six seasons and moved teams, he is still booed loudly when he makes an appearance at the Air Canada Centre.

Toronto Raptors fans have been bracing for the summer of 2010 for a couple of years now, when the most recent franchise player, Chris Bosh could explore free agency and leave the team for a new start. So with it all but settled that Bosh will be leaving the Raptors this summer it comes with a couple of questions. Can the Raptors get anything back for their former star player? In the past, as we saw, the Raptors have not been successful in gaining any compensation for their players. This time fans are hopeful that GM Bryan Colangelo can get something in return for Bosh in a sign and trade. The best case scenario that are being floated around internet rumour boards is Joakim Noah from the Bulls or Michael Beasley from the Heat. The other burning question is how Raptors fans will treat Bosh when he returns to the ACC next season. At the moment he will probably get a mix of cheers and boos. Unlike Carter, Bosh tried right up until taking the elbow in the face, so that will earn him the cheers, and unlike McGrady leaving when the team was good, Bosh is leaving when the team is constantly rebuilding and without a real chance to win. Even though these are points in his favour, Raptors fans cannot help but feel like they have witnessed the development of an NBA superstar to again have him walk away in his prime.

So will Chris Bosh take over as the most hated Raptor player of all time, I don’t think so – that mantle will always belong to Vince Carter. Congrats!