My Day was Much Better than the Raptors Day

This has nothing to do with the Raptors but I am a big fan of Ricky Romero who was at the game last night, so I lied it did have something to do with the Raptors. Never the less the idea of getting to watch him pitch and cover the Raptors game seemed like a great plan for me. Last time I did this was last year when I covered the draft workouts of Tristan Thompson and Cory Joesph and hung around to watch Romero pitch that night. He got a complete game shutout that night and yesterday just gave up one run going 8 and a third innings and getting the win. The Baseball game was just great as the Jays won the series over Boston two games to one and are now 4-2 to start the season.

To bring this back to the Raptors, making the walk from the building I will always call Skydome toward the ACC, it got me thinking of what an opportunity has been lost for the Raptors. One of the Leafs was in attendance at the Jays game and he was introduced to the crowd to a loud boo. Take that in contrast to the loud cheer from the smaller crowd at the Raptors game for Ricky Romero. The point is that Leafs are in rough shape and Toronto sports fans are desperate for a winner. MLSE has not provided that in hockey, basketball and soccer. The Jays owned by soon to be part owner of MLSE Rogers, have provided a buzz of excitement and optimism surrounding the team they own.

This would have really been a chance for the Raptors to make up some ground on the giant that owns the city that is the Maple Leafs. Instead it would appear that the Jays have taken that ball and are starting to run with it. While the Raptors are optimistic for their future as well, the Jays have much more to be optimistic about. The Raptors have Jonas and whatever comes out of the draft to add to the mix next year. The Jays have a minor league system full of exciting prospects that people are high on. Obviously baseball is different and you get a chance to have more opportunities to develop players. If Jonas was a baseball player it is likely you wouldn't see him for not just this year but a view more years.

That really is off the topic somewhat, but the real point I am making is the Leafs franchise has never been in a more weak a fragile state since perhaps the days of Harold Ballard owning them. There was no basketball team back then, trying to compete for attention, but there is now. The Raptors may not get their act together in time if they do at all as it seems clear that Toronto is on verge of going back to the days of the early 90's when the Jays were the biggest thing in town. If you are not old enough to remember those days it was quite amazing. The Jays would fill Skydome on a nightly basis and have crowds pushing 50,000 every night. They are still a long way from that now but they are creating a buzz and the Raptors have absolutely no buzz at all right now.

In terms of the game last night if I was ever to be inclined to feel sorry for Jose Calderon it might be now. I mean to get cut open for a second time in a game that ultimately means little to your season already being eliminated from the post season. This in the face of your supposed star Andrea Bargnani out for a 3rd time with the same calf injury. I would bet we might see Jose back this year but I would also bet we have seen the last of Bargnani. I will say this for Calderon he does do his best to play through things and try and compete. He was at the Blue Jays game the night before and threw out the first pitch. Trying to get the rub of that Jays Magic to come over to the Raptors. It obviously didn't work.

The game itself aside from more injures to Calderon and Kleiza pretty much went as you might expect. A desperate Philly team that had been embarrassed at the hands of the Raptors a week earlier was not going to have it happen a second time. The Raptors did a good job trying to hang around for a half but the Sixers came out guns a blazing in the final quarter against an undermanned Raptors squad.

The focus seems to be towards the coming off-season now and Dwane Casey gets his first chance to guide his players through an off-season something he was not afforded with the NBA Lockout this past summer. Given the excellent job Casey has done you wonder how much it could have had an impact. Ed Davis as an example finally seems to be turning a corner. He himself based on the Lockout and injury has yet to have a full NBA off-season and training camp to improve. This year if he stays healthy for the last 7 games and throughout the summer, he should finally have that chance. I had a chance to talk with Demar DeRozan and he is looking forward to a more normal off-season and plans on spending more time in Toronto during it. You can hear all of that in an interview we did, that should be up later today or tomorrow.

I have one more game that I will be covering this season (In Person) the last one vs the New Jersey Nets on the 26th. For many Raptor fans that game can not get here soon enough. In a season that has been shorter it has seemed so much longer. It sure doesn't seem like the Raptors are better than they were last year. However they in fact have made a minor improvement in winning % and major improvement on D.

Still losing year after year can be rough. Just ask a Leaf fan if you happen not to be one. They know all about it.

Gee Wiz

We will get to tonight's match-up in a minute. But there is a much bigger story to talk about first. Richard Peddie, it was announced earlier this week is stepping down as CEO/President of MLSE as of December 31st 2011. That would be big news on it's own kind of. But the bigger news is according to The Toronto Star it seems The Ontario Teachers Pension Plan is in talks with Rogers Communications to sell them a majority interest in MLSE. This would be a huge move giving them control of all the major sports teams in the Toronto market place. They of course already own the Blue Jays. What this will mean for the Raptors remains to be seen. The future of Bryan Colangelo? Will Rogers take control of broadcasts has they have with the Blue Jays? More games on Sportsnet 1 in our future? There are about a million questions on what this would mean. Obviously the Raptors are just part of the package and the real jewel in this deal in terms of Rogers would be control of the Leafs. If this happens the price take is said to be over a billion dollars (1.3 B number is The Star) and would be the largest transaction in North America sports history. Will this mean good things for the Raptors? Up until recently Rogers track record with the Blue Jays has been not that great. But when you look at the major sports teams it is the Blue Jays with brightest future currently. Aside from them being doomed to be in the AL East and that makes getting into the playoffs a lot tougher in comparison to the Leafs or Raptors.

Now on to your regularly scheduled preview of the Raptors and Wizards. John Wall is listed as day to day and the Raptors have already avoided him once, not that it helped much. Still John Wall is a pretty amazing kid on the floor and his story off the floor is just as amazing. Take a minute to read this article on Wall from the Washington Post. Warm fuzzy feelings about Wall aside the Raptors would rather see him in a suit than in a uniform. Who will be in uniform and ready to play is Raptors rookie Ed Davis. Bryan Colangelo admitted that Davis' time table was moved up based on the injury to Reggie Evans. Speaking of Reggie he had surgery on his injured foot this morning. All the best to Reggie for a speedy recovery. Based on Raptors play vs Atlanta he is needed. But will not return anytime soon.

The Basics: Washington 5-11(Winless in 8 Road Games this season) Raptors 6-11(5-5 in Last 10)

When Last We Saw Them: The Raptors had their worst effort since a road loss to the Wizards. Josh Smith had a triple double and the Raptors had no answers and this game was never really close. Jay Triano said that each of his starters were out played by their counterpart on the Hawks and he was 100% correct.

Key Match Ups: Andre Blatche is a handful and he provides blocks, rebounds and hustle for this Wizards team. Who will match-up against him is kind of unclear. The Raptors started Joey Dorsey in place of Reggie Evans with not exactly great results. Amir Johnson had his issues with staying on the floor against the Hawks because of foul trouble. I highly doubt Ed Davis would start in his first game? But 1 or all of those 3 must find a way to deal with Blatche. Javale McGee should have his hands full with Andrea Bargnani. That is if Andrea shows up for 48 minutes. He didn't vs Atlanta after a decent first half he disappeared with only 2 points in the 2nd half. Demar DeRozan has been in a funk and battling a hamstring issue and he will have his hands full with Gilbert Arenas. If John Wall is not in the line-up that will give Arenas a lot more touches and shots(with a basketball) vs the Raptors. DeRozan needs to step up his game and with no games since Sunday you would think that Hamstring has to be feeling better.

In Case You Missed it: We have our 4 winners now for our MGD Contest and they will be joining Myself and Danielle for Raptors vs the Nuggets on December 10 in the MGD Best seats in the House. Congrats to Lanny, Mary Anne, Ray and Chi our contest winners. Thanks to all that entered the various contests we had. So on that night the Dino Nation Blog will be hosting that event. But every other Friday when the Raptors are at home I will be there covering the game with press pass in hand. Beginning this Friday with the Oklahoma City Thunder hitting the ACC. My surprise pick to win the NBA Title this year. Looking forward to it and excited to kick off DNB TGIF at the games with a bang.

I will be live blogging this one for The Score.com and Mobile tonight and will post the links later today. The Re-Cap might have to wait till tomorrow as after that game I am also live blogging Duke in NCAA action and after that it is on the Air on the Radio at midnight on CJLO on The Sports Grind. You can listen online at CJLO.com. Just the average busy evening in the life of the Dino Blogger.

As promised your links for tonight Raptors Game vs Wiz on Scoremobile and Score.com

Basketball and Raptor Fans Deserve Better

I am going to be honest. I have no desire to write a recap of the Raptors game from tonight. The Raptors got a win over Minnesota and it is the 10th straight over the T-Wolves. They had to come back after a pitiful performance early. Bosh and Bargnani tied for the scoring lead with 26. In the end it really doesn't mean a whole lot to the grand scheme of things. I mean no disrespect by this. If the Raptors are able to beat the Suns maybe there is reason to get excited but will see about that Friday. Raps for the record win it 118-110. Joey Graham left the game with an injury. I will post a link to both the boxscore and the Recap if you want more details that I would normally provide myself.

Raptors Recap
Raptors Boxscore

So that is a very short look at tonight's game. I have another thing that I want to talk about which I started talking about when I was totally driven of the deep end by the fact TSN actually had a game on the main network tonight. But almost fitting it was delayed by curling. Please spare me on educating me on how things work. I know how they do and understand that believe it or not, curling is a major property for TSN. It also draws great ratings. I know that will be shocking for some. However it is the truth. That being said I don't care. Why should I. After all has TSN cared at all about me or any of you with this TSN 2 mess? They have been deadly silent on the issue. It is clear that they have no desire to treat basketball with any form of respect. I feel sorry for the fine folks like Jack Armstrong and all of the other folks that work hard on the Raptor Broadcasts. Even Rod Black who to be honest I am not a huge fan of.

So here is the thing. I love basketball and that would be fairly obvious to you all I would think. You do not invest all the time and work that I have even long before the blog joined up with The Score if you did not. I am guessing if you are here reading this, you at the very least like basketball or may even love it as much as me. I think you would agree that being a basketball fan in this country is not easy. Turn on the shows that do the highlights and the main thing you will see is hockey. It is something you are forced to accept being here in Canada. NBA's recent trade deadline got all of a 30 minute show on Raptors T.V and nothing from any of the other networks. Yet in a few weeks we will see day long coverage of the NHL trade deadline. I am not trying to take away from the hockey people getting their due. Personally do I think that is insane? Absolutely. However they do it because enough folks are watching it.

I actually like a few people in Hockey broadcasting. James Duthie is a great guy who I got to know in my brief time at TSN. He is a super guy and does quality work. I also have had fun with Doug McLean on the Game Plan as he co-hosts with Jack Armstrong. I even listen to she show when Jack is off covering the Raptors. Doug has mentioned me in referencing when Basketball is coming on the show. I take it as compliment, in the sense that I am representing folks that listen that want to have basketball as part of that show. The truth is there was a time when I considered myself a hockey fan. I have always loved the Buffalo Sabres and they have been around longer than the Raptors. That may not make the Dino Blogger very popular with Leaf/Raptors fans. But so be it. I grew up listening to Rick Jenneret. People talk about Chuck Swirsky being a homer. But Rick is maybe even more so. When I was a kid he was broadcasting to me. But you want a reason why I am not a Leaf fan? Check out what they did on the other side of MLSE today. Raised ticket prices on poor suffering Leaf fans. That is how they treat the Leaf Nation. Raptors prices did not increase. Reason why is pretty simple. The folks at MLSE can not be certain that Raptor fans will just show up. In the case of the Leafs, for ever person they push away, they will have 10 people willing to jump in that seat and gladly pay insane prices to watch a team, that is heading no where fast. I like to think and hope that Raptor fans, will always be smarter and learn from what goes on down the hall. It is clear if the day comes that the Raptors reach a level that fans do not hold this team accountable we will all be screwed.

The fact that this organization can have the balls to raise prices, in an economy that sees people losing jobs and earning less is truly beyond words. However why should it shock Raptor fans really. I mean this season we have watched MLSE sit back and do nothing while TSN and Rogers go to war over TSN 2. The main victim in that dispute is the Raptor fan base. Where is MLSE sticking up for us? To busy selling condos and building Maple Leaf Square to care much about it. They would likely disagree with that. I would understand that. However where is the statement from Richard Peddie on that issue? He was sure quick enough to get out there and spin away as to why Leaf tickets were increasing. He gave a justification of rising costs and upgrades to the ACC. Funny how the Raptors do not have these same issues. I mean Raptors play in same build. Bring in the same lower Canadian currency. Maybe I should be quiet now, or they may re-think things and raise Raptor prices as well. MLSE talks about wanting to win Stanley Cups and NBA Titles but ultimately they are about the bottom line and making money. Some will say that is the way they should be. I am not out to say they should not be concerned with that. However they could learn a lot in the way it comes to dealing with fan bases for the franchises they own. Would it have been so difficult to make a public statement that said something on the TSN 2 issue? I mean am I the only one that finds it totally hilarious that Rogers sponsors a segment on TSN through it's Raptors advertising? You know Rogers did you know? Here is what I know, it is that instead of listening to your fan base you ignore them. Dino Nation Blog, Raptor Blog, Raptors Republic and a bunch of other sites that you can find in the directory on this site, this is your fan base talking to you. We are the people that care about this franchise and actually want to see it succeed. The readers of these blogs care as well as the people that write them. It is a touch of irony that all of us depend on the franchise in a way to create our content. However we also offer you a public service in seeing what your fans think about this team and you. At the very least could you make it a bit easier to do that without having to scramble to find your product? Some how the people in the blog community manage to get along with each other. Ironically the two partners that will broadcast the Olympics in 2010 and 2012 can not agree to broadcast Raptor Games. I mean it is pretty simple to fix this. If you have the guts to raise ticket prices on your fans in the worst economic times since the great depression have the guts to do this. TSN 2 mess gets solved right away with a very simple action from MLSE. If TSN and Rogers can not agree it is fine. Just make the suggestion the when the Leafs T.V comes up to be renewed that you may consider taking games elsewhere. Tell me people are not falling all over each other to make a deal if that was thrown out there. After all TSN and Rogers are much like the Leafs fans they can not afford to walk away from the Leafs. It would be a disaster for TSN or Rogers to be without the Leafs. However no one has the guts to do that at MLSE it would appear. They choose to sit and let the Raptor fan base suffer. Again they may disagree but show me the example where they have publicly done anything on this issue. It just doesn't exist. Not even a simple apology to Raptors fans.

See that goes back to my point about Hockey. I use to enjoy hockey but thanks to the complete over kill of the media coverage, a general decline in the sport in my view, a season long lock out that cost fans a entire season, it has all lead to me having little care or regard for the sport. Doug McLean once said on the Game Plan that I was anti-hockey. It was done in fun, but I guess there is some truth in it. However it is the media that has made me that way. Starving me of coverage of basketball and other sports I enjoy, to have more hockey coverage. I make no apologies for how I feel. I also understand that it is rare for a Canadian to feel that way. It is not that I am against hockey at all. I am cool with it and if people enjoy it I do not hold it against them. I know people that do drugs. That is not something I have done but hey if that is what you want to do I am not going to judge anyone based on that. The sport of hockey is almost a drug in a way. Look at any Leaf fan and tell me they do not suffer from an addiction.

It goes back to what I said at the beginning of this. I love basketball. I am very proud that I have started to turn that love into a job for me. Part of that job in my view is to stick up for and represent all of you out there that love it to. I will always do whatever I can to make more people become fans of the sport. I will defend all of those that already do. There are a lot of different opinions that exist out there. About how the game should be played. What players are good. What players are bad. How to fix the Raptors. Who is better Kobe or Lebron. However at the end of it all. Even though we may not always agree on any of these issues and thousands more. Here is something we all must come together and unity around. It is something that I have often said is at the core of what this blog has always been about. To stand together as a united group on one single issue. Well two actually. We love basketball and hopefully, despite all that has gone on, love the Raptors.

If we can agree on that. Here is the next step to that which in part we are all already out here doing. Make people fans of the sport. Do whatever you can to make that happen. I invest countless hours into that one purpose. I bust my butt to bring guests to this blog. Some will say that sure but you are doing that for you. Part of that is true. However the more people we have that care about basketball as much as I do fighting to bring everything I have to expanding the sport. That is a good thing. The one thing that everyone I deal with in working doing this have a common love of basketball. It is cool in this country to be a proud fan of hockey. Well I am proud of being a fan of the game invented by someone that was from this great country we call Canada.

So for the TSN and MLSE it is time to wake up and treat everyone that loves this sport of basketball with common decency and respect. We have taken to much B.S for far to long. You can do all the stupid things that you have done. However it will not change the simple facts that:

1. WE LOVE BASKTBALL

&

2. WE DESERVE BETTER.

I am sure the rush to create 12 hours of useless T.V for the Hockey Trade Deadline will make it impossible for you to address this matter. However it will still be here and so will we the sports minority of basketball fans.

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.

Join The Revolution To Get Raptors On T.V For All

It has been talked about a lot and it is time to take action. One of the things I have talked about from the beginning of the Dino Nation Blog is about basketball fans getting respected. The biggest lack of disrespect has been put on fans this season. The TSN2 mess has given me lots of chance to write about it. However I came across someone trying to do something about it so I wanted to help out with my little stage that is the Dino Nation Blog. Andrew Ebanks is a fan that cares about his fellow Raptor fans. He had like many of us becoming frustrated and dismayed by the lack of progress in the TSN 2 and Rogers mess. I mean we always hear things like it is close to getting done. But I am here to say that close is not good enough and this lack of respect for basketball and Raptor fans needs to end. When I heard that Andrew was trying to organize a protest about this I wanted to help out. I don't live in Toronto and may not be able to be part of the protest myself. But I do have many readers like you that could be able to get down there and help. So that is why I invited Andrew here to talk to me and with you about this issue and what he is trying to do to bring attention to it. We get started with the way all are interviews get done when we can. That is the starting 5. So have a listen then read on.

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One of things at the core of this to me is a general disrespect of basketball fans. I asked Andrew for his thoughts on that.

Andrew Ebanks " I have noticed that things were getting better in terms of basketball broadcasting in Canada. But it took a step backwards when you look at Rogers Sportsnet they use to be big into basketball and now they want nothing to do with it. TSN has picked it up now. But there still seems to be that level of disrespect. They have to take basketball fans seriously. It is one of the biggest growing sports across the country. A lot of the new citizens to Canada they have not grown up on hockey. They have grown up with sports like Cricket, Soccer and in many places basketball. I think it is time that we get respect for basketball and it's fans."

Sportsnet did abandon it's coverage of NBA games. That is how Jack Armstrong went from being on Sportsnet to heading over to TSN and TSN 2. But to be fair to Sportsnet they still do cover through their highlight shows and through there website. Paul Jones writes for their website and offers a lot of great thoughts on Raptors and NBA. But I can understand how the average fan would feel that way. If you are not showing games on your network that speaks to where basketball will rank in your priority list. The number one property on Sportsnet and all Canadian sports broadcasters is the NHL and not the NBA. I have said in this blog that if this matter was about the Maple Leafs and not the Raptors it would have been solved long ago. Andrew agrees with that and had this to say about that topic.

Andrew Ebanks " For me this thing would have been solved long ago if it had involved the Maple Leafs. That is the part that really upsets me. Not everyone likes hockey. It is a great game(hockey) and is part of the fabric of this country. But don't get me wrong basketball is never going to over take hockey in Canada. My only question is why can't there be room for more then one popular sport? Raptor fans are probably some of the most crazy and passionate fans out there and they are very into the team and what is going on with it."

I agree with what Andrew is saying. I mean hey let's be honest I am trying to make a living for myself based on that. The people who are the in charge of broadcasting will point to ratings as the way to point to the choices they make. The ratings are not as large as people might hope or want. But Andrew question how those ratings are created. I will not take you back to my college years and try to explain how ratings work and if they are indeed legit measurement of audience. The truth is basketball does have a fan base. It is issues like this by those people that make the choices that is a slap in the face to basketball fans. This ongoing saga over TSN 2 is proof of that.

That is why it is important that people come out and support this effort that Andrew is putting together. It is not just about TSN2 although that is at the core of it. This is a way for Raptor fans to come together and support there fellow fans. Maybe you are lucky enough to have TSN2 and have not been impacted by this. You can still come out and support your fellow Raptor fans who can not. You can show up for Raptor fans that are through out this country and around the world. This is a way to show that basketball matters to you and it will send a message to all the people in broadcasting that you are out there and you care about basketball. Andrew has protested on his on in like 20 degree weather. However one man on his own can make a statement but not a difference. However if one man can inspire others to join him in that effort it can have a really impact. I hope for all Raptor and basketball fans it does.

This protest is planned to take place at Rogers but it is not just an attack against them. I don't think any fans really understand who is to blame. But Andrew is committed to getting this message out and plans to have protests in the future at TSN and MLSE as well until this matter is resolved. He is doing it for his fellow fans many of which can not afford to go to a game and experience Raptors basketball. These are tough times for people and that is becoming a growing list of people that can not afford to take in a game at the ACC. But there are road games that are not being broadcast as well and that impact is even greater. Andrew expressed that this is not just against Rogers but all 3 parties.

Andrew Ebanks " We figured we would start at Rogers and if this is not solved we will rotate through. The next one will be at TSN or MLSE. But we are going to hit them all up. We are not just blaming Rogers because we ultimately don't know who is at fault. We need to get this solved. The next game on TSN 2 is on January 2nd. That is a big game for fans as Toronto has a large Asian community and it is against Houston Rockets with Yao Ming. Those fans want to see that game."

I asked Andrew when it comes to this protest what did he hope to get from it beyond it's ultimate goal of getting a deal done between the parties. He said that he would welcome the chance to talk with the people that are making these choices. To express his views and find out why this has not happened. I think we all would like to know that. I am open to talking to people as well. So if someone at Rogers, MLSE or TSN wants to talk on this issue here you are welcome to get in touch with me.

dinonationblog@sourcecable.net

That is my e-mail and I want to point out for all the other folks like me, that this is not just Rogers costumers being shut out it is others like me on Source Cable and I would imagine many other cable systems through out this country.

Andrew expressed to me that he wants people that come down to bring signs, whistles, horns and your passion for basketball and the Raptors. He also expressed that he wants this to be peaceful. I would express that as well. Be loud and passionate however do not use this as chance to be an idiot. Show the best of what being a Raptor Fan is all about. People always complain about the government but many of the folks that complain sat home on election day. Raptor Fans have complained about this issue of TSN2 and the broadcasting of the Raptors. This is a chance for you to express your feelings. If you sit back and do nothing the result will be the same. So if you can get out to this, write an e-mail, make a phone call. Do it and be part of getting this situation solved.

The Protest is planned to start at 8am Tuesday December 30th at Rogers building which is located at 333 Bloor St. East

Some Links To help out:

Protest Face Book Group

Email's For Compaines and CRTC

Rogers

TSN

Raptors

CRTC

It is time to bring this mess to an end. Raptor fans are being the victims for something that they have no control over at all. It is time to band together and make your voices heard and let people know you care and demand action. We all care deeply about the Raptors and basketball so let's show it. Do what you can and if you are not able to go to a protest in Toronto write a e-mail explain to these people that you are not happy and your view of their company has changed not for the better.

Can Raptors Make It Past A Road Block In Portland?

Toronto Raptors have got back to back wins as the head north to Portland. Now I understand the Clippers and the Kings will never be confused with a top tier team in the NBA. But the fact the Raptors have been able to build on what Jay Triano is trying to do is a good thing. No matter who is in front of you the fact that you are winning games is positive re-enforcement for what the team is trying to do. Everyone was upset by the events in Oklahoma City but you have to move forward from it. The Raptors have done that. A good effort in a lose to the Spurs and two wins over Kings and Clippers. It is a start to what will be a long road back for the Raptors.

J.O Starting To Show Signs

Jermaine O'Neal had one of his best efforts as a Raptor last night. He was getting just about anything he wanted as he shot an amazing 15-19 from the field. Even though the trade that brought O'Neal here has been questioned. I think J.O himself has been a solid player for this Raptor squad when he has been healthy. He was done what he can to contribute on both ends of the floor. He may not have been as a big a rebounding force that some might have hoped. But he is bringing effort and energy to a defense that has been badly in need of it. What has been disappointing is that the players around him have not been as effective as people expected to this point. I really felt the Raptors would be better defensive wise with J.O. They have started to show signs of that under Triano but it is far from perfect.

I have been impressed with Jermaine and his attitude to this point. He has shown a real professionalism in dealing with the media and has been a model citizen from the outside looking in. I liked his latest comments that there is no more time for excuses. O'Neal said it is time to start putting those words into action on the floor. He did that last night and was key to the Raptors success. A much different challenge lies in front of him tonight. Greg Oden and Lamarcus Aldridge are a good test and challenge for O'Neal and Bosh. A true match of youth versus experience. It will really present a challenge for O'Neal who started his career with the Blazers and was not able to get much time on the floor straight out of high school. He has to be amused at looking at this team now that is all about youth and letting young players play. But it is hard to argue the talent the Blazers have with Brandon Roy, Oden, Aldridge and I could list a few more. J.O was not the problem in the trade made. The problem if you were looking for one might be that the Raptors failed to address the loss of depth it created. J.O's contract and not J.O is to blame for that. However that was always part of the attraction in taking him is that 23 million dollars that he is due to be paid next season. It is an impressive bargaining chip to have as we head towards the arms race of the NBA in 2010. Bryan Colangelo for all the abuse he is taking at the moment may end up being the smart guy we all thought he was in 2010. But people see what is happening now and are worried to angry about the short term outlook and with good reason.

What I thought the Raptors did wrong was over selling O'Neal after the trade. I can't tell you how many times I heard how he was a 6 time All-Star. But that was in the past. In the present J.O still can have All-Star like nights but to suggest or imply he was going to be an All-Star level play this year was wrong. For him to have a healthy and productive season should have been the pitch. The Toronto Maple Leafs as much as I hate to admit it did something right this year. They under sold the team so much that fans are impressed with there above lousy performance this year. But it was hard for the Raptors to under sell a player that they gave up so much for to bring here. But at the end of all of it from my perspective I am getting the Jermaine O'Neal I expected to see. The only surprise for me is the fact he has been such a stand-up guy with the media and fans. He stays focused on the task and not even this latest side show like attempt from a porn star to get attention has stopped him from sticking to the task at hand. Being such a huge fan of T.J Ford it is possible that I wanted to hate J.O in some way. But I promised that I would keep an open mind and I have done that and it has allowed me to become a fan of him.

Oh Andrea What To Do About You?

It is really a hard thing to figure out what to do about Andrea Bargnani. Please don't tell us about how we could have had Brandon Roy. Drafts are wonderful to look back on years later. But the reality is that Roy was a projected number 5 pick. You want to make an argument about Aldridge or Bargnani I will listen to that as they were projected to go near the top of the draft. I have always said you want to look at a team that should be sorry go to Minnesota. They not only traded Roy this past year they traded O.J Mayo. Maybe that is why Kevin McCale has been called into duty as coach of the T-Wolves and I would suspect has not much job security left in Minnesota.

The problem of what to do with Andrea Bargnani is a tough one. The danger is if you trade him and he has success, those same people that are singing the praises of Brandon Roy will be saying they should have kept Bargnani. That is the thing about writing a blog you can't be so easy to blow with the wind. There is a written document that is out there that can be used against you if you do. In the history of this blog I have flip flopped on Bargnani a couple of times. But I am convinced of a few things that make me think you need to trade him. Here is what they are in no particular order of importance:

• Andrea Bargnani in his head is convinced he is a power Forward(4). I see him try to play at other spots on the floor and he does at times make effort. But there is no real confidence in him to play those spots on the floor. So do you really want a first round draft choice as the back-up to your star player that plays at his best position? I think not. I also don't think you trade Bosh and keep Bargnani. Bosh has proven he is good and Bargnani has only shown he has the talent to be good. That is a major difference.
• Confidence issues will haunt Andrea forever. I remember reading and hearing about how well Andrea tested out as far as intellect and confidence. Well I am not here to get into a debate on if you can actually test those type of things. Paul Jones has a masters in sports psychology I will make sure to ask him next time we talk. But all I know is the test was flawed in the case of Andrea. He may have the smarts and basketball IQ. But the confidence was never there for very long and he just seems to be always in a state of a crisis of confidence
• Bryan Colangelo claims he takes many calls on Andrea. I say answer the phone and make a deal out of one of those calls. The reason being is what happens when the phone stops ringing. Eventually people are going to lose confidence in Andrea and his ability to be a steal or diamond in the rough. The longer you wait in my mind the worse the offers will become.
  
• The improvements on defense are not enough to out weigh the regression on offense. He does not shoot the ball with any kind of consistency and I am deeply concerned for a guy who is a shooter he does not seem to make enough shots. Jason Kapono takes a lot of abuse from Raptor fans but I am more confident in him making a shot or a good choice than I am Andrea.

Jack Armstrong and a number of others have stood behind Andrea. I am the first to admit Jack knows more about the game than I do having coached it and broadcast the NBA for over a decade. But I just am not seeing anything that makes me hopeful for the long term in keeping Bargnani. He had a great night last night but those nights seem to grow further a part in nature. I do agree that the Raptors must share in the blame for his struggles by constantly changing and redefining his role. Many feel that Colangelo will not give up on Andrea Bargnani and is not willing to admit his mistake in taking him with the first pick. It will be interesting to see if Bargnani is truly on the table going forward as everyone is of the same mind that Colangelo is going to do something. Finding agreement on what that will be is the hard part.

CB4 Is Not For Sale

About the only thing that has been made clear by Colangelo is the Chris Bosh is not for sale to any buyer. Why on earth would he be. I find it totally crazy to hear people talking about trading Bosh. Some of those same people were saying he was playing like an M.V.P a month earlier. It is hard for me to imagine a trade situation in which Bosh would not be the best player in a trade. People are using terms like blowing up this team and starting over. That is not the plan and likely will not be any time soon. Bryan Colangelo has designed this roster to be able to be rebuild in 2010 and it is not going to happen until that point. He does not have to cash in his chips early to react to a losing season and cure the short term concerns of the fan base. He is not going to give up the cap space he has been building unless he feels it is a move that can address both the short and long term needs of this franchise.

In thinking of Bryan Colangelo I tend to see him in terms of poker. This season has been to this point a lot of bad hands for Colangelo. But it is a foolish poker player that tries to force his hand when he does not have the cards to win. The last thing I would call Bryan Colangelo is foolish. He may take a small risk and look for a high reward at this point but he is far from pushing all in with a weak hand and taking his chances.

Maybe some just didn't understand what the deal was with the O'Neal trade. Bryan Colangelo sold it strong as it was a move for the short term. Maybe he was bluffing us all with saying this was the most talented roster ever. But he know the big pot of this poker game that is the NBA happens in 2010. You can bet that he wants in on that pot and wants to take home as much as he can. That to me was always the end game of the O'Neal trade. If it works in the next two years great but it was not the end goal. I do suspect he expected a lot more return and better results on the way to that. But thus far it has not worked out that way.

But make no mistake in thinking that the goal at the end of the day is to keep Bosh in 2010 and add another significant player to the mix to play along side him That was always the plan and I don't think that will change no matter what happens in the time leading up to 2010. The only way that will change is if Chris Bosh declares his intention not to remain in Toronto prior to that. Despite what Jalen Rose and others may believe I do not think that event has happened at this point.

Another Chance For A Statement Win

Turning attention back to this game in Portland. This is another chance for the Raptors to get a win over a good basketball team. It is something that has been lacking on the resume this year and if they do not figure out how to accomplish that goal it is going to be tough looking forward. Denver,Orlando and Houston are all teams that are better than Toronto. You need to feel you can sneak a win ever now and then against teams that are better. The Raptors must find the confidence and ability to do this. We have seen it in flashes against several teams including the Blazers back in Toronto. They must break through and get a win like that soon. Tonight a win would go a very long way in restoring some confidence in this team. Golden State is up next and they are coming off a huge high in beating the Celtics. Apparently K.G was right in saying that anything is possible and it is. But it takes work and effort along with the belief that you can do it. The Raptors need to show they have that if they are going to break through and get a quality win over a quality opponent.

Do Your Part To Express Yourself

Tomorrow I will have an interview with someone who is putting together a protest about the TSN 2 mess that still remains unsolved. I found it interesting to chat with someone that is a true fan of basketball and cares for his fellow Raptor fans. That is something I have always tried to express in this blog. Basketball fans and Raptor fans need to stick together and support each other and speak with one voice. That does not happen very often but this is a chance to do that. December 30 will be the chance for you to do just that. We all know the Rogers/TSN2 mess. Well a protest has been put together for you to show your support. Even if you have been not impacted by this personally still this is a way to support your fellow fans. Show folks that basketball matters and you want to be respected as a basketball fan and a Raptor Fan. I will talk more about this tomorrow. But the protest is set to take place at Rogers Building which is located at 333 Bloor St in Toronto. Bright and early at 8 am but is planned to continue through the day. So if you are able to do so, go down and lend your voice to the cause of basketball. If you do go though act in a proper way and do not do anything that is going to cause trouble for you or others. Represent Raptor fans in the right way.

The Jake Voskhul Era Will Not Be Broadcast For A Lot Of Folks

Well there is a lot of nothing to talk about today. Jake Voskhul signing is not exactly getting the Raptor fan base excited. I would agree with the general "So What" attitude of Raptor fans. Even if you were totally jacked up about the Jake Voskhul era you may not be able to watch it anyways. That is because Rogers and TSN still have not figured out how to make the on switch work for TSN 2 on Rogers Cable and a number of others around the country like me here on Source Cable in Hamilton. I am totally enraged that basketball fans are being treated this way by these companies. It is insulting and frustrating. The Toronto Raptors need to speak up and say something about this. They are the ones paying in the end. Fans will find other things to do if they can not see the games. The truly loyal will find ways to see the game on the Internet or they will turn on radio and listen to two good friends of Dino Nation Blog Paul Jones and Eric Smith on Fan 590. But the bottom line is get these games on the air. The next 3 games are scheduled to be on TSN 2 and with the holidays and everything the Raptors for the casual fan are going to become less a priority for them. So basically I am a pretty fired up Dino Blogger for a Monday Morning. So please adjust the volume on your blog reader, computer or mobile device.

Let's Start With Trade Talk vs Trade Reality

So this is the day that all the rosters open up around the NBA. Raptor fans thought the signing of Jake Voskhul would mean another shoe was about to drop. Well it did for George W Bush. It was thrown at him. But as for the Raptors the other shoe has still not dropped and it may not for awhile. People are scratching their heads saying how did the Raptors afford this contract? Our we paying Tax to have Jake Voskhul? Well the tax number is not figured out till the end of the year. So the Raptors could make several moves that could still see them fall under the Tax level by the end of the year. If this was always the case, why were we painted this picture of the Raptors being in handcuffs and unable to do anything? Guess that was not the case all along.

Don't misunderstand though. Bryan Colangelo is still hard at work looking to improve this roster. But the Voskhul deal is not connected to anything else directly. But it may speak to one of a few things being possible. It could mean that Nathan Jawai and his situation may not be heading to a positive outcome as far as him playing this season. There have been a few articles that suggest he may have to be forced to retire before ever playing a game in the NBA. But to this point we have heard no news on the Jawai front for a long time. The other possibility is that the Raptors are in serious talks to move a big from the roster. I think it is safe to assume that big would not be Jermaine O'Neal or Chris Bosh. So Kris Humphries or Andrea Bargnani are the only other people that would qualify. There was a crazy rumour last night on a Golden State based blog that suggested an 8 player swap that would have included Bargnani. But if you are going to make up a rumour do your homework. It also included a 2nd round pick in 2009 that the Raptors do not have. I try not to get in the rumour creating business because in the short term it might get you a lot of attention but in the long term it kills your credibility with you readers. That is something I value and am not willing to put at risk.

You can expect all of the rumours and trade talk to heat up around the league now that we have reached December 15th when all the signings and players traded for this past off season now become in play for all of the NBA teams. Here at the Dino Nation Blog, I will do my best to make it clear what is just a rumour and what is reality. I know people like rumours and hype but I am not going to waste your time with stuff that is not based in some form of credibility.

TSN 2 What Can You Do?

Well this is a two fold question. The first is what can you do to see the games. Well there are options on the Internet out there for you to find the game. The last game on TSN 2 I was able to find on Raptors Republic. But there are other options that the folks over at Raptors Forum have found for watching games on the net. It is frustrating but if there is a will there is a way. I also mentioned you can always tune in on the radio. In fact all audio for games in now free on NBA.com for all games. So those are your short term options. When it comes to the long term ones. It takes you investing time to write e-mails to the various parties involved in this mess. Rogers, TSN and the Raptors. If you say all of this is pointless and they won't listen. I can understand that point of view based on where we are at with this thing. However last year many folks sent in letters of support for Jack Armstrong to remain a part of Raptor Broadcasts. Well Jack is still here and ironically working for the network that is a part of this mess. He actually works for both with his radio show being on Rogers owned Fan 590. I have no idea if the e-mails and support that was shown for Jack impacted on him staying with the Raptors broadcasts. But I like to think it helped. I do know Jack was grateful for the overwhelming support. The one thing I do know is that if people had not wrote those e-mails of support and Jack was gone it would feel bad and I personally would wonder if I could have made a difference. This is a different case but the fact remains the same if you do not express you point of view no one is going to listen to it and that is 100% guaranteed. Doug Smith in the Toronto Star gave you some thoughts on this topic and how to maybe make your point a little more clear to the folks involved.

Vince Carter Will Be In T.O Even If We Don't See Him

Vince Carter would have preferred that it was Friday's game that many folks would not be able to view. He had one of the worst games of his career against the Raptors on Friday night. He did not make a field goal and Devin Harris was kept under control. Now we see Vince return to the place he once proclaimed even after he left was his house. I do not think the A.C.C is the house that Vince Carter built. I mean sorry to Vince Carter but he is far from the Babe Ruth of basketball. But the one thing that I will say is it is the house that he makes loud. Be it as a Raptor to boo him or cheer him and as a Net just to boo him. The hate for some of Vince Carter will just never die. Just when you think it is starting to change something like the game in which Vince scored 39 points and made the two key plays to win the game happen. The rage and hate come back like the memory of a bad relationship from your past.

Triano had a great game plan for the re-match in which the Raptors humbled the Nets. The pressure is on Lawerence Frank to make the adjustments to find a way for the Nets to win. Triano and Frank will get to match wits and see who can give their team a path to victory. Often in the Sam Mitchell era many fans would say that Sam Mitchell would be out coached by people like Frank and Van Gundy in the playoffs. Well let's see if Jay Triano has the stuff to match wits with Frank and get a much needed win for the Raptors. You know that it is not going to be as easy as it was on Friday.

Dino Blogger Has A New Place To Talk Ball

I do the majority of my writing and work here at the Dino Nation Blog. But if chances to write other places and it makes sense to do so I will. So I am pleased to announce that I am writing on the NBA and Raptors for a new exciting magazine that covers the Toronto scene. The Industry Magazine is a magazine that is focused on Toronto night life and music and a lot of other things. Well people that are into Hip Hop music and the whole urban culture are some of the same folks that love basketball. So that is why I decided to write on basketball for them. It is a bi/monthly publication that is on the net and on the streets. This is the third issue of the Magazine and I hope to be contributing to it on a regular basis in each issue they put out. So for those of you from around the Toronto area give it a look and see what is happening in the T.O. If you are one of our readers from places far a way it might give you a taste for what Toronto is like should you want to visit. There is a link to the website it the blog directory and it has been there for a bit. But now you know why it was there and what it is about.

As for my part of the Magazine I wrote about the whole 2010 free agent period that I spoke about here awhile back. In the next issue I am going to be talking about Toronto and the All-Star Game. So that should be fun. Thanks to Lisa and all the folks over at The Industry for wanting to have me on board. If a magazine like this can get that Basketball is important why can't you folks at Rogers and TSN understand that. Basketball has a much larger culture than you think it does. Be it doing radio in Montreal or writing for a magazine like this in Toronto. Even taking a look at my site map of my readers. It all speaks to basketball being a global game that does not get the respect it deserves from the decision makers in the main stream media of this country. One of the reasons this blog went on board with the Score as part of it's Sports Federation was because they respect basketball and I respect them for it.

Still despite the lack of ease to watch the game the Raptor Rewind will be up and ready for you reading pleasure after tonight's game against the Nets. If stuff happens through out the day of note I will add some updates to this post.

Raps Look To Take Advantage

The Toronto Raptors could catch some breaks in the next two games. The key is can they even take advantage of this at this point? Those breaks? Well let's start with tonight. Carmelo Anthony may not be in the line-up for the Nuggets. Here is what Carmelo had to say about his injured elbow.

Carmelo Anthony- "I couldn't even dribble the basketball," he said. "I tried to lift my son up after the game and I couldn't even do that."-NBA.Com

So could he be recovered enough to play a game just 2 days later? If you are a Raptor Fan you hope not. Meanwhile the Raptors have their own injured star they wait for to return. Could Jermaine O'Neal be ready for tonight in Denver? I have no information on if he will be or not. But to start a return in the high altitude of Denver? That would seem like a bit of a challenge for a guy that has not been on the floor for a little bit. The more likely return date for O'Neal seems to be in Utah on Friday. There is more chances for Raptors to catch some breaks. Both Carlos Boozer and Andre Kirilenko are having injury issues for them.

But the one thing that both teams will have is two great point guards in Chancey Billups and Deron Williams. Billups has brought change to Colorado. He played his college ball at University of Colorado and had been with the Nuggets in his NBA career. But now as a veteran and one of the top point guards in the game he has had a huge impact on Denver. The Nuggets are 8-2 in their last 10 games under Billups direction. They have been 6-2 overall on their home floor this season. In short it will be tough for Toronto, with or without J.O, and if or if not Carmelo Anthony plays regardless.

Rogers Loses It's Leader

Ted Rogers the head of the Rogers empire has passed away. Rogers was the owner of the Fan 590 and many other media companies under the Rogers empire. The Fan 590 is the radio broadcaster of the Raptors. But it is the cable company that has been the issue for Raptor fans. The lack of a deal between Rogers and TSN over TSN2 has been a sore point for Raptor Fans. It is unclear if this will have any impact on those issues. But regardless of that fact Rogers death or the death of anyone is sad event for many people. Rogers is also the owner of the Toronto Blue Jays. I offer my condolences to all of the people who have been impacted by this news. Many of the guests in this blog are employees of that company. Eric Smith, Paul Jones and Jack Armstrong all work for the Fan 590. But most of all to this man's family I offer my condolences to them. Despite what anyone thinks about the business dealings that have impacted the Raptors and the fans, it is not as important as life and death. Rogers was 75 years old. If you would like to read more on this there is a link below.

Article From Toronto Star On Rogers Death

Nets Are A Playoff Contender?

It really seems like the Nets are for real. Devin Harris is on fire for the Nets and Vince Carter has not had reason to be concerned about what was suppose to be a rebuilding process in Jersey. The Nets have had big wins as they like the Raptors have been on the west coast. The comeback win they had in Toronto has served as a spring board for the Nets. The Raptors will be watching the Nets with interest in both the short and long term. In the short term the Raptors will be facing the Nets twice before Santa comes to visit us. But also being in the Atlantic Division they will also be a rival for playoff position. It was though heading into this season that it would be the Sixers and Raptors in a battle for second place behind the Celtics. But now add the New Jersey Nets to that mix. They have shown at least early that they are a factor. Beyond Harris and Carter the play of rookie Brook Lopez who was expected to be drafted higher but fell to the Nets has been doing very well for them off the bench.

Blogger M.V.P and ROY Rankings

This is the 2nd edition of the Blogger rankings for M.V.P and R.O.Y. These rankings come from bloggers from around the NBA. My personal votes for M.V.P went to Lebron James and R.O.Y to O.J Mayo. To see the results of voting and some music to go along with each spot you can check out round 2 of our NBA Countdown of sorts. That is about as close as I will ever be to sounding like a V.J on Muchmusic.

Blogger Ranks For MVP and ROY- Round 2

Our Contest Deadline Is Almost Here

Contest for Tickets to see Return of T.J Ford with me the Dino Blogger is running out fast. You have till December 3rd midnight to tell me why you are the best Raptor Fan and Fan of Dino Nation Blog. Thanks to Raptorman.CA for providing the prize for this contest.

Send those entries to me at dinonationblog@sourcecable.net

I had made an mistake yesterday and it said .ca instead of .net. But it was corrected sorry for the mistake.

Personal Note

So that is it for now till tonight in Denver. On a personal note my mother will be having some minor eye surgery tomorrow so if there is some delays or issues over the next few days please understand that is why. But I will still be doing my work just might be a little out of the normal routine you have become use too. Thanks for understanding as I am sure you will. May have no impact at all but just wanted to leave a note in case it did.

UPDATE INJURY NEWS ( 2:30 PM)

Matt Devlin is reporting that both Carmelo Anthony and Jermaine O'Neal are expected to play tonight for their respective teams. Seems that despite my thoughts both are going to go. That is why I am a blogger and not a doctor I guess. This game is on The Score at 9pm with Matt and Leo calling the action. To check out the details please visit Matt Devlin Blog. linked for you below:

Devlin Says J.O and Melo Are Expected To Play Tonight

Raps vs Sixers Round 2

Let's start today with a trivia question. Who leads the season series between the Raptors and Sixers All-Time? It was a trick question as both teams have beat the other 25 times. But as far as this season goes the Raptors have a 1-0 lead. They met on opening night which to me seems like it was just a few days ago. But it was back on October 29th and here is what the Dino Nation Blog had to say about it: Raptor Rewind From Oct. 29th The Sixers have not won a game on the road yet this season as they are 0-3. The Raptors are looking to rebound after a tough loss in Boston. This is only the 3rd home game of the season for the Raptors. They have yet to have back to back games at home this year. But this game is the first at home of two for the Raptors as they will play the Heat on Sunday afternoon. By the way that is the game that is suppose to be on TSN2 but rumours have been buzzing that this game may be picked up by Raptors TV in addition to be broadcast on TSN2. That will make some folks with Raps TV happy. I am one of those. But I really think this has become a massive embarrassment for all parties MLSE, Rogers, and Bell who owns TSN. But maybe we do not matter like hockey fans. I think it should be pointed out that basketball has a lot more of a young fan base and I think all you kids buy all these tech toys that Rogers and Bell are selling. They may want to remember that. As for tonight's game it will be on THE SCORE. So you can all tune in.

Media vs Mitchell

For all you people that are into the negative Dave Feschuk is feeding into your rage and giving you another reason to hate Sam Mitchell. He thinks Sam has to much respect and love for K.G. While I think Dave Feschuk only knows how to stir up stuff and feed into the worst aspects of everything to do with the Raptors.

Feschuk On Mitchell and K.G

Oh well as long as the Star keeps giving this guy checks I guess both Sam and the Dino Blogger and anyone smart enough to understand his whole angle will have to put up with more of this bunk. But the problem is that in general the way a lot of this fan base is up and down like a yo-yo there is enough people that buy into all of his negative writing. I have never personally liked this guy and can't see that changing. Maybe Feschuk is just mad that Mitchell respects K.G and not him, who knows and who cares.

Doug Smith was also in Sam Mitchell grill today. Sam is cranky according to Smith. Which I have come to understand means Sam will not answer the questions we want answers too. The truth is that Sam Mitchell has no obligation to answer to anyone in the media. He owes answers to Bryan Colangelo and despite what the media may want to think Sam does not have to answer a thing. He has found a way to keep his job for as long as he has and that is not because this man is an idiot. Love him or hate him Sam Mitchell is no ones fool. He could have said hey I called the right play is it my fault J.O fumbled it out of bounds? But Sam stands up for his players and sometimes that may lead to more abuse on him but he is cool with that.

Back To Tonight

This preview of tonight's game as got a bit side tracked. In politics I learned from the recent elections that is called going off message. So let's get back to our message of Sixers and Raptors. This is a chance for the Raptors to get back on message as a team. The Raptors proved on opening night that they are better, they need to show that again. They need to keep that intense attitude they brought with them to Boston and bring that home to the ACC.

I don't like to make many predictions in this blog. I only do when I think I am going to be right. This one is so simple and obvious to me so I am throwing it out there. Bosh will have a huge night. He is going to want to erase all that talk of his off night in Boston. He had been on such a roll heading into that game. In my view he was playing the best basketball of his career. I have made a lot of talk about him being an M.V.P type player and if he is that he will respond with a big game tonight.

So why are the Sixers not who the media thought they were?

I think it is the same reasons that I have said the Raptors are going to take time to grow with the new look they have. When you add a new player that needs touches it throws off what you did before. The Sixers need to find a way that Brand and Iguodala can share touches and scoring chances. In addition the Sixers need a guy that can make some 3 point shots. If they were not division rivals the Sixers and Raptors could make good trading partners. A Jason Kapono type player would be a nice fit on the Sixers. They just don't have a guy night in and night out that can make a 3 point shot and that is a problem.

Basketball has changed to the point that if you can not make 3 point shots you are going to have to work much harder to get wins the way the game is played today. The days of just being able to score inside with no other options is over. So the Sixers need to find a way to get more production from the outside. If they are able to find a guy or two that can make those shots they will be looking a lot better. The problem is who is that guy and if they don't have him how do they get him. It is not unlike the Raptors need for a slashing and scoring player on the wing. It is not easy to figure a way to fill these holes.

Final Thoughts

So the Raptors will look to keep the Sixers looking for answers and I would expect we will see them challenge the Sixers to make three point shots by playing zone defense a lot. It was effective in Philly and I think it can be again. Just for my own personal sanity I am hopeful for a win. It is always amazing to me the major mood swings that this fan base goes through. The Raptors are a good team looking to be a great team. They are not there yet but they are working hard to make it there. Will a trade be part of that? I think so but understand that despite the rumour mill that you read this team will not make a move in haste. That is not the way Bryan Colangelo works. If he did Andrea Bargnani would have been moved long before now. Which some may say would not have been a bad thing. However Bargnani is at least showing signs and even if he was traded now. The fact he has shown those signs gives you a bit of a bump in the value he may have for another team.

So Raptor Rewind tonight and let's hope I am talking about big bounce back win.