Dino Blogger is all decked out in Canada Red and White for the Olympics that starts Friday. Canada will have home Ice/Snow advantage in those games. Although reports are not much of ether in Vancouver. It is all to kick off a new segment inspired by Steven Colbert and his show the Colbert Report. It is THE WORD with a Raptor Twist....Enjoy.
So that was...THE WORD. Hope you enjoyed it and will bust it out once in awhile as a semi-regular feature on the DNB.
2/9/10
"Jiggly Bits" - Danielle de Graauw
Ahhhhh. Love is in the air. With Valentine's Day and the All Star Classic fast approaching, there's lots to be excited about in the NBA. Derrick Rose gets the nod to help the Eastern Conference All-Stars this weekend, "Vinsanity" surfaces again and the Lakers are still on top even without Kobe in the line -up. But we'll get to all that in a minute. First we need to address the ridiculous debate surrounding Hedo Turkoglu and his mask.
A History Behind the Mask
Aside from the fact that he is their 50-million dollar asset, wearing a faceguard is a small price to pay to protect a pre-existing injury before being allowed back on the basketball court. An injury that could possibly keep him sidelined or off the court indefinitely. Apparently he finds it too restrictive. Seriously? This is the same lame argument given for not wearing a neck guard or visor in hockey. I am surprised considering the history of these types of injuries in the NBA, there isn't some kind of document players are required to sign from their trainer or the league saying the mask is required before returning to play. He apparently did not wear one in practice on Monday and eluded to the fact he didn't need to wear it anymore. This worries me.
Consider this. I know many of you watched the Detroit Pistons beat the Lakers in the 2004 NBA Championship Finals. Remember Richard "Rip" Hamilton's performance? Of course you don't because most of the hype from that game came from the clear plastic protective mask he had to wear because of previous fractures to his nose. Six years later, he is still enjoying his NBA career with the Detroit Pistons. NBA bad-boy Bill Lambeer wore one and even our beloved Kobe Bryant wore a variation of one in his highschool days. Do you think for one second that if Hedo opts out of the mask even for one game he won't become a target if he isn't already? Defensive plays from Raptors oponents will look to zero in on his face. I know that is an unwritten rule but you know it will happen and has happened. Bill Lambeer, tough guy or no tough guy, supported wearing the mask and said it gave him the confidence to stick his face into any intense rebounding situation and not get hurt. Don't get me wrong, I am a big supporter of Turkoglu. But with the Raptors momentum as of late, they don't need to scratch him due to a re-injured orbital bone.
Who's in, Who's Out - NBA All-Star Weekend
Riding the injury train for a little while longer, Chris Kaman has been selected as an injury replacement to play in the All-Star game this weekend. This must be bittersweet for him after being passed over and it taking Brandon Roy to be scratched for him to relieve his itch to play (so to speak). David Stern's decision to add him makes Kaman the first Clippers all-star since Elton Brand in 2006. I sincerely hope his girlfriend is understanding since he will have to cancel on the Valentine's Day getaway weekend he planned for them.
So excited for Derrick Rose to get his chance to play among the All-Stars. He has really come into his own since overcoming injury and helping the Chicago Bulls get back to where they need to be. This means he won't get to square off against Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings in the Rookie All-Star game. Both hail from Memhpis at the guard position and it would have been great to see them play against each other. I like Tyreke's style of play - you just never know what game tool he'll pull out of his back pocket. What famous Lakers great does this description remind you of? Hmmm..a "magical" number 32? Too early to tell, but I definitely see parrallels.
Ok - so we know Brandon Roy is out and Paul Pierce and Carmelo Anthony are questionable for Sunday's game. But now Kobe Bryant may not be able to play in his 12th All-Star game. Honestly? This is not a big deal. He's listed as day-to-day but he missed the Lakers win over Portland on Saturday after playing in 235 straight games. This will probably mean he won't see much action in the All-Star game anyway even if he says he is good to play. I say he plays it safe - he's got his eyes on a much bigger prize at the end of the season, anyway.
Vinsanity Makes an Appearance
As a Raptors fan, you either love him or leave him. But whatever side of the fence you sit on, the fact that he scored 48 points against the Hornets the other night deserves at least a round of applause. I don't think he woke up that morning and said "I'm going to score 50 points today" but something needs to be said about being in the zone and running with it - all athletes have a story to tell about that moment. But what's sad about this accomplishment is the Orlando Magic needed almost all of them to beat the New Orleans Hornets 123-117. Where was the support from the rest of his teamates? It's amazing he drained that many (not the first time either -did it in 2005 for New Jersey against Miami with 51 points) but he shouldn't have to do that with an entire team around him. Tracey McGrady had an explosive game nearly six years ago on Orlando's roster too - except this time McGrady racked up 62 points. Don't get me wrong, as a fan of the game it is very entertaining to see a player reach new heights. But I think it says a lot about team depth and coaching when one individual player gets that much of a spotlight just for scoring. There, I've said my bit.
A History Behind the Mask
Aside from the fact that he is their 50-million dollar asset, wearing a faceguard is a small price to pay to protect a pre-existing injury before being allowed back on the basketball court. An injury that could possibly keep him sidelined or off the court indefinitely. Apparently he finds it too restrictive. Seriously? This is the same lame argument given for not wearing a neck guard or visor in hockey. I am surprised considering the history of these types of injuries in the NBA, there isn't some kind of document players are required to sign from their trainer or the league saying the mask is required before returning to play. He apparently did not wear one in practice on Monday and eluded to the fact he didn't need to wear it anymore. This worries me.
Consider this. I know many of you watched the Detroit Pistons beat the Lakers in the 2004 NBA Championship Finals. Remember Richard "Rip" Hamilton's performance? Of course you don't because most of the hype from that game came from the clear plastic protective mask he had to wear because of previous fractures to his nose. Six years later, he is still enjoying his NBA career with the Detroit Pistons. NBA bad-boy Bill Lambeer wore one and even our beloved Kobe Bryant wore a variation of one in his highschool days. Do you think for one second that if Hedo opts out of the mask even for one game he won't become a target if he isn't already? Defensive plays from Raptors oponents will look to zero in on his face. I know that is an unwritten rule but you know it will happen and has happened. Bill Lambeer, tough guy or no tough guy, supported wearing the mask and said it gave him the confidence to stick his face into any intense rebounding situation and not get hurt. Don't get me wrong, I am a big supporter of Turkoglu. But with the Raptors momentum as of late, they don't need to scratch him due to a re-injured orbital bone.
Who's in, Who's Out - NBA All-Star Weekend
Riding the injury train for a little while longer, Chris Kaman has been selected as an injury replacement to play in the All-Star game this weekend. This must be bittersweet for him after being passed over and it taking Brandon Roy to be scratched for him to relieve his itch to play (so to speak). David Stern's decision to add him makes Kaman the first Clippers all-star since Elton Brand in 2006. I sincerely hope his girlfriend is understanding since he will have to cancel on the Valentine's Day getaway weekend he planned for them.
So excited for Derrick Rose to get his chance to play among the All-Stars. He has really come into his own since overcoming injury and helping the Chicago Bulls get back to where they need to be. This means he won't get to square off against Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings in the Rookie All-Star game. Both hail from Memhpis at the guard position and it would have been great to see them play against each other. I like Tyreke's style of play - you just never know what game tool he'll pull out of his back pocket. What famous Lakers great does this description remind you of? Hmmm..a "magical" number 32? Too early to tell, but I definitely see parrallels.
Ok - so we know Brandon Roy is out and Paul Pierce and Carmelo Anthony are questionable for Sunday's game. But now Kobe Bryant may not be able to play in his 12th All-Star game. Honestly? This is not a big deal. He's listed as day-to-day but he missed the Lakers win over Portland on Saturday after playing in 235 straight games. This will probably mean he won't see much action in the All-Star game anyway even if he says he is good to play. I say he plays it safe - he's got his eyes on a much bigger prize at the end of the season, anyway.
Vinsanity Makes an Appearance
As a Raptors fan, you either love him or leave him. But whatever side of the fence you sit on, the fact that he scored 48 points against the Hornets the other night deserves at least a round of applause. I don't think he woke up that morning and said "I'm going to score 50 points today" but something needs to be said about being in the zone and running with it - all athletes have a story to tell about that moment. But what's sad about this accomplishment is the Orlando Magic needed almost all of them to beat the New Orleans Hornets 123-117. Where was the support from the rest of his teamates? It's amazing he drained that many (not the first time either -did it in 2005 for New Jersey against Miami with 51 points) but he shouldn't have to do that with an entire team around him. Tracey McGrady had an explosive game nearly six years ago on Orlando's roster too - except this time McGrady racked up 62 points. Don't get me wrong, as a fan of the game it is very entertaining to see a player reach new heights. But I think it says a lot about team depth and coaching when one individual player gets that much of a spotlight just for scoring. There, I've said my bit.
2/8/10
Starting 5- Goes Behind The Scenes With Raptorspace
On Friday we talked with Kat the Captain of your Raptors Dance Pak. We talked about her taking on the role of hosting Raptorspace on Raptors T.V. The man that produces that show and tries to make Kat look good is Akil Augustine, you also have likely seen him on camera doing work with Sherman Hamilton on Raptors T.V as well. He puts together the Raptorspace show that airs on Thursday @6:30 on Raptors T.V. We get into a whole discussion about how the show came to be, where it is at and where it is going. We also discuss the differences between Leafs Nation which the Dino Blogger is not a member and the Raptors Nation or as we like to say here the Dino Nation. It is an interesting interview that gives you some insight into what MLSE and Raptors T.V is trying to accomplish with this project. Hope you will enjoy it.
Raptorspace.com is where all of the fan content comes from. I got stuff on the show so If I can do it maybe you can too? The one thing that came from this interview that I liked most of all is the idea of growing basketball across this country. I have always thought it was important and something the Raptors and MLSE should do more of. It is nice to know that the people working there have that goal as well. In the end be it MLSE or the average basketball fan it is in everyone's best interest to grow the sport and the Raptors brand. If done successfully it can hopefully lead to more people in the media awaking to the fact that basketball fans in fact "do exist" in this country from coast to coast. It can hopefully impact and have changes to how things are covered and allow for more basketball coverage in this country. Does a show like Raptorspace accomplish that goal on it's own? No but it is something that at least helps take us in that direction. We did invent this sport after all, and I feel it is everyone's job that loves it to help promote it. From me to you and all the way to folks at MLSE and all points in between.
The Round Ball Review- Ratings
I promised that the Round Ball Review would be back at least once a week on Monday. Well as promised here are the guys talking Trade Deadline, Raptorspace and other nonsense. So here are the guys in the Round Ball Review offices take it away J.B.
So that is it for The Round Ball Review. I hope people enjoy it and take it in the spirit of fun it is intended. It is all based in humour and is not meant to be taken seriously....EVER!!!
So that is it for The Round Ball Review. I hope people enjoy it and take it in the spirit of fun it is intended. It is all based in humour and is not meant to be taken seriously....EVER!!!
2/7/10
Super Bowl Sunday Double Header
Today I am working a doing a basketball double header for The Score kicking it off with the Raptors winners of 12 of 13 at the ACC taking on the Kings who are coming in off a loss to the Suns on Friday. The Raptors have enjoyed a rare break in the schedule and could see some of walking wounded return to the line-up. The most likely of those to return is Demar DeRozan. Sonny Weems has filled in well in the starting 5 in his absence in his last game recording his first career double double. Hedo Turkoglu and Jose Calderon could also be back. Hedo was making noise about playing without the protective mask to protect his fractured orbital bone. Calderon has a bad ankle sprain and I would tag him as the least likely to return but all 3 did practice Friday.
Join me on The Score for all the action and fun.
Raptors vs Kings LiveBlog
After that the Celtics and Magic to possible playoff match-ups for the Raptors will hook up in match-up against each other. Celtics have had major troubles of late and the Magic are learning the hard way about what LIFE IS LIKE WITH V.C. Sure Raptor fans could have told them so. So that game tips right after the Raps and Kings at 2:30. 2 great game all in time that you can not miss a second of the Superbowl. If you have a party to get to you can still follow the games on Score Mobile via your Blackberry or IPhone.
Magic vs Celtics LiveBlog
So that is how I am spending my Super Sunday before the big game. Make sure you drop in and say hello. A Basketball Party before the Football cause really do you need to watch 5 hours of Super Bowl Pre-Game Show? It's the Saints and Colts. Peyton Manning and Drew Brees are good, teams will score a lot of points and who knows if Dwight Freeney will play..Dwight Howard will and you can still have time to find out about the other Dwight long before kick-off. If you are going to a Super Bowl Party have fun and don't drink and drive. Go Raps and Go Saints!!!
Join me on The Score for all the action and fun.
Raptors vs Kings LiveBlog
After that the Celtics and Magic to possible playoff match-ups for the Raptors will hook up in match-up against each other. Celtics have had major troubles of late and the Magic are learning the hard way about what LIFE IS LIKE WITH V.C. Sure Raptor fans could have told them so. So that game tips right after the Raps and Kings at 2:30. 2 great game all in time that you can not miss a second of the Superbowl. If you have a party to get to you can still follow the games on Score Mobile via your Blackberry or IPhone.
Magic vs Celtics LiveBlog
So that is how I am spending my Super Sunday before the big game. Make sure you drop in and say hello. A Basketball Party before the Football cause really do you need to watch 5 hours of Super Bowl Pre-Game Show? It's the Saints and Colts. Peyton Manning and Drew Brees are good, teams will score a lot of points and who knows if Dwight Freeney will play..Dwight Howard will and you can still have time to find out about the other Dwight long before kick-off. If you are going to a Super Bowl Party have fun and don't drink and drive. Go Raps and Go Saints!!!
2/5/10
Starting 5- With Kat From Your Raptors Dance Pak
Today in the Starting 5 with have the Captain of you Raptors Dance Pak and the host of Raptors Space on Raptors-TV...Kat. I have sometimes set some things through Twitter in the past and this is how I got to know her. This was something that I was going to do awhile ago but there were some snags on both sides of things. Making schedules fit together and what not. However I am kind of happy it took a bit. Reason I say this is cause through tweeting back and forth I got to know her a bit and hope that makes this interview better for it. The Raptors started the project that is Raptorspace which is for lack of a better term the Raptor version of facebook I guess. The website has also turned into a T.V show on Raps T.V that attempts to make the fans the star of the show or at least part of it. In fact I actually have been on I am told. It must be true I saw a Tweet promoting the show that had my Twitter in it. The host for this show is of course Kat. So in are conversation we talk about how this all came to be. We get into all of how she came to be the host of this show and how she balances that along with still being part of the Dance Pak. In addition the Dance Pak got to perform as part of the Vanilla Ice halftime show and we talk about that whole experience. Along with her taking on a rather large role in the interacting with the fan base. This plus some other wacky fun. She really is a great person and I actually met her in my travels around the ACC while covering the Nets game this past Wednesday. You can follow her on Twitter @RaptorspaceKat which we also talk about. By the way the same person actually designed our twitter background's a Raptors fan in Poland who is a regular reader of the Dino Nation Blog. She is someone who has drive and passion for what she is doing and as I say to her in the interview I can see her being a Raptor fan even if she was not on the Dance Pak or Raps T.V. We had fun chatting so hope you will enjoy it.
I promised that I would go back and see what Lexi had answered to the whole dances with the stars thing and my memory rocks it was Mo-P. I hope you enjoyed this chat with Kat and you can see her out on the floor and doing all her stuff with the Dance Pak as well as on Raptorspace which I believe normally airs at 6:30 on Thursdays and it can be found on Raptors.com as well eventually. There is also of course the Website Raptorspace.com as well. That is where some of the material gets taken for the show. In addition Kat does a hit on the Gate 5 live show for Raptors home games on Raps T.V. It was fun talking with her and hopefully she will make some time to come visit again down the line. Here is a picture of her with the Hip Hoop Junkies who are like the Dino Nation Blog part of the family here at The Score Sports Federation. You can often catch some stuff from them on the RaptorSpace show.
Just a reminder as well you can still get Raptors Dance Pak Calenders with money from that going to the Team Up Foundation which some may remember as the Raptors Foundation. They do great work with mostly things geared at youth in Toronto and Southern Ontario.
CB4 Meet Ari Gold... Sorta
So Chris Bosh is hiring Ari Gold to be his agent? Dang!!! Well not exactly but a story by Mark Spears from Yahoo has got everyone buzzing. The 2010 Trio all might be considering going the Ari Gold route or in reality CAA (Not Canadian Auto Association)- Creative Artists Agency. That is a Hollywood "A" List style agency much like the one portrayed in the show Entourage. Ari Gold would drool at the client list these guys have in reality. Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts among them. Recently this agency has tried to invade the sporting world landing Soccer star David Beckham, Super Bowl QB Peyton Manning , Jimmy Johnson Nascar Champion and Derek Jeter World Series Champion. In B-Ball they already represent Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson and Tony Parker.
It is not really news that Bosh has other interests beyond basketball. He starred in his own DVD "First Ink" that he also helped produced if memory serves me right. Bosh has worked for NBA-TV and the Tonight Show back when Jay Leno was hosting the first time. Bosh likes to explore options beyond basketball and that is not a secret. Safe to say this agency can offer him a ton of ideas in this regard. What does this mean for his basketball future? That is the real question isn't it. Can an agency like this in a down economy generate 30 million dollars in extra revenue that could make walking on the Raptors at least not a penalty for Bosh financially. Not sure if that is possible.
I will say this though in terms of Hollywood vs The Sports world I think Toronto as a city is more respected as a city by the Hollywood folks. Many movies get made in Toronto not as many as in the past with the rise of the Canadian dollar but it is a popular place to make a film. So could CB4 be a sidekick to Will Smith in a movie shot in T.O? Maybe but the point that I am trying to make is Toronto is not thought of in the Hollywood world as this far off strange land. Also could an agency like this see the unique opportunity to market Bosh in Canada and make him the big fish in the small pond of Canada in terms of advertising. While still offering him some chances in the U.S as well.
The truth is at the very end of the article it says that all 3 of Bosh, James and Wade will ultimately go where they want to go at the end of the day. Which takes us back to square 1 does it not?
So do not read this story and think that anything has changed in terms of Bosh being traded at the deadline. It will not change the game plan to keep Bosh and look to re-sign him. Besides what NBA G.M would do better with an Ari Gold style agent than Bryan Colangelo? I can't think of any off the top of my head? There is also a rumour that the Nets want to steal B.C away from T.O. But he likely watched the game Wednesday in fact not likely I saw him there so once he has watched the Nets do you really think he wants that headache? He is a lot closer to his goal in Toronto then he would be in New Jersey.
I think everyone will be happy when trade deadline has come and gone so we can all get on board with what Bosh has been doing all season. Focus on winning and this season. What a great and novel concept. You can see why Hollywood will love this guy. He thinks out of the box.
It is not really news that Bosh has other interests beyond basketball. He starred in his own DVD "First Ink" that he also helped produced if memory serves me right. Bosh has worked for NBA-TV and the Tonight Show back when Jay Leno was hosting the first time. Bosh likes to explore options beyond basketball and that is not a secret. Safe to say this agency can offer him a ton of ideas in this regard. What does this mean for his basketball future? That is the real question isn't it. Can an agency like this in a down economy generate 30 million dollars in extra revenue that could make walking on the Raptors at least not a penalty for Bosh financially. Not sure if that is possible.
I will say this though in terms of Hollywood vs The Sports world I think Toronto as a city is more respected as a city by the Hollywood folks. Many movies get made in Toronto not as many as in the past with the rise of the Canadian dollar but it is a popular place to make a film. So could CB4 be a sidekick to Will Smith in a movie shot in T.O? Maybe but the point that I am trying to make is Toronto is not thought of in the Hollywood world as this far off strange land. Also could an agency like this see the unique opportunity to market Bosh in Canada and make him the big fish in the small pond of Canada in terms of advertising. While still offering him some chances in the U.S as well.
The truth is at the very end of the article it says that all 3 of Bosh, James and Wade will ultimately go where they want to go at the end of the day. Which takes us back to square 1 does it not?
So do not read this story and think that anything has changed in terms of Bosh being traded at the deadline. It will not change the game plan to keep Bosh and look to re-sign him. Besides what NBA G.M would do better with an Ari Gold style agent than Bryan Colangelo? I can't think of any off the top of my head? There is also a rumour that the Nets want to steal B.C away from T.O. But he likely watched the game Wednesday in fact not likely I saw him there so once he has watched the Nets do you really think he wants that headache? He is a lot closer to his goal in Toronto then he would be in New Jersey.
I think everyone will be happy when trade deadline has come and gone so we can all get on board with what Bosh has been doing all season. Focus on winning and this season. What a great and novel concept. You can see why Hollywood will love this guy. He thinks out of the box.
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