Raptors Fans are Delusional!

[DoNDaDDa]

I saw a lot of delusion up until the end of last year over Bargnani's perceived skills. This year I see a lot of negative reinforcement where he is concerned. Last year he was the second coming of Dirk, this year he's worthless bench filler.

I see a lot of fans being sucked into this "young gunz" marketing gimmick. The whole idea is just an excuse for the fact that the current team isn't good. The marketing would be around one or more of the players instead of an abstract idea like "young gunz" if the team had any top 50 players.

It's possible some fans think a basketball team can win without great players, and that would definitely be a delusion. I like the idea that the games are entertaining because the team is playing hard. That's an idea I've seen expressed over and over. But playing hard cannot replace talent. This team needs 3 or 4 top 50 players to be contenders, and Colangelo recently used the figure "4 years" to time this latest rebuilding cycle. So I guess he thinks it could take that long to build such a team.

I also see coaches and players blamed for the team's longstanding crumminess, and I'd like to point out that bad owners are responsible for longterm losing programs. Or, as I like to say -- "the fish rots from the head". MLSE and specifically Richard Peddie bear the most responsibility for the desire of great American players (Bosh, T-Mac, Vinsanity)to leave Toronto.

im not a big fan of peddie but atleast he gave the GMs of the leafs & raps the power to make there own choices. in the past gms have had to have approval from the MLSE Board. it hasnt totally sovled our loosing ways but it has greatlly improved IMO.

Hard work beats talent when talent doesnt work hard... my favorite quote from KD

there are alot of extreamly talented players who never win anything (VC,T-Mac,AI,Marbury,etc.)

with a team as young as the raps they need to work harder then everyone else yes but it doesnt mean they cant realize there full potential just because there not as talented as say Kobe is right now. they could become very talented & i think were seeing glimses of it.

Im sure even MJ had a point in his life were others were more talented but he worked harder then most & became more talented then most.

bargs gets embarressed some nights by guys less talented then he is but the fact is they out played him.

I think that the raps do have the talent they just need to fully commit to playing 48min on both ends of the court

if they can do that consistantly i can see them making the playoffs as a 7th or 8th seed.

[PapiJulio]

I think this thread brings out many DIFFERENT reasons we fans cheer for the SAME team!

I made the title a bit FIREY so people would chime in with THEIR opinion. I do consider myself a HUGE Raptor fan. I just want to hear WHY we are fans. It’s cool to hear fans dig deep down & give their best Socrates impression about the Toronto Raptors!

“By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.”Socrates

[RapthoseLeafs]

Are Raptor Fans Delusional?

.
Yes. ..... Yes they are.
.

[Raptorsss]

There are three types of people for every situation.

1.Optimists
2.Pessimists
3.Realists

Generalizing a fan-base by forum comments? That's pretty narrow and you would fail, if this was a research assignment.

[Red and White]

this is main reason i started reading. But some people like to argue just to argue. Selective reading is what i suggest. Don't get sucked in. Go raps!

i disagree

get sucked in

its fun

write in caps

fight for no reason

[Superjudge]

whats a common detonator?

[RaptorDan]

whats a common detonator?

For me its bean burritos or lamb vindaloo. Both make me explode lethal gas out of both ends sometimes resulting in wet filmy residue.

[heinz57]

For me its bean burritos or lamb vindaloo. Both make me explode lethal gas out of both ends sometimes resulting in wet filmy residue.

RaptorDan, i wish there was an award for the best indirect sharting reference ever. you would be the winner.

LOL

[PapiJulio]

whats a common detonator?

Yeah... that a very good point! I never even picked up on that. But you could argue that Jack was the common *detonator* that was going to blow up this team if his play continued. A common denominator would probably make more sense! opps...

[PapiJulio]

...without Yang there wouldn't be a Yin. Sometimes the best solutions are found when you are tossed into the fire and have no other options but to come out swinging just to survive. I'm just a glass half full kind of dude. I look at how we can improve negatives.

"A Yin Without A Yang Is Like Trying To Walk Forward Using Only Your Left Foot" unknown

It's been a long time reading more bad then good over the years...but we are discussing the Raptors.

[PapiJulio]

Generalizing a fan-base by forum comments? That's pretty narrow and you would fail, if this was a research assignment.

I could have generalized the groups to your 3 categories but I'm trying to get fans to give their reasons they cheer for the Raptors. I made the 2 groups like polar-opposites in hopes it would create a bit of a show-down between the 2. Plus, there are many shades between those groups but I figure they would have gave there 2cents too. It's like saying all the people on earth are Short Tall or Medium. That doesn't really tell you anything you already knew.