Few people can say they have covered the Raptors for the 20 years of their existence. Doug Smith is one of them. Join him for the latest from around the NBA, current events and anything else he decides to talk about.
Well, that was a helluva ride, wasn’t it?
Aside from learning how much fun a pennant race and playoff appearance be for starved baseball fans in these parts, I think the Blue Jays taught us one thing that’s significant and also gets lost every now and then.
That’s that sports can be galvanizing, it’s important in bringing people together and it can truly be a welcome distraction.
Totally fun.
Hey folks.
Season’s almost here, anyone excited? Or still lamenting the baseball loss?
We’ll get back to the usual shenanigans here as the week unfolds and the regular routine will be in place before the opener.
Enjoy this, there’s some okay stuff in here.
I wasn’t able to get much game stuff in last night’s story because the over-worked desk back home had other tales to deal with so maybe this will catch you up on what went on during another entirely delightful trip to La Belle Province.
Take a gawk at these, I’ll be back with mail tomorrow and wrap up the pre-season and the TOD in the usual fare Monday morning.
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THREE POINTERS
Several small things to wrap up another long week, if I may?
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The son gets be Prime Minister and all kinds of people harken back to the day and I heard “fuddle duddle” for the first time in a very long time and, of course, it gets me to thinking.
We’ve lamented the fact we don’t have a lot of great, great quotes or quips or sayings to draw on these days, public oratory seems to be becoming a lost art, everyone seems to be too careful, too scripted, too worried about social media and the constant need to feed the news beast.
I guess all we can really say is congratulations to Tristan Thompson.
He got his money – and a whole big whack of it – and he got it a year earlier than some suspected he might when contract talks bogged down and now he can get on to being what he is:
An energetic rebounder and fine defender and the five-year, $82-million dollar deal proves one thing that’s indisputable:
If you can develop one singular NBA skill, the thing that absolutely forces coaches to play you, you can become rich beyond anyone’s wildest expectations.
The HOTH?
Well, they’re coming to Hazelville for the big open practice at the home of the 905ers later tonight, which gives me a home game for the first time; I don’t think there’s a way I can avoid going since it’s the only availability we’ll have with them today and it’s always good to be around if you can.
Now, starting it at 6 p.m. is a bit a pain for those of us who had planned a late afternoon in front of a TV (Hello, JA at Square One!) but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.
And I heard yesterday they think they might get 5,000 or so heart souls out to watch and that’s mighty impressive, it’s not the most thrilling of events but it does give fans who might not ever get a chance to see players up close that opportunity and I guess that’s what pre-season’s all about, no?
Story time?
One of the great truisms of my job is that games come and go but stories last forever. Yes, I’ve had the great fortune to see some epic events in person and lot of them will stay with me forever and ever but, really, it’s the people who often provide the memories.
So …
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At least no one got hurt.
That’s about the biggest thing you can take away from the dull night last night.
That and the fact there’s only one more to go and, hopefully, that includes a wee bit more intensity and regular use of players.
But there was this …
