By RaptorTalk Yes, no doubt it was a very disappointing season for Raptor Fans - maybe the most disappointing ever based on the high expectations from last fall. No one can argue with that. However, there were some positive signs that emerged from an otherwise dismal season which ended less than two hours ago. In no particular order, here are our Top Ten Raptor Positives from the 2008-2009 season: #1. It’s over!!! That’s it. This awful season is officially behind us. #2. Jose... Read Full Story
By RaptorTalk Lately, Bryan Colangelo has been feeling heat from the media and fans in Toronto. Hindsight is 20/20. I'd love to see what kind of team Colangelo's critics would have built? Remember, Bryan's teams have averaged 50 wins per year and in his last two years at Phoenix he won 62 and 54 games, while following that up with 47 wins his first year in Toronto. Bryan is trying my patience, no doubt - but I'm not ready to jump off the bandwagon yet. Colangelo's track record speaks for... Read Full Story
By RaptorTalk There’s been a lot of discussion lately about the Toronto Raptors having their hands tied because they are a slim $1,100 below the luxury tax threshold. I don’t think that matters to Bryan Colangelo. He knows there are holes in this team and it is not unreasonable to assume he makes a bold move – even if it means paying some tax.
Look, Bryan didn't acquire Jermaine O'Neal so the Raptors could finish 41-41 again.
Facts are that ex-GM Rob Babcock was... Read Full Story
By RaptorTalk For the Toronto Raptors, its their version of the vaunted Sports Illustrated cover curse. Its the Curse of Jersey #15 ! Only twice in Raptors' team history has a player been awarded uniform #15 and in both instances the relationship between the player and the Toronto Raptors ended badly. The two players were Jorge Garbajosa and Vince Carter . We all know how Vince Carter went from being the most revered Raptor to becoming Public Enemy #1 in Toronto in the... Read Full Story
By RaptorTalk While we don't expect Bryan Colangelo to be running ads on Craigslist - we definitely expect him to be working the phones heavily. You see, it was painfully clear before the season started that the 2008-09 Raptors had two major glaring weaknesses: 1. No star quality wing player to take the pressure off the front court 2. No credible back-up point guard to fill in when Calderon is not available Over the past few games, these weaknesses are growing more and... Read Full Story
By Walter Dubowec Here's what Chris Bosh should have said during halftime of the Raptors/Bucks game.... ".... man, we've playing some awful ball lately ...... we're just not giving the fans anything to cheer about..... I'm going to the locker room to call out my teammates because the paying fans deserve better from us ...". Instead, of the taking the high road and respecting the paying customers whose hard-earned dollars contibute to his $15 million pay check, Bosh decided to call out... Read Full Story
By Walter Dubowec Based on the feedback I've received, many Raptor season ticketholders don't understand the need or the justification for another ticket price hike. If the price hike was justifiable and not viewed as a cash grab, the fan reaction would be quite different and even accepting. Over the past few days a number of valid questions, facts and statistics have been raised regarding MLSE's ticket pricing policy. Let's have a look at the numbers behind the numbers. It seems that over... Read Full Story
By Walter Dubowec
In a word - YES. When the Raptors win a game and the critics are still out in full force, you know the negativity has gone beyond a reasonable level. There's a time and place for criticizing the Raptors or any sports team for that matter. I'm not adverse to criticizing the Toronto basketball club. I was very critical during the Babcock era, I felt Hoffa was a waste of a draft pick and I am disappointed with Bargnani's overall play this season. Yet after each victory, I... Read Full Story
By Walter Dubowec
For next season’s Raptors Home Opener, I will enjoy the basketball game in front of my new 50” Hitachi 1080 Plasma HDTV. Best of all, I don’t have to pay for my widescreen until December 2008 thanks to the good people at The Brick.
Most years I’m sitting at the ACC, Section 119, Row 23, Seats 19 & 20 right on the aisle. Those prime centre court seats have been my season tickets since the day the ACC opened. Well, they won’t be mine for much longer. My days as a season... Read Full Story
By RaptorTalk
After the Raptors hit rock bottom in a loss to Oklahoma City (2W- 24L) its clear there is no chance the Raptors will make the playoffs – nor should they.
The other day on the FAN590 Jack Armstrong asked Elliotte Friedman if the Raptors should be "buyers or sellers" and while no definitive answer was forthcoming - it was a good question.
My opinion has been that Bryan needed to be a big-time "buyer" and try to ignite the roster in a drive for a playoff spot. However... Read Full Story
