Hey Mr D.J, Welcome Back To Dino Nation Blog

D.J Bennett from The Score returns for another visit to talk some Raptors and NBA. We talk about the future for the Raptors and all of the drama around Chris Bosh. The issues that face Bryan Colangelo. D.J also has his take on fans booing and all of that. He even takes us inside The Score studios and throws down a challenge to his fellow Score Co-Workers.

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We continued on to talk about a special week of basketball at MSG. What was D.J's take on a exciting week of ball at MSG that included Kobe getting 61, James a triple double that was changed later and the Champs the Celtics all paying a visit to MSG.

D.J -"MSG is where amazing happens apparently. Everyone wants to play well on the biggest stage and you have all the stars there. Jay Z is in the front row talking to Lebron and Lebron is talking back to him. MSG is the mecca in sports and has the biggest concerts, boxing matches and crazy basketball games. We all remember the Reggie Miller shot with Spike Lee in the front row. The Jordan playoff performances against the Knicks. I think it is good that it is transferring on to this generation. That they get up to play at MSG. It just on of those things that has become inbreed in basketball."

D.J also made note of the fact that Jay-Z who is a minority owner in the Nets is seen at more Knick games than Nets games. He wondered what the players on the Nets felt about that whole situation. If it were to help him bring Lebron to the Nets in 2010, I would think pretty good. But it is a valid point D.J makes. Now nobody will every confuse the I-Zod Center with MSG. However that being said if you own something should you not be out there supporting it? Mark Cuban is always doing his part to support his Mavericks in fact some may say more than his part. It also makes you wonder is that Nets move to Brooklyn ever going to happen especially in these economic times? Not that Jay-Z is feeling the finacial crunch at all. But building stadiums are not chump change for anyone famous music artist or not.

I was able to liveblog the game that Lebron had a triple double that the NBA would later take away. During that broadcast which was based out of MSG, there was a lot of talk about the amount of love Kobe Bryant was getting from fans at MSG. Lebron also got a lot of love and the Lakers did hear when they visited the Raptors. What was D.J's take on all this love for the out of town stars in the visiting buildings?

D.J " The NBA has done a great job in marketing stars and not teams. You look at the marketing in the NFL everything is about the team. Fans are a die hard Steelers fan, Cowboys fan or Packers fan. So no matter where the stars go you still have your team that you support. The NBA in the era of free agency they market it differently. They market by who the famous players are, So it is I am a Kobe guy, a Lebron guy or a Chris Paul fan and so on and so forth. As guys move around you become fans of different teams. I think that is why the NBA is more of a global game. So if you are a fan in China it doesn't matter if Lebron is with the Knicks or the Cavs. You are a Lebron guy so you are buying his jersey whatever it is.

People in the NBA are more inclined to cheer for players as opposed to teams. So it just so happens that there are a lot of people in New York that like Lebron. They are hopeful he will be come a Knick in 2010 and beyond. They are going to ride with Lebron. So I think it is a bi-product of that. It is not about a disrespect towards the Knicks. When you go to Raptor games you see the same thing with a lot of jerseys for the other teams as well. Teams know this and they market accordingly. They will have Yao Ming on the tickets when the Rockets come to town. They know that a lot of the Chinese community is coming out to watch Yao Ming. I think is all part and parcel of the NBA's marketing plan."

Picking up on that theme in the 1980's the rivalry of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson was said to in some folks minds to have saved the NBA. It was the most storied individual rivalry in the history of sports. It ranked up there with Chamberlin and Russell. It was the biggest thing in basketball that truly crossed over sports and went directly into advertising and marketing. Converse, McDonald's and a host of others used the basketball rivalry to market there products as well and the players and the NBA. Speed ahead to 2009 and this past Sunday we saw Kobe vs Lebron. Is that the modern day version of the classic rivalry? What does D.J think about that?

D.J-" If it is not the NBA is sure trying to make it happen. But it is totally different. Bird and Magic back then it was real and it wasn't contrived. They had something going on that started in college and it carried on to the pros. They were around same age, they had comparable games, they were bout same size, you had the East vs West. The city kid versus the country boy, Disney could not have wrote a script any better. Lebron and Kobe other than being the two best players in the game, arguably, it is a little bit contrived."

D.J would go on to say that it was just not the same as Bird and Magic were guys that people could related to and choose sides and get behind. In the case of Kobe and Lebron they are actually really similar. Both straight out of high school and considered by some the heir to the Jordan legacy as the next one. But there was just more history to Bird and Magic and the contrast in styles as people. That was also evident in the Celtic and Laker rivalry that was a part of it. D.J seemed to feel that this was more of an NBA marketing creation than it was based in a true rivalry. There is no doubt no one at the league offices would complain about a Kobe vs Lebron final after last season's Lakers vs Celtics match up. D.J was not a believer in any conspiracy theories that Lakers and Celtics last year. He does not by into any for a Kobe and Lebron final this year. I agree with that as well. Sure the NBA has favourite match-ups they would root for. But even in those Bird vs Magic days. The odd time a team like the Rockets would find a way to get to the finals to break up the run of Celtics vs Lakers finals. That being said a Kobe vs Lebron finals would be fun to watch.

There has been a lot of talking about things from a league perspective with D.J. We also talked about a few other things that I am going to throw in the Dino Vault and pull out later. It is some All Star stuff and other goodies. But with all this talk of the league and grand scheme of things, it seems only fitting to link up an interview with the guy that runs it all. David Stern was on Toronto radio today talking with Jack and Doug on the Game Plan. Here is your link hook up.

David Stern On Game Plan

There was also an interview with Phil Lind on Prime Time Sports. He is one of the Vice President's at Rogers. Why this will be of interest for you is at the end of this interview there is some talk about the whole TSN 2 matter. It does not offer any hope of an kind but it does at least shed a little light on the issues that are going on in these business dealings that have left a lot of Raptors fans out in the cold for seeing games. The TSN 2 stuff is at the end of the interview.

Phil Lind on TSN 2 on Prime Time Sports

So that is a wrap for this Interview and a couple other interviews by others. I would like to thank D.J for coming back and talking with Dino Nation Blog again. Both he and Randy Urban have been very kind to me and happy to help out your Dino Blogger. It always takes the help of others to put together a lot of what I do. I am grateful for that help not just for myself but for all the readers of the Dino Nation Blog that benefit from it. Hopefully you all feel the same way. Tomorrow we have another guest as Matt Devlin is scheduled to hook up with the Dino Nation Blog from Minnesota. I look forward to that it has been awhile since we have had a chance to catch up with Matt.

Raptors Need To Pick Up The Pace

Tonight's game against the Indiana Pacers will mark the half way point of the season. Some help in the form of Jermaine O'Neal.He is expected as he is going to make his return in the Raptors first visit to Indiana since the big off-season trade. It is safe to say both teams had a bit higher goals for the trade they made in the off-season. Both T.J Ford and Jermaine O'Neal have had to deal with injuries throughout the year. This latest injury for O'Neal has lead to the emergence of Andrea Bargnani. O'Neal stated yesterday that he will come of the bench as he makes his return. Jose Calderon is also making the trip but not expected to play. So for now everything is calm in Raptorland. Well except for the fact they sit in 12th place with the Bobcats and Pacers close behind. You hear a lot about how the Raptors schedule will turn for the better later in the year. That is the truth it is not an urban legend or myth. In fact a March 15th another match-up with The Pacers marks the last chance stand for the Raptors. In the last month of the season the Raptors have a legit chance to go 12-3. They have 10 of the last 15 games at home. It could set up a run to the playoffs like the Raptors put together behind the amazing play of Antonio Davis lead crew down the stretch in 2002. If memory serves me right that team won 16 of their last 17 games and did not clinch a play-off spot until the last day of the season.

So why mention this point now? It is January after all and if you need proof just step aside your front door if you live anywhere in Canada. Well if the Raptors were to lose tonight that would put the Raptors 9 games below .500. So basically consider that 9 games under .500 mark as like the Mendoza line. It is a baseball reference to Manny Mendoza was a baseball player that was an above average fielder who was a terrible hitter. In order to stay in the majors he was told he would have to hit at least a batting average of .200. So for the rest of this season 9 games under .500 is the Raptors Mendoza line. If the Raptors are not above or at that mark at March 15th it is pretty much all over. This only gets the Raptors to the .500 mark which hopefully would be good enough to make it in the East. Some will say that you can get in the playoffs with a under .500 mark but I am not willing to bank on that.

Don't Tell CB4 The Season Is Lost

Chris Bosh was asked yesterday something along the lines of most people thinking this was a lost season. He replied that he was glad none of those people play on this team. So I guess my 10-day contract with Raptors is not going to happen. But to be serious Bosh is right for whatever we as fans or the media may think it really only matters what the people inside that locker room think. If they thought like that the season truly would be over. If the Raptors are to get out of this hole they have created they will have to come together and dig out. They may need some help to do that in the form of a trade. However the Raptors can't sit back and wait for Bryan Colangelo to make something happen. While some have taken the Raptors struggles to point out the flaws of Chris Bosh. I will contend this is showing you what is best about Chris Bosh. He refuses to give in no matter the situation that is in front of him. The amount of respect I have for him as a player and a person can not be summed up in just written words.

People continue to speculate about the future for Bosh and what might happen in 2010. I think that people looking to that is unfortunate but understandable given this team and it's history. Chris Bosh is not like the people that have come before him. I think Chris Bosh has worked harder and done more to earn the respect of Raptor fans and the media. I don't think to many people were expecting when he was drafted that he one day would turn into the best player ever to wear a Raptor Jersey. Vince Carter had this honour and it seemed that he would hold that title for a long time to come. Bosh is not as flash or athletic as Carter. However Carter is not the hard worker and mentally tough competitor that Chris Bosh it. I have no doubt that a number 4 will one day hang in the ACC rafters and be the first number to hang there. It will represent how far the kid from just outside as Dallas as come. Maybe I am idealistic in thinking the Chris Bosh will not stop writing his Raptor story in 2010. But I have faith in Chris Bosh and believe that he is different from the others. Faith in anyone is hard to have and it is the ultimate form of trust you can put in someone. People wonder why people still boo Vince Carter. I never do because it is pretty simple when it comes right down to it. He shattered the faith that people put in him. That is something that you do not get over quickly if at all.

Court Surfing In The Dino Nation Blog - D.J Bennett

Part of why the Dino Nation Blog signed up to be part of The Score.com Sports Federation was to hopefully have some more guests from The Score to call on to be guests here. I felt it could add to what is an already impressive line up of guests we have the fortune to talk with on a regular basis. We had Sherman Hamilton visit just before the time the Sports Fed got rolling. Now I am adding some more folks to the roster. D.J Bennett is part of Court Surfing on The Score. He along with Randy Urban host the live blog that goes along with the show. They also do some video hits on The Score.com on the Raptors and The NBA. I have referenced them a couple of times in the past. I often try to pop in and take part in the live blogs and get in on the conversation. So I decided to offer him and Randy an invite to visit my world. Today I talked with D.J about the Raptors and the first half of the season in the Starting 5. Given the topic it is far longer then 5 minutes but hopefully it is worth the extra time. Besides the Starting 5 has never hit 5 minutes yet with any guest. But it is a cool title and why change it. So have a listen as we look back and forward on a Raptor season that has not gone as it was advertised.

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There was more to our conversation that you will be able to read about on Sunday or Monday. The focus of that Conversation looks at the NBA as a whole. D.J gives some of his picks for NBA awards at the half way mark. So you can look for that then. Randy his partner in crime will be visiting sometime next week. The plan is to have them pop in and visit from time to time. It is always great to have more guests and a variety of opinions. I think it is part of what makes the Dino Nation Blog what it is. Everyone has different takes on this great game of basketball and it is cool to hear as many as we can.

So that is all for today. Later tonight you can see the Raptor Rewind back in it's normal format. Pacers and Raptors from Indiana. Should be fun.