Raptors Ticket Giveaway #2

So you still have till Thursday at Noon to get your entries in for DNB Trivia and your first chance to win the first pair of tickets to Raptors vs Nuggets on December 10th in the MGD Best Seats in the House. I am pleased to say we already have a number of correct entries. So you will need to get all 5 questions right to have a shot to win. But why wait to start to give away another pair of tickets. Are you ready for your next assignment?

Mission 2- DNB Scavenger Hunt

So how does this work? One of the things that has been one of the DNB's Greatest strengths is our interviews. Over the years we have talked to a lot of people. So how this will work is there will be clues for a guest we have had in the past and you go find them and send it to us. So as an example of how this works I will provide an example.

Clue - Her Twitter Handle is @CptCandice.

The Answer would be the interview we just did with Candice from the Raptors Dance Pak, so you would find that interview and send the Link to DinoNationBlog@Gmail.com. It is that simple. I will be providing clues for a few different interviews. Unlike the last round you just need to get 1 correct and send it in. But make sure your right because you only get one shot at this.

So you get how it works? From now till Next Wednesday look for clues and when you send the link make sure you include the clue for that answer. As we will have more then 1 chance to win. If the guest has been in the blog on several occasions which applies to a lot of people then ANY interview with that person is a right answer.

Just like the DNB Trivia the clues could appear at any time in the Dino Nation Blog between now and Next Tuesday. So it is pretty Simple. Good Luck to everyone and Winner will be contacted next Wednesday afternoon.

Raps and Nuggets Ticket Giveaway

Final Question- DNB Trivia Question #5

The Dino Nation Blog in one of our NBA Season Previews called the NBA Finals Match-Up. NAILED IT!!! Who where the teams in the Finals and the Champion that James got right?

So that is it are you 5 for 5? If you are you have a chance to be our first winner.

Send in your answers to Dinonationblog@Gmail.com and have your chance to win the First Pair of tickets to see the Raptors and Nuggets December 10th in the MGD Best Seats in the House. Get your answers in by Thursday at Noon the winner will be selected from correct entries, contacted and announced later in the day.

Make sure you check out MGD on Facebook. They have other contests you can win on Facebook for Raptors and other things.

Will have an announcement tomorrow with Mission 2 of how you can earn another pair of tickets to join us in the MGD Best Seats in the House for Raptors and Nuggets on December 10th. Obviously you must be 19 and over as well as your guest and if you win tickets you are not eligible beyond that point. If you have missed one of the 5 questions they are all here in the DNB so go find them and if you need help with the answers some of you have already figure out, we have a site search engine that can be a great help to you.

Good luck to everyone and Mission 2 starts tomorrow.

The Big Announcement....

So that is it MGD are doing this promotion with us to send you to see the Raptors and Nuggets on December 10, 2010 with Myself and Danielle from DNB as yours host and hostess for the evening. MGD is doing other promotions as well and you can check them out on their Facebook page for other chances to win stuff. Obviously you must be of legal age to win this contest as well as your guest. Aside from that you just have to win the tickets. I am working on some other things for the evening to make it a great experience for all our winners. Details on those as they get all worked out.

You will have a great night and be well taken care of by the people from MGD. I was one of their guests for the Raptors only win of the season vs the Cavs. Aside from the fact the Raptors won it was a fantastic night from beginning to end. Food and beverages and you get made to feel like a VIP which feels pretty good. So with all that being said you are likely saying SHUT UP James and tell me how I can win?

MISSION 1.....DNB TRIVA

As I mentioned in the video the goal is to find people that read and support the blog. So if you are have been a DNB reader this contest is going to favour you having a chance to win. These questions should not be hard for the average DNB Reader to answer. So from now till Next Wednesday there will be 5 trivia questions in the Dino Nation Blog. When and where they will be is up to us. Yeah that is right we are making sure you are reading the blog. So first part is finding the 5 questions. Also you need to get the answers right. Once all 5 questions have been asked you can send your answers to Dinonationblog@Gmail.com. All Entries need to be submitted by Thursday noon and the winner will be contacted later that afternoon.

The winner will be selected from all those with the most correct answers. So with that said here is Question #1

The DNB had a comedic segment that had 2 animated hosts what was it called and what are the names of the hosts?

This is going to be a lot of fun and more details on things as we go along. Thanks to MGD for giving you the DNB readers this cool opportunity.The other ways to win and more details as we roll through the month.

From The Desk Of Dino Blogger

Hello folks. I just wanted to write a few things on the season, the summer and this and that to help let you know what you can expect for the off-season to come and you know, keep coming back here during the unfortunately long off-season. These point are in no particular order.

• First off we will have a full staff preview of the Playoffs with our picks and who we think should win the NBA's major awards. I wanted to include both Anas and Danielle as they are now part of the team here and figure you should here their thoughts as well as mine. Also eventual I am going to be doing some Staff podcasts with them so we can share are ideas with you all coming soon.
• The Starting 5 is a 12 month operation just like the Dino Nation Blog is. Over the next month or so I will try and get all of our regular guests to stop by and take a look back at the season and a look forward to a very important off-season for the Raptors. That will begin today as I am going to be talking with Jack Armstrong late this afternoon after his radio show The Game Plan.
• The only good thing that came from missing the playoffs is the Raptors now have a first round draft pick. They will be in the draft lottery. So the amount of coverage we will dedicate to the draft as obviously changed a bit. So look for more draft talk as June approaches.
• This Summer Canada will be in the World Championships and as we have done in the past we will cover team Canada in the blog. Yes the main focus of this blog is always and will always be the Raptors. However the game as a whole in Canada we care about and that is why Canada Basketball is covered.
• Will also try some stuff over the summer to see if you like and we like it. One of the things in adding a few folks to mix to be a part of the DNB on a part-time basis has been the creation of features and some people to help kick around ideas with. One of the Nation and Jiggly Bits (Danielle's NBA Column) have been valuable additions.
• I will keep the fun going with the Roundball Review. Joey G will be thrilled to learn he is working the summer but he is a cartoon honestly what can he do? I am glad some of you folks love them and support them. I really enjoy this project and it allows me to tap into my sense of humour.

There will probably be other things as well but I want to thank you all for another season of support and encouragement. It has been a exciting year with the blog working with the Raptors and getting some access. It was a great learning experience and think it added to the blog in many ways beyond the obvious of content. So THANKS to you the READERS/LISTENERS/WATCHERS.

Hopefully this has encouraged you to keep with us through the summer months and find out what exactly is going to happen with this team Which is highly up in the air at the moment. Bosh and if he does eventually say adios and a ton more of issues and decisions to be made.

Coming Soon To A DNB Near You

I said Changes were coming to the Dino Nation Blog and this is one of them. So coming very soon the Starting 5 V-Log Edition along with some other things in not to distant future. There is also going to be chances for you as well to be a part of things so dust off those web cams if you got them or whatever video taping device you prefer.

DNB Is Adding To The Roster

For over 2 years now the Dino Nation Blog has had one single voice. That would be mine. Over this past season it is becoming clear to me that needs to change for a variety of reasons. The first and foremost is a lot of the sites that are out there beyond the Dino Nation Blog have many people that contribute on a regular basis. I have been told that I am one of the hardest working people that does this. I appreciate that respect that people have said that about my work ethic. However the math does not work. Even if you are to believe that I am in fact the hardest working person that does this as other have said about me. That still does not mean that I can out produce groups of folks that are larger in numbers. So that along with some other reasons have lead to consider the idea of adding folks into the Dino Nation Blog.

You have to understand that I truly think of this thing that I have build as something that I take great pride in. I also care deeply for all of you that have read and support the Dino Nation Blog. So this is not something that I take lightly at all. I put a lot of thought and consideration into if I wanted to do this. However I feel that I have found two people that will add to the Dino Nation Blog in a very positive way. This is only the start of what I hope will be positive changes to the Dino Nation Blog. I want to grow what we are doing and how we do it. That is a factor in this as well. In adding some other people to the mix it should allow me a bit more time to focus on those things as well. At the end of the day this is being done to improve the overall product that is the Dino Nation Blog.

Not to mention the fact that is bizarre and yet thrilling that people would see being associated with this site as a positive thing for them. So that is enough about why, I hope by this point you want to know who is coming on board here.

The first person is someone I have worked with in the past. I think that at some point I mentioned that I had worked on AHL Hockey Broadcasts on C101.5. Well this is one of the other folks who worked on that broadcast. We had run into one another at a gathering for a mutual friend and I had mentioned what I was doing with myself these days. About 6 months or so later I decided to see if she would be interested in contributing to the Dino Nation Blog in some way. I honestly expected a polite decline. However I got an enthusiastic yes instead. Now this person like myself has a background in Television and Radio. She has worked for the CBC, W-TSN and is actually doing some CIS Basketball locally on Cable 14 here in Hamilton covering McMaster Basketball. She has always been a basketball fan and I am sure at some point in this will try to convince me the WNBA has more to offer than Candace Parker the sister of former Raptor Anthony Parker. Anyway this is her first experience getting into blogging or writing on the internet but with her media experience I am sure she will catch on. Heck if I can do it... I am sure she can. She is a Laker Fan she says from birth and also now that Raptors came a long likes them as well. She also hopes Toronto one day will get a WNBA Franchise. If that happens maybe will have a spinoff blog like a successful T.V show. Her name is Danielle De Graauw and she is going to be doing a weekly feature in the blog (starting next Tuesday). The plan is for it to be a bit more league based than Raptor based. However as I have told Danielle this is her thing and she can do it as she sees fit.

I want both of the people I am adding to be themselves and have control of what they are doing here. I also want to give them the chance for them to introduce themselves to you and have you know them and hopefully eventually them know you.. As for this second person some of you already know him and I got to know him through The Score. Anas Ahmed did some writing for the Court Surfing Blog and I got to know him through that. Anas wrote his own Bio and had this to say about joining the team here at the DNB.

Anas Ahmed is a recent Journalism graduate from the University of Guelph-Humber in Toronto. He joins the Dino Nation team after writing for RealGM.com and The Score's Court Surfing blog. He spent last year as an intern in The Score's NBA department and brings a great passion for all things NBA. He also really likes Black Diamond Cheese Strings. And ranch dip. He cites conquering seasons one through five of The Office in under one month as one of his greatest victories. He is a firm believer that combining Butch Carter and Kevin O'neill would form the greatest coach in Raptors franchise history. He would name him Butch O'neill over Kevin Carter so as not to confuse the combo for a Kevin Willis-Vince Carter hybrid (a giant, high-flying, injury-prone centre with a mean mustache who would have somehow managed to play into his early 60's). He also believes that Canada's laughable mainstream coverage of basketball is rivaled only by the American coverage of hockey. You can hit him up at anas.ahmed11@gmail.com or follow him @thisisanas on Twitter. He also doesn't know why he wrote this bio in the third-person but he, I mean I, really enjoyed it.

We have not exactly defined a role as to what Anas will be doing here. I would suspect he will be helping out giving his 2 and sometimes even 3 cents on the Raptors. Although as a recent grad you never want to give to much money away.

Ultimately we end up with a Big 3....Hey it worked for the Celtics. But seriously we have 2 very talented people here that I feel fortunate to welcome into my little world I have created here. They also like me have experience beyond just writing and that will likely lead to looking to do more exciting things in the future taking into account our backgrounds in broadcasting. If I hit the lottery tomorrow the Dino Nation Blog Television Show will start production in a week. If not we may just have some form of audio and video content for you as this grows and expands in the future.

But for now I just ask you all to welcome them and support the work they do here. Like I said at the start of this it is not a choice that did not have a lot of thinking behind it. I have had offers from folks to write for the blog in the past. I kindly declined. In part with some because of timing and others because I didn't feel they fit with what I had built here. I feel that both Danielle and Anas will fit in well and contribute to the DNB in a positive way that will help expand on what I have been doing for over 2 years. I also find it exciting to have a female be a part of the Dino Nation Blog. I think that adds an interesting element to the mix and hopefully you will as well.

So please make both Danielle and Anas feel welcome and treat them with respect and love as you folks have done towards me for the most part over 2 + years.

On Radio In B.C

Taking a bit of a day off today. But if you really can't live without me for a day? You can check me out on Jacked In with Jessica on AM 1150 in Kelwona B.C talking Raps and blogging. I am scheduled to be on at 8:50 and you can listen in online here. Dino Nation Blog will be back late tonight or tomorrow. I am enjoying my new copy of NBA 2K10. Zack Cooper of the FAN590 and many of the loyal readers of the DNB were right it is a fine game. But Live has booing V.C in it. Which makes what is going to happen later this month at the ACC very odd scene indeed. The Raptors plan on honoring V.C prior to the game vs the Magic as part of the 15th anniversary festivities. Charles Oakley will be on hand for the Raps and Pistons and I would like to over him a uniform to get out there and help fix this D. Maybe not but as a coach? Something to think about. Anyway will talk about that and honoring V.C later on. So check me out on the Radio and talk with you all later.

Celtics and Raptors Part 4

Before we get talking about tonight's games some important news and notes about the Dino Nation Blog over the next few days that will have an impact on things. Right off the top there will be no Raptor Rewind of tonight's Celtics and Raptors games. As my two little animated helpers have been telling you I will be live blogging the game for The Score. So you are welcome to check that out and come be a part of the fun.

The Score - Raptors and Celtics Live Blog Link

It says it starts at 7:30 pm but I will likely show up and get things going like 15 minutes early to allow you folks to take part before the action gets going. Also After Midnight I will be posting the interview I did with Chuck Swirsky. It is in all audio format and in it you can here Chuck's Thoughts on the following topics:

• The Raps Early Struggles
• His Thoughts on Derrick Rose
• What Does The Swirsk Think About 2010
• His Return To Toronto
• His Thoughts on Jack Armstrong and Matt Devlin

It was great to talk to Chuck. I know I have had issues with some stuff in how he called games. But as a person you will not find a better person and proof of that is he was willing to talk with me. He was first person I ever interviewed in the Raptors media a long time ago. He was always helpful and kind and remains the same way to this day.

The only other thing of note is there will also be a delay of Raptor Rewind for Wednesday's game for the Bulls. I am going to be doing some more live blogging for The Score on a college game between Duke and Georgia Tech (CB4's Old School) so it will not be possible to be in two places at once. Also that game is a TSN 2 game that makes it even more complicated. I will do some kind of a summary when I get a chance to watch the Game in an hour on Raps T.V. So that is about all for news. I am doing a third game on Saturday if you are a fan of NCAA ball I will link you to that later in the week.

In Case You Have Not Heard

It was being reported last night that Jose Calderon and Jermaine O'Neal would not be taking the flight to Boston with the Raptors. Given how Jose was performing yesterday in trying to guard Rajon Rondo that may not be a bad thing on his end. When it comes to Jermaine O'Neal some have wondered where he has been. He is still around and has been getting re-hab during games. I heard the first mention of a return date for him being Wednesday against the Bulls. But when it comes to injuries it is all guess work. The reason for the delay in his return was said to be some unwelcome swelling in the good knee. That is right this is on the good knee the right one not the much talked about left one.

Nathan Jawai has been seen working out and getting ready. Doug Smith in the Star was suggesting the Raptors are in no hurry to get Jawai in the line-up. But I am sure that Nathan does not share that opinion. I am going to attempt to talk with Aaron Fearne next week and get an update on how Nathan has been doing. One of the question I will ask is if there is any thought of Nate going to the D-League as part of him working back into shape. It would seem like a good idea to me. I am on an island with this opinion but I really think Nathan Jawai could have had an impact this season. But his heart issue have made that seem unrealistic at this point. But he will be an impact role player once he gets rolling. I just feel really strong about this.

I Was Painful Right

Yesterday I had major bad feeling about the Celtics game and I was proven right. I had two big concerns and they were the key factors yesterday. Rajon Rondo I felt would really have a huge advantage and if Jose played it would increase that advantage. Sure enough Rondo was unreal. He just could not be stopped and the dunk he had in that game was like a huge explanation point to that fact.

You may remember when we were getting the season started on of the fantasy games I was taking part in was the Pick One Challenge that has you pick one player each day and you get his numbers for your fantasy points. Guess who I picked yesterday? Ray Allen. I just knew based on the history and if Rondo was going to do what I expected then Ray Allen had a chance to have a huge day and he did.

In fact he was feeling so good that he was having some fun in the locker room after the game. I will let Holly Mackenzie's story from Court Surfing explain.

Dino Blogger On The Air Waves In Montreal

I was happy to be a guest on CJLO on the Show "Off The Bench". We talked a lot about the Raptors and a little bit some things around the NBA. If you want to have a listen check it out.

Dino Blogger on CJLO

So I have been keeping busy. I recently wrote an article on Chuck's Return to Toronto and talking about the whole conversation about Chuck and Matt Devlin. You can read my thoughts on all of that over at T.O Sports. I also have submitted my story over at the Industry Magazine. That will not be out till February in that Article I talk about the idea of Toronto as a future host for the All-Star Game. In it I have quotes from Jack Armstrong, Eric Smith, Scott Carefoot and Chuck Swirsky on their thoughts on the impact an All Star Game could have on Toronto. As we get closer to All Star Time I will write something on the topic for the Dino Nation Blog as well. I'll link up the Industry Article when the magazine is out which I believe is at the start of February.The Industry is a Urban Culture Magazine that looks at night life and the whole scene that is the T.O. Lisa and her whole staff over there are great to work with and have made both myself and basketball feel welcome in their magazine.

So please if you are able to come pop in on the live blog tonight do so. You can find the Live Blogs for not just the NBA but all kinds of sports on The Score.com and it is part of the Score Mobile as well if you are not able to watch the game and have an Iphone or Blackberry or other tech toys you can tune in and keep up to date with what's going on. On a date or with the family? Just sneak off to the bathroom and get an update on the game. It can be our little secret as long as your family and friends don't read the blog which I wouldn't like personally. The Dino Nation Blog can always grow bigger and it can start with you by telling a friend and so on and so on. There was an ad like that for hair colouring or something. Anyway see you at the live Blog and tomorrow the Salami and Cheese and Chuck Check in at the Dino Nation Blog. Well Chuck does there was no Salami and Cheese used in this interview.

The First Dino Nation Blog Of 09

Well it is 2009 and if you did to much partying last night I have a tip for you. Drink Gatorade it will help make that hangover feel a bit better. I use to swear by it when I was younger and had done a little to much drinking for my own good. I woke up today and turned on CNN. They had a story about a guy that is predicting that the United States of America will break apart in 2009. I don't think I will have anything that bold or crazy for you today. But it is that time of year to make New Years Resolutions and predictions for the upcoming year. So let's start with some predictions. Some for the Raptors and some for the NBA. This is just some logical guessing and you can take it as seriously as you care to choose.

Predictions For Raptors in 2009

1. This will be the last year for Anthony Parker and Joey Graham. I think by the end of this season Parker will be traded or if he lasts he will return to Europe for the 2009/10 season. Joey Graham meanwhile will not be resigned with the Raptors and some team will get sucked in by his flashes of brilliance and sign him and he will become another team's problem.
   
2. Andrea Bargnani will be traded. I know he scored 26 points last night and played really well. But unless these nights become the norm and not the exception I think Colangelo will have to accept that Andrea is just not going to succeed in Toronto. It is just a question of if that takes till the offseason to happen.
3. The Raptors will miss the playoffs. I know it sucks to admit this at this point of the year. But with 50 games remaining I just don't see any reason to think the Raptors can go the rest of the season at a pace of 6 to 10 games over .500? I just can't see that happening. They even sometimes lose the odd game they should win and have not been able to beat anyone that you would consider to be a playoff team. I hope that I am wrong but I fear that I am right.
   
4. Colangelo will hire his guy. Unfortunately for Jay Triano he will not remain as head coach of the team. I have no doubt he will be offered a position in the organization. Maybe he will take it or maybe Steve Nash will look to get him brought in down in Phoenix as he has not been happy and Triano even as an assistant may help that situation be better.
   
5. Chris Bosh and the 2010 conversation will become the major issue of the year. Bosh technically could sign an extension in the summer to remain in Toronto. He won't do that not because he hates Toronto or does not want to play here. He will do it because it is the right thing to do for him to get the best deal possible.
   

NBA Predictions

1. Lebron James will win the M.V.P not a very bold prediction but hey who is going to stop him. The talk of where he will be in 2010 will continue to grow and build. Along the way he will sell tons of stuff from his shoes and everything else. If there is a recession proof athlete his name is Lebron James.
   
2. Back to Back Slam Dunk Crowns for Superman. Dwight Howard may not win that M.V.P that I had predicted for him prior to the season. But the dunk contest is no problem. I believe in Superman. His team is pretty good to and you need to beware of the Magic.
   
3. You won't see a Lakers vs Celtics re-match. I know it seems like it is heading that way again but I am going to play the field. There are some teams that could spoil the party and I think one of them will. Cleveland and Orlando at the top of that list. Finally the shoe would be on the other foot and K.G would cry. Kobe also has a tough road in the West. It just doesn't happen very often in sports anymore that 2 teams can return to a final for a re-match the next year.
4. Sam Mitchell will be hired for a job for 2009/2010 and he will be a success.
   
5. Barack Obama will be at the opening game of the NBA season and throw up the ceremonial opening tip.

The Dino Bloggers Resolutions

• To continue to work hard in the coming year and bring more people to the Dino Nation Blog to help us gain more info and insight into the great game of basketball
• To continue to try an improve in every way to make the Dino Nation Blog even better by next year at this time
• To find more ways to make you feel a part of the Dino Nation Blog and grow the amount of people that are part of it.
• Never to forget that I am a fan as much as I am someone that is covering this team and game.
• To try to open doors and support others trying to do the same
• Ultimately to be the best Dino Blogger I can be.

Sure I could have said things like stop smoking and other things. I am far from a perfect person. But the key about resolutions and goals is to make them realistic. I could have also put to have an exclusive interview with Chris Bosh. I mean sure if that happened it would be fantastic but I just continue to work hard and hope for the best. It has been an amazing ride doing this up to now. I have long given up trying to predict what will happen for myself and this blog. It continues to amaze me each day. I thank all of you for the support in that past and hope to earn it in the future. If you have predictions or resolutions you are welcome to share them in the comments. Have a great 2009 everyone and I hope you will make this blog a small part of that each day.

Finally The Dino Blogger was Back in Toronto.

Dino Blogger In Toronto

I do not get to Toronto very often so I always try to make the most of it. I had a chance to get over and see the Score new set up on King St. I got to spend some time with Scott from Raptor Blog and talk some Raptors and basketball stuff. Scott is really a bright guy and I enjoy my conversations with him. He has been great to work with in making this transition to the Score Sports Federation. Hopefully it works out to be the success that we both would like it to be. Time will tell and I look forward to whatever chances may come from that.

But my real reason for being in Toronto. First and foremost it was to go to a game with the blog's contest winner Brett. I was able to meet up with Brett and he was able to find me with no troubles. From there we headed in to the game and I had the great thrill of introducing him to a few folks that you all will know. Jack Armstrong, Matt Devlin and Paul Jones were all kind enough to take a few minutes out of the crazy rush that is pre-game to say hello and meet Brett. I am grateful they were willing to make the time. I hope Brett knows now why I have nothing but praise for these guys as they truly are great people and always willing to lend a hand. So thanks to them for doing that.

At halftime of the game we got to hook up with Steve AkA Raptorman. He also was nice enough to not only provide the tickets but also gave both Brett and myself T.J Ford bobbleheads and a T.J Ford trading card. There was a photo of us taken. I am sure Steve will get that to me and I'll include it in a blog in the future. I was going to take some photos with the other folks but honestly it was so busy prior to the game I just thought I'd rather let them spend a minute or two talking with Brett.

The seats were great and if you ever are looking to get some tickets to check out a game yourself go see Steve at Raptorman.ca. I have been grateful to be his guest twice and can say he is a great person and really at the core is a Raptor fan first and does a great job at getting other fans matched up with seats to see a game. If anyone ever asks me about where to look for tickets for a game I send them his way.

So thanks to Brett for being a very happy and easy to get along with contest winner. He made the experience of doing the contest be a positive one for me and it was cool to get to meet a reader and thank them personally. I hope in the future to be able to get to know more readers in what ever ways I can come up with. I do my best to get to know as many of you as I can. It is because of the kind nature of people towards me that has made me want this to always be a goal of mine. So with that we can say it was a successful venture for the Dino Nation Blog. I thank everyone that played a role in making that so. So the game itself. T.J Ford's big return to Toronto.

Calderon shines in the Match-Up with T.J

If this was a boxing match last night and round 1 of a scheduled 3 rounds, Jose Calderon won round 1 by a 10-8 margin. I am willing to give credit where it is due. Calderon was at his best and had a solid night at the office running the Raptors. Calderon had 11 points, 14 assists and only 2 turnovers. Meanwhile Ford had just 4 points, 4 assists and was just 2-8 shooting. T.J for whatever reason just did not have a good night at the office. Calderon made it clear why many feel he was the right choice to be the starting point guard on this team. I even saw a much better effort on defense from Jose. It seemed clear that he even though he likely will not say it understood that this was more than just another game. So give Jose all the praise and all the credit he deserves it.

I was pleased to see that the majority of fan cheered T.J and it was nice to see. I was convinced that I may be the only on at the A.C.C that would cheer. But to my great thrill I saw a lot of Ford jerseys in the house last night. Some with the old Raptor colours and the number 11 and some with the Pacers Blue and Yellow and his new number 5. As great a person as Jose Calderon truly is, T.J Ford was never the evil to that good that Jose represents. T.J is a good person to and he does many good things as well. They both are guys that want to play and want to win. They just have very different ideas in how you accomplish that goal.

Big 3 Era Over?

After all the drama of what the crowd would do about T.J Ford. There were some changes to the Raptor Line-Up. Andrea Bargnani returned to the bench and Jamario Moon was back in the starting line up. Jason Kapono would replace Anthony Parker who is said to have been out with an ankle injury. But there was some buzz that it was thought he might have been traded. But to this point nothing to say on that topic. There were 2 trades in the NBA yesterday but Parker nor the Raptors were involved. This will likely be an ongoing dance as we move forward. Parker and his expiring deal are definitely a chip for Bryan Colangelo to use if he sees fit.

After the performance of Jason Kapono in the starting line-up it sure did not hurt the idea of moving A.P. Kapono is always going to be a defensive problem in the sense he just will never be that good a defender. But if he can score like he did last night I think people will be more forgiving of his defensive short comings. 25 points and 11-16 shooting will make people forget a lot. Kapono did get a block too. So there is your defense.

Jay Triano is going to be looking to see how this roster can be used to it's best advantage. So what we can expect as far as the roster goes going forward is up to debate. I would suggest that Jose Calderon, Chris Bosh and J.O will all be in the starting line-up. But the other 2 spots are clearly up for grabs. That may not be the worst thing in the world. Joey Graham and Jamario Moon have seemed to get the message from the coaching change. We have seen both at least attempt to improve in their effort and results since Sam Mitchell was let go. Joey with the more positive results to this point.

A Much Needed Win

Some will say that the Pacers are not a good team and the fact the Raptors won this game is not really a big deal. I can see that point of view. Both teams at times looked pretty bad last night. But given all that has gone on it was a win this team badly needed and I think it will help them focus on what is still a very challenging rest of December ahead. We can always find good and bad in every win and loss. It is just a matter of looking for it. After 5 straight loses I am happy to just accept the good for today and move on to the next game in New Jersey.

As For The Nation Speaks... Not So Much.

Well I tried but not enough mail to make it happen. I had a poll and the majority wanted to have a mailbag feature. But the response was not there to make it happen. I still will respond to the comments and do what I can to make the readers a part of the Dino Nation Blog. I think it is important and will do my best to give you chances to have your say. I had a comment that I did not post suggesting that I was doing this feature as some form of an ego boost for me? I totally disagree with that. I mean by wanting others to share their thoughts and make it a part of what I am doing speaks to the fact I am willing to hear other points of view and give them a forum to express it.

I have done my best to build relationships with a lot of folks. I do that because I want everyone to feel a part of the Dino Nation Blog. I take the time to read a lot of the forums I mentioned in asking for you to send in your thoughts to me.

When it comes to ego and all of that. I think we all have an ego and pride. But at the end of the day I am always grateful for people that read the Dino Nation Blog and always will be. Sometimes I try things to make people feel more a part of this blog and that is done for the benefit of you the readers not me. I am just doing the best I can to take advantage of the chances that come my way to not just benefit myself but everyone connected to the Dino Nation Blog. That is why I came up with a contest to have a reader join me for a game. It is why I am always willing to help others in any way that I can. It is why I reach out to folks to come and do interviews here. So if that suggests that I have an ego and think to much of myself. I would think that my actions have always pointed to the opposite of that. I think that I have done the best I can to make everyone feel a part of the Dino Nation Blog and feel welcome. I am always going to do my best to keep to that mission. There will always be people that look to be negative and sit back and make judgements about you when you put yourself on a public stage. I am aware of that and accept that fact. No one is going to be able to please everyone. Not the Dino Blogger not any of my guests or the folks that make up the Raptors as well.

So I will always remain focused on doing the best I can for folks. I will always be grateful for everything be it big or small that comes my way. I will always do a job with this blog that allows be to look in the mirror and say I have done my best to do something good with the stage I have. No matter how big or small it is or may become. I think I have done a good job in just over a year of doing this and am happy that over that time the majority of folks that read seem to agree. As for this idea of the Nation Speaks. It is as I have always said up to you folks if you want it to happen. If you are willing to contribute to making it happen. I am happy to provide the chance for it to happen. I am always willing to hear from you with your thoughts on anything to do with this blog.

dinonationblog@sourcecable.net

So that is about it for today. I thank all of you for reading. It is always great feeling to have people enjoy what you do and rewarding for all the time and effort that goes into it.

Congratulations To Our Contest Winner

This will be pretty short and sweet. The Dino Nation Blog is happy to congratulate Brett Lockwood the winner of our Return of T.J Contest Winner. I thank all who entered and our 3 finalists in the contest. All were great and did a good job making it a tough choice. Brett will now be taking in a game with yours truly at the ACC. A pretty exciting one at that with the return of T.J Ford to Toronto. I hope to make it a great experience for him and see it as a way to thank all of the readers in making this a fun experience for him. So Congrats to him and I look forward to meeting him on Wednesday.

Also thanks to Raptorman.ca that was kind enough to put up the tickets for the contest.

One Year And Counting For Dino Nation Blog

It was about a year ago at this time that I came up with the idea of creating the Dino Nation Blog. The truth of the matter is I was feeling kind of depressed after I had my birthday a few days before. For those who do not know I look after my mother who is disabled from a knee surgery that did not work out as it was suppose too. She is not able to walk and requires having someone be here to look after her and help out. I am her only son and my father passed away when I was like 13. So that made having a career in the media next to impossible. My mother had always had knee trouble so taking jobs that were far away did not seem realistic for me to do. I am not saying I would have made it in the media with out those challenges the truth is I really have no idea. I have told some folks about these challenges that I talk with. But I have never gone into detail about it in the blog until now. The reason why was I did not want people to come here as some form of pity for me. I wanted them to come here because they enjoyed and loved the blog. But now that it has been going on for a year today I decided to let folks know this part of my story. Maybe that is why if comments are nasty in nature I really don't get phased by it. I have been through a lot in life and the comments of someone out there who is upset about me or this blog is not really anything in comparison to the challenges I have had in life.

But to get back to the point. I sat here thinking what could I do that could get me back into the media that I truly love and enjoy. I had started reading blogs quite a bit. Some of the main ones that cover the Raptors in the main stream media. I had always been a Raptor Fan and I had some experience in Radio and T.V. Maybe I could turn that into writing a blog. So I took that idea and started writing the Dino Nation Blog. It was very rough around the edges. I am not as good of a writer, as I am in talking about things. In fact if there is anything I have taken critique on more in the last year that would be it. Day after day I hope the writing level has gotten better. I think in looking at it myself it has. But the one thing that I have found is that people despite that have enjoyed the content and ideas that make up the Dino Nation Blog. I am very happy about that. I really have worked hard at that aspect of this blog and think it is the blog's greatest strength.

One of the things that I was able to do is get interviews with a lot of people in this blog connected to the Raptors media. A great deal of the credit for that belongs to Eric Smith of the Fan 590. I had know Eric when I was doing radio and he was cool enough to be a guest on my little basketball segment on the Radio. He and Chuck Swirsky both made appearances on the radio with me. So in writing the blog I happened to write about my great respect for Jack Armstrong as a broadcaster. I was very proud of what I had wrote. So I had emailed Eric and asked if he could pass along the blog I had wrote to Jack. The next day I had a kind e-mail from Jack Armstrong and before I knew it he was a guest in my blog and would come back many times since. Eric would later get me in touch with Paul Jones and he also has been a guest here several times. Not to mention Eric himself who writes a blog as well has made a few guest appearances in the Dino Nation Blog. They through being kind enough to do that gave myself and the readers of this blog a lot of info and made the Dino Nation Blog a true source for information. I am smart enough to understand that most folks had no idea who James Borbath was. They did know who all of these folks were though. I said to Eric after we finished an interview once that is was like in wrestling when the new guy gets the rub by beating the big star wrestler. That is what these guys were giving me by being in this blog. It would be a big step for the blog. I am happy to know that I can e-mail these folks and ask for advice or help and know I will get a positive response from them. If anyone has anything bad to say about these guys I will be the first in line to defend them.

There were some other folks that have come to visit that were people I was able to get on my own as well. Matt Devlin, Sherman Hamilton, Lexi Haslam and a bunch of folks in Australia to learn about Nathan Jawai. I am always trying to find more folks to talk with. I really love doing interviews with anyone. We can all learn stuff in talking with people. Not just about basketball but life itself. It is really hard to sum up all that has gone on in this year. I mean so many things that I never expected have happened. Something written here has ended up on Raptors.com, NCAA Websites and had links from so many other blogs that I have come to know and enjoy reading myself. The latest thing that has come the way of the blog is The Score. When I got an e-mail from Scott Carefoot who at the time I honestly did not know really at all. I was pretty taken back. A chance to have the idea I had just less than a year ago and have it associated with a major sports network. It all seemed really to unreal for words. I was truly so excited to take on this new challenge and see where it would lead.

All of this stuff has been really cool. But to be honest one of the greatest things for me has been getting to know the people like you that read this blog everyday. I have got to know so many great folks that share a love of basketball and the Toronto Raptors. People from all across this country and even some from around this globe. The fact that I can sit in front of a computer in Hamilton Ontario and reach out to people from all these places is something that is truly amazing to me even a year later. I have always said that any success that I get from this blog will be in part your success too. I truly mean that and am grateful to have the support of so many great folks from so many places. I can't tell you how many e-mails I have gotten from folks thanking me for the work I do. Many of these e-mails end with something like keep it up. It is not always easy to do this each and everyday. Getting an email like that on the right day or time can really help you get back on track. It has also has been great that when things happen for this blog, people have responded with a lot of congratulations and kind words for me. I have to admit when I first thought about writing on the Internet I was prepared to take a lot of people being less than kind. However I have been very happy and honestly surprised that majority of feedback I get is of such a positive nature. You the readers of the Dino Nation Blog are always going to be a big part of what this blog is. Don't every think that you do not matter to me because you all do. I try to respect everyone and I am happy that for the most part that respect has been given back to me. I understand you may not always agree with everything you read but that is fine. I just do my best to give you my best at what I think and believe on a daily basis.

In fact in knowing this event was coming I wanted to come up with some way to say thanks to you all. So I had an idea and that is the basis for this contest that I am going to tell you about. It is thanks in part to Raptorman.ca

Dino Nation Blog and Raptorman Are Giving You A Chance To See The Return Of T.J Ford

You can win a seat right next to me. To watch the return of T.J Ford to Toronto as he and his Pacers take on the Raptors on December 10th at the A.C.C.

So how do you do this? Basically it is pretty simple. In whatever creative way you can come up with. Tell me why you are the best fan of the Raptors and the Dino Nation Blog. You want to make a wacky You Tube Video. Just write an e-mail how every you choose to do it is up to your imagination.

You have from now until December 3rd Midnight Eastern time to send in your entry. From there 3 finalist will be selected. Those entries will be posted on December 4th. (Which will also be the day I am going to re-start the Nation Speaks where I will answer questions and comments from readers in the blog.)

Why are they being posted? Well because your fellow readers will be one of the 3 votes that can help you win the prize. The readers will have 2 days to pick their favourite that they feel deserves to win. I will also have a vote and I have selected a third party to be a third judge. The winner will be selected Friday and contacted via e-mail on Saturday with the details on how you can claim you prize.

I wanted to come up with a way to say thank you for a great year and this is it. I will work on a few other things for the winner as well. I am not sure how that will go. So just expect to get a ticket and have fun and get to meet me and have a great time.

Obviously if you can not get yourself to the ACC on December 10th please do not enter. The idea of this contest is to get a winner that can make it to the game and enjoy the experience of Raptors Basketball. If something comes up that the winner is unable to claim the prize the person that came in 2nd would be contacted and become the winner by default. But I hope that does not happen

The Dino Nation Blog is responsible for selecting the winner and that decision is final. The Dino Nation Blog also claims the right to publish any entries for use in the Dino Nation Blog. The winner will get a seat for the game versus the Pacers in the 300 level of the A.C.C. The Dino Nation Blog will not be providing any transportation or costs beyond the ticket to the game.

In order to make sure the winner is a true reader of the Dino Nation Blog there is also a skill testing question to be answered and if the answer is not correct the entry will be null and void. Meaning it will nor be considered. But if you have read the blog it should be simple enough to answer.

Who has not been a guest in the Dino Nation Blog of this list of people:

Chuck Swrisky
Jack Armstrong
Paul Jones
Matt Devlin

That is the question please include the correct answer with your entry.

So send your entry to dinonationblog@sourcecable.net

Please Mark E-Mail: T.J Return Contest

Keep all entries to under 500 words if written or less than 1:30 seconds if it is video

The Dino Nation Blog would like to thank Raptorman.ca for providing this prize. This contest is independent venture and is in no way connected to The Score.

Dino Nation Blog Team Up With The Score.Com

Finally Your Big Announcement Is Here

This is what I have been talking about. The Dino Nation Blog has not joined the World Wrestling Federation. We have joined The Score.Com Sports Federation. This is a group of blogs that have partnered up with The Score to work together to hopefully have a long and successful relationship. I have said long before this offer came along that The Score was the best place for basketball fans. I wrote about it and meant every word. So when the chance came along to be involved with them it seemed to be the perfect thing for the Dino Nation Blog. The advertisers on the site will allow the Dino Nation Blog to be a real way to build a career out of this for the Dino Blogger. So if you want to support the blog and the people that advertise here it would be great of you to do that.

But this is not just about that. At least not for me. I see this as more and a chance to help grow this blog to exciting new levels. I hope it can lead to establishing more guests to come visit us all. I also plan to keep all of our old guests if there are willing to visit. In fact that was my first question when this came my way. I wanted to make sure all of my guests could still be part of the Dino Nation Blog. If the answer had not been yes, I am not making this announcement. In fact for this blog and all the other blogs that are part of this federation we all still have complete control of our content. I don't know this for a fact but I think that is the idea from The Score's point of view. Giving folks like me a stage to compete on. The independent blogger has to struggle to get people to read their work and face a lot of challenges along the way. But this is a way for a large amount of people to become aware of the Dino Nation Blog and other blogs like it.The Federation is not just basketball blogs. In fact to this point Dino Nation Blog is only 1 of 2 that are. There is also a number of hockey blogs, and couple baseball ones, as well as a blog focused on the CIS. That is the Canadian Universities in which The Score also gives great coverage too. So I welcome you to check out all these other blogs as well. You can do that by going up to the top of the site were there is a drop down list with links to all the blogs that make up this federation.

I am not going to get to much into the blog and it's history to this point. Next week is going to be the blog's one year anniversary so I am going to save a lot of that for that day. But this blog has come so far in such a short time it has really exceeded all of my goals and expectations when it started. I have taken great joy in getting to know a lot of you that read this blog. I value that very much. I am always going to do my best to still do that. No matter how big this blog may become, each and every person that reads it will matter to me. I will do my best to always answer and respond to everyone. This moment is not just about my hard work that I put into this blog. It is about all of you too. I can't tell you how many times I have gotten messages from people saying how much they enjoy what I am doing and have an encouraging word to keep up the work I am doing. On some days you need to hear that and it never gets old. One of the things I have always tried to express is that I want this to be more than something you read. I want it to be a community for folks that love basketball and the Raptors. The Dino Nation was based on that idea. Whenever I interview anyone I not only thank them for myself but for all of you. In one of my most recent interviews there was a post thanking me for the interview. I responded saying I only take half of the thanks. The other half belongs to the person I was interviewing. From Jack Armstrong to Lexi Haslam and everyone else that has been kind enough to talk to this blog. It takes them being willing to do it.

What exactly this will lead to for the Dino Nation Blog is really any ones guess. I have some ideas but I will keep them to myself as I don't want to build up any false expectations. But I think the fact that this blog has become a part of a pretty selective group speaks to the level of work and support it has. This is a big deal to me and I hope if you have been a reader of this blog, for any amount of time, it will be for you as well. This blog that you might have found on Facebook or on places like Raptors Forum or Real G.M is now partnered with a major media player in Canada. That is something that is really amazing. The Score deserves a lot of credit for coming up with concept. The person who has worked to put this altogether is Scott Carefoot. You may all know from the Raptor Blog. He is also now working at The Score and this is his doing. He was the one that approached me with this offer that I was happy to accept. I thank him for the opportunity and The Score. Some people may look at this and say that the Dino Nation Blog has made it to the big time. I look at it and see it as a great new challenge that I am ready to take on. But in taking that on it will still require your support. I am confident that this will be a move that will benefit everyone and make the Dino Nation Blog grow and expand to exciting new levels.

If you have just found this blog. I personally want to welcome you. I am James Borbath the Dino Blogger and I hope you will enjoy what the Dino Nation Blog is. A place for people that love the Raptors and Basketball to come together and share in that experience with other people like them. I do my best to cover the Raptors in a way that is entertaining and hopefully interesting. I hope you will enjoy it and become part of the growing population of the Dino Nation.

There will be an official press release about this tomorrow morning and it will explain this whole concept. But this was my take on it from my perspective. I hope everyone will be happy with this and are going to enjoy this new exciting era for the Dino Nation Blog. This is Day One of that new era. So Thanks to everyone that has made this possible I am very grateful to have this chance and I plan on making the most of it.

Raptors Prepare For A Sunshine State Test

The Toronto Raptors are getting ready to challenge some Florida foes. The status of Jose Calderon is up in the air. The Raptors as a team almost seem to be up in the air. People are coming up with trade ideas that don't make a lot of sense to me. This is what happens when a team is losing. Everyone wants things to be better right away. It is human nature that when you have a problem you want to solve it and move forward. But pro sports has a lot of rules that are part of the logic it takes to fix problems. It also takes someone else with problems that are different from your problems to also be looking for help. That is if you feel a trade is the answer.

Some feel the answer for a change is needed behind the bench. Sam Mitchell is always a lightning rod for the fans when things go wrong. It is going to be a serious challenge for Sam or any coach to win basketball games without Jose Calderon healthy. Sam and his job could end up tied to that fact. Bryan Colangelo can not really offer much help in the form of moves given the Raptors cap situation and glaring problems on the wing. I have yet to hear a name in a trade rumour that makes me think it solves the Raptors issues.

Why Jose Should Not Play Sunday

Panic of getting a win over the Miami Heat is not reason to play Jose Calderon. All reports indicate that this is a minor injury at this point. Vince Carter in his time in Toronto was always given heat for not playing through minor injuries. But no one thinks Jose is that type of player and in fact he is the opposite. But if Jose is not 100% he has no business being in this game. A minor injury can change into a major one very fast. Sure every game is important but you have to see the long term over the short term. The number of games you could lose with a major injury to Jose is far more. All of this makes me think of another Raptors point guard from the past.

Alvin Williams was as tough as they come and would just never miss a game if he could help it. As a result his NBA career did not last as long as he would have liked and the Raptors were on the hook for his contract when he was unable to play. Jose Calderon just signed a big money contract this off-season and keeping him healthy and productive is not just important for this year but for the long term health of this franchise. A factor in why T.J Ford was traded was concern over his long term health. Jose has now had two injuries of a minor nature in the span of about 4 months. Not a big deal but you want to take caution and take these injuries seriously. Playing through an injury and making it worse may be tough but it is also stupid. That is the key question that has to be asked each time an injury comes along. Is Jose hurt or injured. If he is hurt can playing through that be done without risk to him become to the point he is injured? Raptors will always look at the big picture and take the side of caution as they have done with their biggest star Chris Bosh.

Jose Calderon Is The Most Important Raptor?

Short answer for this one is YES. But I will offer a little more than that. Chris Bosh is no doubt the leader and franchise player of this team. That being said could the Raptors win games with a combo of Jermaine O'Neal and Andrea Bargnani instead of Chris. It would be harder to get the wins and it would take both J.O and Andrea stepping up. But I think it would be possible. That being said you take away Jose Calderon and leave his role to Solomon and Ukic. That goal of getting wins becomes very hard indeed. Could the Raptors beat some bad teams with that duo? Yeah they likely could get the odd game. But against any team with any kind of quality the Raptors would be hard pressed to find wins. This is why at this point and time Calderon is the most important Raptor. I have said it many times in this blog that point guard is the most important position on a basketball team. Unless you have a superstar that can handle the ball and create his own scoring a quality point guard is key. Even if you have that guy a point guard only adds to his success. Many basketball people will agree with this point and it is key for a team like the Raptors who are depending on 2 bigs to get the bulk of the touches and scoring.

Hopeful For Big Nate To Get Going

I am hopeful that Nathan Jawai can get his NBA dream back on track. I attempted to try to get an update on Nathan from Aaron Fearne. But I have not heard anything back from him yet. It has been a tough time for him as well I am sure as he has re-located to Canada to help Nathan get his NBA Career started. I am hoping the best for both of them. It is important to understand that even if Nathan comes out of this o.k and is able to get back to practice it is going to be a long process as he has missed the entire training camp and the only real experience he has had was in Summer League. Even at that point he was playing through a minor injury. It may take time but if he is able to get things going I think Nathan offers a lot of great things for the Raptors in the future. But with this delay the chances of that coming anytime soon are far away. Many felt even if he was healthy he would not play a major role. I did not share that opinion but given the lack of time and work it will take just to get back in game shape I think Nate's days as being a factor on this roster have taken a major step backwards. But all the things that I liked about the big Aussie still remain. He is still a big body that can rebound and could be a guy that can be a factor for the Raptor on the glass and on defense. But most important above all of this is that Nathan is healthy and is able to contribute in a way that will not risk his health as a human being.

More Info ( Update 2 PM Saturday )

An Update From Australia On Nate...Says 6 More Weeks

What Can Raptors Do In The Short Term?

The answer to this seems that they must try to improve from with in. If there is anything that we can be happy about is that Bosh, O'Neal and Bargnani all seem to be heading down the path to success. Bosh is at the head of that group. O'Neal has had his issues getting back to game shape after several years of battling injuries. While Bargnani is showing signs of why Bryan Colangelo thought he was worthy of the number one pick. The flashes are becoming more and more. He also has started to become a factor on the defensive end of the floor. So in the short term the Raptors will look to these 3 guys to carry the load. They will need help though and that is where it is badly needed for guys like Anthony Parker and Jason Kapono to step up and make shots. Jamario Moon should not be the guy taking 3's on this team. In fact many are questioning if Moon will or should remain in the starting line-up. It has been far from the dream season that Moon enjoyed last year. But I think if Calderon is out it will take the Raptors looking to take advantage of the Inside game and see the ball getting dumped inside a lot to Bosh and O'Neal and see the offense run through those 2. Raptors can not waste chances and must cut back on turnovers and bring up their level of play on defense. It will take a complete team effort to handle the lose of Jose. But even if he is able to play the Raptors were getting beat bad before he was injured. They must do better on defense. It begins there.

Change is Coming To Dino Nation Blog

Don't forget that finally on Wednesday the big news for the Dino Nation Blog should be announced. I hope it will be something good for everyone and it will allow the Dino Nation Blog to grow to new levels and new numbers. Hopefully you can proudly say that you were here from the beginning of this thing. It is also getting close to my birthday and the blogs anniversary. November is always going to big month here at the Dino Nation Blog. Lots of major and personal events for the blog that are all tied to November. So thanks for being part of Dino Nation Blog and I hope it is something that everyone can take pride in for years to come. I have been holding off on doing some things waiting for this news to be released. Once that happens we can step forward with those. The main one is bringing back " The Nation Speaks " with your questions or comments on the Raptors and the blog. I want folks to feel they have a voice and a role in this blog, because you do, a very important one. I hope everyone will be happy with the news and I won't lie I am excited about it.