Sam Suffering From ADD !

The US media continues the snubbing of the Raptors according to coach Sam Mitchell. 'I look at the news . I look at Inside The NBA . I look at these (NBA programs) and no one ever mentions our names ' said Sam who is known for his grouchiness to the local media. Just this Sunday , in ABC/ESPN's doubleheader , the network ignored the Raptors once again . The nationally televised games in U.S. featured 3 Eastern Conference teams ( the Celtics , the Magic and the Cavs ).' People forget we beat Boston and they beat us in O.T. at home ' added Sam as reported in today's Toronto Star. What do you expect, Sam ? The C's are big again , the Cavs have LBJ and the Magic team is magically transformed to a contender this season by nice guy Stan Van Gundy. There you are Sam . You need not have a team with a tradition like the C's or a team with a megastar like the Cavs . The Raps will get the attention of the US media if you are an effective and at the same time a likeable coach like Stan VG . Even Jesus will bless the Raptors if you are nice like President wanna bes Huckabee or Obama. Remember , be like Stan VG and not be Sam VG.... that is Sam Van Grumpy !

' The NBA is big when the Celtics , the Lakers , the Knicks , the Sixers are very good teams.' said the ESPN sportstalk radio guy yesterday . He noted many people in the crowd at Orlando wearing Boston's replica uniforms or t shirts with the C's logo in the game between the C's and the Magic. Those T shirts and unis must be leftovers from the Bird era. I even saw a man wearing a Mc Hale uni ! There must lots of the leftovers in the bargain stores all over the Magic Kingdom . But no worry Raptors' fans. At least 2 NBA TV Analysts think Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon are worthy of inclusion in this year's NBA All Star. Sort of . NY Post's Peter Vecsey did not actually include Jose in his reserve list but he said that he has no problem if Jose was named as a reserve. However , Vecsey's co Analyst-Johnson- cited the 2 named Raptors as worthy of being All Stars this year. The Raps will be well represented in the coming NBA All Star to held in New Orleans. Aside from CB4 and Jose in the All Star game , there is Jemario Moon in the Slam Dunk contest , Jason Kapono in the 3 point Shootfest and Bargs with the Sophomore team . Oh , I almost forgot . Derrick Martin will be there too . DMart will represent the Raps in the Are You Taller Than A 5th Grader contest !



Martin : No way Jose . You cannot steal the ball from me .LOL.

Jose : Of course , Estupido. The ball is glued to your hand . Grrr.

MiColangelo's Masterpiece

Maple Leaf Sports And Entertainment (MLSE) via executive Richard Peddie is following the Toronto Raptors' template in the plan to revitalize its hockey franchise. ' Like what we did with the hiring of GM Bryan Colangelo , we will form a 3 man search commitee to get the best man for the job ' said Peddie after the firing of the Leafs' GM yesterday. Even TO sportscasters always mention the Colangelo masterstroke as if his hiring for the basketball franchise has already produced an NBA championship. Look again puckheads , the Raps are still mired in mediocrity. They are still struggling against the likes of the Pistons and now the Celtics . Maybe even the Magic. OK ,OK the Raps made it to the playoffs in the 1st year of BC's takeover from Rob Babcock. Hey , it so happen that the East last year was as weak as the US dollar now. And they captured the Atlantic Division only 'coz Boston and NJ not to mention New York were in a state of stuppor .... or stupidity . Whatever . This year , its a different story in the AD . The Atlantic , B.C. is different from the Atlantic , A.D. !

Let's just review some of BC's main moves . The man pulled the trigger on the TJ-Charlie V. trade at the start of his tenure here. I was against it as I believed then that not only is Charlie V. valuable (that is what V stands for ) but his replacement ,TJ Ford is fragile. Not only that , I have always thought that Jose can be the main PG for the Raptors even then. Now just about every NBA team wants Jose as it's primero guardia.. ' Calderon can be the point guard for 23 NBA teams ' said the Atlanta Hawks' TV guy. Alas , that other premiere PG is under PG ....Parental Guidance . TJ is sidelined up to now and may not last his contract if he gets another Al HurtFord like hit. What about the choice of Andrea Bargnani as the no.1 pick in last year's draft ? 'It's the first time TO got a #1 pick and we wasted it' said my wife . Seems that way as the # 1 pick picks his Italian nose while continue to ride Sam's bench. 'No need to worry ' the Raptors head honcho was reported to have said as he try to get Bargnani a 'special coach' . What's more worrying was the news that Colangelo reportedly thinks that it will take 5 years for Bargs to blossom . Hmm. That's allright to Italians I guess. After all , it took them forever to identify the real Mona Liza of the other Colangelo , painter Michaelangelo !

Raptors Fail To Hang 76ers .

I can't understand why the Raptors are so not caring of each other. The other night against the Atlanta Hawks , point guard Jose Calderon was elbowed on the head in full view of his fellow Raps by an obviously irritated Anthony Johnson. Jose fell down writhing in pain while holding the back of his head. ' Johnson and Calderon are going at it in earlier plays ' the Hawk TV man said. In short , an explosion of tempers was expected . Maybe for the Hawks but not the timid TO dribblers. The Raptors are known softies. If anything is gonna explode for the Raptors , its their tear ducts ( photo on the right) . No even one of them confronted Johnson after the flagrant foul on Jose . Definitely not the team leader Chris Bosh. Oh yes, CB4 asked the ACC fans before the game to boo hard Hawk Al Harford for the flagrant foul he gave TJ Ford the 1st time the 2 teams met.Many gullible fans followed his advice . Maybe, Bosh wanted the fans to lynch Johnson ? No way . Lynching is for civilized sports like golf !
The timid Raptors got lynched themselves last night by the lowly 76ers, 95-99. The Raptors played tired as this was their 5th game in 4 nights . Raptors TV guy Leo Rautins said coach Sam Mitchell should tell his guys ' to suck it up, this is the NBA ' or something like that. True but somehow coming from an NBA fakee like Rautins , the statement 'kinda rattle the heck out of NBA lifers like me. More so after he and Chuck touched on his Philly NBA career for the nth time. Why don't the 2 reveal the truth once and for all that Leo's forgettable NBA career(?) lasted the whole of 32 games sitting on the bench of 2 teams (the Atlanta Hawks being the other team ) and then shut up. Everytime the Raptors are in Philly , this discussion (about Leo's so called NBA career ) bubbles up like it's worthy of TV minutes. Enough already. The 2 should put it to rest like AP has written Britney Spears' obituary !






Britney : Ooops . The Hawks did it again . They fagrant fouled the Raps again and again ...

Toronto Raptors , The John Edwards Of The NBA

That's life . ' John Edwards is not talk about by the media' said a person in charge of the former Senator's campaign last night when interviewed by Chris Matthews of MSNBC. You are right. All media chatters are about Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton because the 2 are exciting candidates ... that's why they are frontrunners . This complain reminds me of the rantings coming from Raptors' fans . The attention in the East is centered on the Celtics and the Pistons. The C's because they are suddenly the Obama of the NBA . On the other hand , the Pistons are like the Clintons - good up to now ....especially compared with Dubya whos tenure is likely to end in a recession. So Raps' fans , open your eyes. This current team is mediocre . If you guys want ESPN to cover more Raptors' games, start winning consistently like the Suns , the Spurs and the Mavs or start playing exciting ball like the Warriors , the Lakers ( with Kobe) and the Cavs (with James). Let's see . You think team leader Chris Bosh is the same class as LBJ , D Wade and 'Melo ? Yeah , the 4 are in the same draft class. Period. Last night , CB4 was reduced to an also ran again by the big men of Motown . He dissapeared as usual when the game is against big time opponents. Wait until the playoffs begin .. or should I say the layoffs begin.
If Raptors' fans and Chuckie want US media to cover the team more often , they must either get a true superstar or a bunch of fearless players. Bargnani is proving to be a dud. The Italian should show more fire at least. Il Mago is more like Il Logo. Completely flat. Watching Jose , Humpries and Rasho is not the same as watching Capt. Jack and his men. OK , OK, Jemario Moon shows some promise. The guy even got some ink from USA Today recently. But Moon missed more dunks that I can count. Wonder why the NBA invited the man to participate in the Slam Dunk contest in this year's All Star celebration ? Who knows . Maybe Moon will show the crowd something something . After all , this is the NBA - where amazing things happen !

Bipolar Raptors Lose To The Cavs !

The Toronto Raptors showed its erratic behaviour once more. Playing great at one stretch of the game and completely collapsing at the homestretch against the Cleveland Cavaliers . The Dinos are a complete wreck after the game which they lost , 90-93. Earlier proofs of the ups and downs wrong with this team , the Raps beat heavyweights Hornets and the Spurs but lost to so so Sonics and newbies Blazers in their western trip. Toronto led King James and his underperforming team by 20 big points in the 1st quarter. They prefer to be ecstatic with sporadic show of spectacular blocks and dunks especially from crowd fav Jamario Moon rather than playing consistent basketball. ' The Raptors are sharing by ball well with 9 assists in the 1st quarter alone ' said ex NBA great Cazzie Russell .What more , the team shot a high 69% in the 1st quarter of the ballgame to take advantage of the usual slow start of the Cavs. And how did the Raps shoot in the final half ? in the 30's ! This team is serious trouble because they are not stable. Not even the presence of GM Colangelo shown here talking to a psychiatrist (?) perhaps , Asst GM Mauricio G. and Advisor Wayne Embry seemed to help in the Raptors stability . Huh ? Maybe the team needs Phil . No , not coach Phil Jackson ...... but Dr. Phil who was reported to be helping Britney's bipolar behavior !!!

There were reports after the game that someone in the Raptors' bench heckled King James causing him to explode for 24 points in the 4th quater ? ' I was not a good idea ' said CBC's Elliott Friedman . WTF ! Can't coach Sam Mitchell control his bench players ? Better gag those loudmouths next time . One thing you don't do is make the King show what he can do to your team . James is like Michael Jordan who was always looking at even the minimum reason to spark himself .It can be a coach's comment or an opposing player boast of stopping hiis scoring. If you make LBJ angry , you in turn be .....hungry .... for a win !



LBJ : I warned you Raps . No talking while I'm blowing ..... past your guards !!

TO Stares Deathroit In The Eyes .

Kaput. Tonite the Raptors are facing a tough battle. It's very likely that they will be the Pistons next victims. Detroit is playing high quality basketball that even Boston suffered it's 1st home defeat at the hands of the Pistons. However , I do not discount the possibility of an upset. After all , Obama beat Hillary in Iowa despite the naysayers' initial predictions. ' You have done what the cynics say you cannot do ' said Barack O. to the Iowans after his victory . The problem is Sam is not an inspiring black man like Obama. While Obama's speeches inspire his supporters to ' go out and vote en masse ' . Sam's seem to have no effect on his players ! That's why the Raps are sometimes hot and sometimes as cold as a cat's nose. Sam be like Obama .... not like OSama !

For the Raptors to win the game tonight , they must play flawless basketball. Bargs must make his 3 point shots , CB4 must deliver from both ends of the court and Jose must not be rattled by the Pistons' guards. For sure Billups will body Jose up like Mr. Big Shot did to the Celtics' Rajan Rondo. Watch out also for ex Raptor Lindsay Hunter harassing defense on Jose . Coach Flip Saunders always apply the fullcourt defense even for a brief period when Hunter is on the court. That's the old element of surprise trick which is often good for 2-3 turnovers. That's enough to win a ballgame like what the Pistons did to the C's when the latter lost by a slim margin only. Hunter stole the ball at the midcourt at least 2 times . No worry . Jose is super smart . The Pistons' guards won't steal the ball from him. .... even if he eats the ball to hide it !