Dino Blogger Made A Point.

Some of you noticed over the weekend my disgust with TSN cutting away from the NBA ALL-Star Game before announcing the MVP. I started a hashtag on Twitter that was #TSNHATESBBALL. We have all experienced how they shutout Raptor fans with the start up of TSN 2. Even Jose Calderon was impacted by that not being able to watch the Raptors. I have made no secret to how I feel about both TSN and Sportsnet for their lack of respect to basketball. I make little smart remarks when I post where the game is on in our game previews. I try in my own small way to make a point. The hash tag became a hit and actually was a trending topic in Toronto for awhile. It also got the attention of someone in Montreal. I do radio in that city on Wednesday Nights and Saturday Mornings. The home the Montreal Canadians but as they proved when Raptors came for an exhibition game a place that can love basketball.

They also love UFC. I have always respected fans of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. They pound the traditional media and have started to see the results. They stuff the ballot box each year for Sportsnet's Athlete of the Year and Georges St Pierre has been the winner 3 years running. Basketball fans could learn something from what UFC fans have done. They are well organized and they fight as one for the sport. Basketball fans tend to be not as organized and together for whatever reason. At least for one Sunday night a bunch of us got together and said you know what screw you to TSN. It is about time people realized that some Canadians actually don't LOVE HOCKEY. Some actually don't want to have Hockey jammed down their collective throats. While this blog is primarily about the Raptors it is also about love of basketball in Canada. A place for people that love the game to enjoy it and be not ashamed to do so. In our partnership with The Score the fact they have always treated basketball with respect was a huge factor in coming on board in their sports federation, that we have been a part of from day 1.

Does TSN actually HATE basketball? I worked there they don't. But do they respect it as programming? I think you only need to watch Sportcentre for your answer. Sportsnet is no better and even though both carry the Raptors by the number of games they ship to their secondary networks that speaks to that lack of respect as well. MLSE has never got involved to change it. It would just take threatening to take away Leafs games and I am confident TSN and Sportsnet would fall all over themselves to make it happen however MLSE desired.

So as I mentioned someone in Montreal was paying attention. The article on Jet7Basket.com is in french. Despite having French blood in my veins I don't know how to speak or read the language. Guessing that applies to most of you as well. So I translated the article for you to read.

For those who follow a few social media like Facebook and Twitter, we witnessed last night in a first in Canada, Canadian basketball fans have united in order to be heard from TSN.

The "leaders" of the sports coverage in Canada cut the award of an All-Star Game MVP in the NBA to make their late night bulletin, Sports Centre. It was enough to stir the Canadian basketball fans already irritated by the lack of coverage and interest shown by the network in respect of basketball.

Moments later, Twitter was assailed statutes including the expression # TSNHATESBBALL (TSN hated basketball), for the uninitiated the word is preceded by a # key phrase searchable. If this term is widely used by the "twitteux" or "chirp" can become a fashionable topic or "trending topic" in a particular region or throughout the world, according to its importance.

For example, when the victory of the Egyptians on Mubarak, he had become a popular topic on a global scale, # Mubarak. # TSNHATESBBALL yesterday was popular in Canada only, which shows still the extent of dissatisfaction of TSN viewers. Besides, when announcing the MVP title, won by Kobe Bryant on the Facebook page of TSN debate among Canadian sports fans erupted over the importance of different sports on a global scale.

We can clearly see the lack of openness of Canadian hockey fans who show no interest in other sports and we also feel the impatience in regard to other sports fans who would like their sports are a little more attention from the media.

This could lead us to ask ourselves the following question: is it that TSN and RDS in this world are responsible for the lack of openness in sports lounges in us having a majority of content related to the NHL and a small portion of other sports or networks are simply responding to demand? "

The debate is timely, with rumors of the coming of an NHL team in Quebec City and the importance PK Peladeau seems to provide its channel devoted to coverage of a hockey team, so that it is still locked out its employees with the Journal de Montréal ....

To me, it would be essential for the various amateur sports associations demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the treatment accorded by the CRTC specialty channel draft of amateur sport and a movement RSAC snaps to allow things to move. A recently published study demonstrates the importance of amateur sport in the economy and demonstrates the importance of investing in the development of athletes.

These investments are mainly from companies wishing to join a sport or an athlete to enjoy a degree of visibility. But without media coverage and visibility farewell farewell sponsorship and investment!

Some companies such as Jet7basket, TVGO, CKLN, etc.. understand the importance of media coverage in sport and we work hard to enable the amateur to make. Our financing remains difficult and I struggle to understand that businesses and individuals continue to encourage the Journal de Montréal in buying ads rather than finding alternatives to make themselves known to their clients.

Social media and internet are great ways to be heard then I invite you to use them to make known your dissatisfaction! Begin the war against these traditional media who are there for one reason, your money!

Not sure if it was any kind of revolution I started. In fact I doubt it. But what the message of all of it should be is that as individuals complaining we can not do a heck of a lot to change things. Together we can at least make our voices heard. Things are changing though. The Basketball Jones having a show on The Score is likely the most excellent example of that. Watching their show, reading a blog like this is a way a lot of people without doing it directly stick up their middle finger to traditional media. There should be a place for balanced coverage in this world. While ESPN has a lot of issues and we can't get into all of them here. What they do accomplish is a fairly balanced coverage of all sports.

Shame that TSN and Sportsnet in their quest for domination of the hockey fans in this country, has forgot that people love OTHER THINGS and OTHER SPORTS. Perhaps the best example of the INSANITY that is TSN and SPORTSNET is the NHL Trade Deadline. Which this will surprise folks but I watch. Why when I don't even follow hockey? Simple. It is the best train wreck you are ever going to see on T.V. Even a 6 hour Super Bowl pre-game show can not offer the pure comedy it does. But on Thursday will we even see a 30 minute program on NBA Trade Deadline. Of course you won't because #TSNHATESBBALL. Well they don't but it is worse they and Sportsnet don't care. Having a Paul Jones on Sportsnet and Jack Armstorng on TSN doesn't change that. Jack and Paul both care a lot and both do an excellent job. But the people that decide on programming are the problem and they don't care about basketball or it's fans. In other words they don't care about you. But thankfully people like myself and many others on the internet do. Still it be nice to see change come in the main stream media. If they don't change the way the world is changing they might get left behind.

CB4 PR War Rages On With Bosh Firing Back

Chris Bosh was back on Canadian T.V on Sportsnet. He did an interview on Sportsnet who has decided to get back into the basketball business again. Earlier in the week on the Fan 590 also party of the rogers family it was Bryan Colangelo firing shots at his former franchise player. Chris Bosh decided to fire back and do it on Canadian T.V. I give him credit for that. I know it is not exactly the cool thing to do supporting Chris these days. But having watched this interview and listened to the Colangelo interview for me Bosh comes off better than B.C.

Colangelo called into question Bosh's effort post all-star break. He said he felt he basically milked the ankle injury he suffered in the first game vs the Grizzlies after the All-Star Break. Bosh fired back with pointing out the fact that in that game after the injury occurred he remained in the game and tried to play through it. Which is 100% fact. It is also true that game went into overtime and Bosh played the entire OT on that injured ankle. Bosh said that the name on the back of his jersey represents his deceased grandfather and his family. His family are hard workers and that is something he takes pride in, and is the reason he plays hard every minute he is on the floor. In his 7 years he says he gave his 100% to the Toronto Raptors and trying to win.

Bosh also put in perspective his comments in the Miami Hearld in which he called Canada different. He pointed out the obvious differences between Canada and the U.S. Pointing out the obvious difference in road signs from kilometers to miles. That being said, he didn't see being different as being bad, that he himself was different. He said he enjoyed every single minute he spent in Toronto. He called it a fantastic metropolitan city. He pointed out the fact of it being difficult to recruit players to come play with him in Toronto. He also continued his disappointment about the Raptors lack of appearence on national broadcasts in the states.

Bosh said he does not want his 7 years with the Raptors to be erased. He does not want people to forget what we all went through together. When asked what Raptor fans should do after watching another player, being him, leave yet again. He said that they should continue to support the Raptors that your team is your team and players come and go. He full expects to get booed when he returns to Toronto. What is different from Vince Carter and Chris Bosh is that it seems Bosh cares about his legacy in Toronto. I am not sure he will be able to save it though.

This was the first time in a long time that I have seen Chris Bosh doing an interview in where he sounded like himself. Even in his radio interview on the Fan 590 earlier this month he was not the guy I got to know over 7 years. Chris, with the expcetion of his exit from Toronto after the season , has for me always been an intelligent and smart guy. It is why I felt the way he handled all of this was so bizziare and out of charcter. What will frustrate people about Bosh is his desire to not just be a great basketball player but to be a famous basketball player. The questions that I have about Chris Bosh have nothing to do with the type of player he is. They have nothing to do with his effort on the floor.

I do question sometimes his desire to build his own brand as much as his own team. Ultimately the reason Chris Bosh and the Raptors are not on national T.V in the states is 2 fold. The first part Bosh may not like and all of you might not like it as well. Vince Carter as much as he was a complete failure at times did create buzz and excitiment. He did things that made you jump out of you seat. Chris Bosh even at his best is not a sportscenter hightlight reel. Vince Carter was able to break the glass roof and get the Raptors on to mainstream T.V in the U.S. Secondly, the simple fact is for U.S networks the Raptors don't make good business sense. There is no extra ad revnue you can generate because they are not allowed to broadcast in Canada. In addition beyond Canada the Raptors to not have a large U.S fan base and generate ratings. Vince Carter was able to overcome those things because Vince Carter had many fans in the U.S. Winning the Slam Dunk Contest and having his highlights on ESPN nightly helped that. The Raptors also were for several years considered a legit contender in the East as well. Something that under Bosh the Raptors were never able to do. Ironically another Big 3 in Boston might have been the major reason for that. Had that not come along the Raptors would be a favourite to win the Atlantic on yearly basis after they had won their lone division title that Carter never did.

Chris will be successful both on and off the floor. He clearly thinks of himself beyond basketball and beyond his career. That is smart to be honest. That being said you need to get the basketball things accomplished first. Going to the Miami Heat likely will do that. However for a guy that spoke passionately about the pride he has in his name and his family it seems odd to swallow your pride and become the 3rd wheel in Miami. That would be a blow to your pride wouldn't it? This was a guy that wanted at one time to be part of the solution in Toronto. He admitted he worked very hard to make that happen. Which honestly is the case. So isn't that a failure? But Bosh seems happy to justifiy it by saying it was the fault of lack of attention and lack of ability to bring talent here. Besides he is living his dream and getting all the attention he wants. Still what does that have to do with winning or basketball? Not really sure.

At the end of the day I agreee with some of things Bosh has expressed. I personally wish, he would make more of a point out of what he did say about Raptors not being a tax team. He made a valid point and it seems clear Bosh or not, the Raptors will always struggle to sign players long term. Spending beyond the tax threshold to be championship team is required and was never done with Bosh. Something the Raptors claim to want to be. It costs money to do that. Regardless of what gets said, for me, Chris Bosh gave all he had for 7 years and it becomes a question of who you believe failed Bosh or Colangelo. Maybe it is both but the battle lines have been laid down. At the end of the day everyone failed, but the mud being thrown at Bosh serves no purpose and Bryan Colangelo never should have went there. He has had a frustrating offseason and it is clear Bosh did shut him out. Bosh, sticking to script saying he did not decide till the very end on Toronto does not pass the believeablity test. But the fact he gave all he had for the Raptors does. While Colangelo comes off like a frustrated guy that took a big gamble and lost.