The Toronto Raptors will win the NBA Championship this decade

[enlightenment]

Val > Hibbert

Wiggins > George (hyped-potential wise.)

I think by 2020 with Val 27, and Wiggins 24, we could be a better version of the Pacers this year.

[planetmars]

I love the optimism Nosike.. however I'll be happy if the Raptors get to 50 wins in a season before the decade ends.

[Joey]

no I think you need to re-read

People cheer because they love the team because their loyal and devoted to it and ofcourse if your team is doing well its a bonus
we cheer because the team means something to all of us
the thing is that the word toronto raptors is engraved into our hearts and thats why it hurts when they lose but they can keep losing and it would keep hurting but that mark would always stay deep inside our souls
brap brap *LEGGO RAPTORS* bang bang

What if were gonna be like the bobcats for the next forever
what if were gonna suck with no hope whatsoever
I honestly dont care how much they suck I'll be hella proud that I'm raps fan
how can you even say that were gonna win a tittle
If thats the way you look at the team jump onto another wagon now

Stay Gold Mamba. Stay Gold.

[Shrub]

All this talk about love for the team and loyalty -- you know you're being loyal to a marketing idea created by a megacorporation with, let's say, 10 orders of magnitude more power than you'll ever have, right? It's a little like a religion. I don't love the team or its fabulously wealthy and powerful owners, I am extremely skeptical of the whole thing.

Brandon!

You are not a dinosaur.

Can I copy and paste this every time tanking is brought up?

[Shrub]

You can do whatever you want to do, but I'm not sure why it's an argument against tanking.

Tanking is not an argument.
It is a perspective.
This is a perspective.

[Edgar]

I'll say it again. We will have an NBA Title before the end of this decade.

What a click generator! Watch out Bleacher Report!

[JimiCliff]

I wouldn't say I "love the team." I enjoy hoops to some extent, at least when it's well-played. I found most of the Bargnani/Gay games unwatchable, so I skipped them. Most of the league is unwatchable too.


All this talk about love for the team and loyalty -- you know you're being loyal to a marketing idea created by a megacorporation with, let's say, 10 orders of magnitude more power than you'll ever have, right? It's a little like a religion. I don't love the team or its fabulously wealthy and powerful owners, I am extremely skeptical of the whole thing.

That's a little cynical. I think cheering for and liking your home team is an innate thing thats starts within the individual. Do corporations and athletes then profit from this? Of course, and very handsomely. But they're exploiting a feeling that's already there, they aren't creating it from nothing.

But I can't say that I disagree with you about being a little jaded towards the whole pro sports thing at this moment in history. I actually dislike seeing the Raptors live because I can't handle all the stupid bulls**t that goes on to 'supplement' the actual game - the 'In-Game Experience', I believe they call it.

[BallaBalla]

This thread defeats the point of this site:

WIN OR LOSE. HERE WE STAND.

that's what its all about

[enlightenment]

What a click generator! Watch out Bleacher Report!

Are you stupid? (rhetorical)

This is a forum, not his own personal website. The term 'click generator' are reserved for those who actually benefit from extra clicks. (Newpapers, personal blogs, etc)

[S.R.]

I wouldn't say I "love the team." I enjoy hoops to some extent, at least when it's well-played. I found most of the Bargnani/Gay games unwatchable, so I skipped them. Most of the league is unwatchable too.


All this talk about love for the team and loyalty -- you know you're being loyal to a marketing idea created by a megacorporation with, let's say, 10 orders of magnitude more power than you'll ever have, right? It's a little like a religion. I don't love the team or its fabulously wealthy and powerful owners, I am extremely skeptical of the whole thing.

I am just as cynical from the business side of the NBA - especially when you hear Jalen Rose talk about playing for contracts, or you take a moment to think about how billionaire owners are making hundreds of millions off of buying and selling these franchises as a personal hobby. The "loyalty" talk is extremely naive.

On the other hand, my perspective on the NBA is you have to do a bit of digging and ignore some sideshow nonsense to get the pure basketball enjoyment out of it. I love basketball, the sport. The best ballers in the world play in the NBA. The NBA comes with some junk, but it's still the best basketball in the world - you've just gotta wear blinders sometimes.

College ball "purists" drive me nuts. There's nothing pure about college ball. Arguably the economics there are a far greater disgrace than in the NBA. And all the lovely "team ball" has more to do with a much lower talent level than any kind of basketball purity.

[stooley]

I am just as cynical from the business side of the NBA - especially when you hear Jalen Rose talk about playing for contracts, or you take a moment to think about how billionaire owners are making hundreds of millions off of buying and selling these franchises as a personal hobby. The "loyalty" talk is extremely naive.

On the other hand, my perspective on the NBA is you have to do a bit of digging and ignore some sideshow nonsense to get the pure basketball enjoyment out of it. I love basketball, the sport. The best ballers in the world play in the NBA. The NBA comes with some junk, but it's still the best basketball in the world - you've just gotta wear blinders sometimes.

College ball "purists" drive me nuts. There's nothing pure about college ball. Arguably the economics there are a far greater disgrace than in the NBA. And all the lovely "team ball" has more to do with a much lower talent level than any kind of basketball purity.

Agree with you.

The NBA is a business, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy that business. Apple is hugely profitable, but I still like my iphone.

[KeonClark]

I wouldn't say I "love the team." I enjoy hoops to some extent, at least when it's well-played. I found most of the Bargnani/Gay games unwatchable, so I skipped them. Most of the league is unwatchable too.


All this talk about love for the team and loyalty -- you know you're being loyal to a marketing idea created by a megacorporation with, let's say, 10 orders of magnitude more power than you'll ever have, right? It's a little like a religion. I don't love the team or its fabulously wealthy and powerful owners, I am extremely skeptical of the whole thing .

Well, aren't you just too cool for school..

[enlightenment]

Well, aren't you just too cool for school..

Its like he feels he is too cool for NBA ball.
Ironically, he spends hours on this forum, practically daily. So I think he is just outlining something he dislikes about himself, which is his loyalty to "a marketing idea".


Personally, I grew up as a kid with some of my best memories being with my dad taking me to a Raptors game. I was never marketed to personally, I dont see Raptor commercials anywhere (unless im watching the Raptors). Yet, I have chosen to become loyal to this team because I feel as part of their history, and their history feels apart of mine. I have watched Demar get drafted, and go through so many turmoils and difficulties, only to return to the court every year with ambition and courage enough to step up his game. I cannot experience such histories personally without committing to the team despite bad basketball. I am with this team win or lose, because they feel like a distinct part of my identity, and as they change, so do I, as they grow and get better through adversity, I find the motivation to do the same.

One can dismiss sports as just sports, and basketball teams as just marketing machines, but no marketing campaign has ever fostered the connection a true fan has to their team.

[Masai Ujiri]

I wouldn't say I "love the team." I enjoy hoops to some extent, at least when it's well-played. I found most of the Bargnani/Gay games unwatchable, so I skipped them. Most of the league is unwatchable too.


All this talk about love for the team and loyalty -- you know you're being loyal to a marketing idea created by a megacorporation with, let's say, 10 orders of magnitude more power than you'll ever have, right? It's a little like a religion. I don't love the team or its fabulously wealthy and powerful owners, I am extremely skeptical of the whole thing.

So much envy in this post.

[stooley]

I'm sorry that my remarks were interpreted as a personal attack on those who feel differently about the team.

I understand what you're saying, but personally, I have no problem directing my attention how corporations like so long as it pleases me.