Raptors TV broadcast thread

[Nilanka]

the wall street journal has an article on this: How the curlers of 20 years ago were on a diet of beer and cigarettes ... And how now they are serious athletes who can bench press 300 lbs. Why? Because sweeping is physical, and doing it well gives your team an advantage.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/...20632674174024

lol

but in a sport that evokes shuffleboard more than snowboarding, how much does conditioning matter?

"i would think if you're in reasonable shape, that should be enough," said orest meleschuk, one of the top canadian curlers of the 1960s and '70s. "curling is not a physical game. It's not like a lot of the other sports."

[Kuh]

This is true - and the tradition has begun

Also, didn't read the whole thread but I think someone was actually calling curlers athletes!??! LOL that was my laugh for the day. Gotta love this site

The Wall Street Journal has an article on this: how the curlers of 20 years ago were on a diet of beer and cigarettes ... and how now they are serious athletes who can bench press 300 lbs. Why? Because sweeping is physical, and doing it well gives your team an advantage.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/...20632674174024

[Nilanka]

Yea definitely. Up there with Poker in my opinion.

I love that first comment in the Star article "I don't watch it. Just put 5 minutes on the clock, give each team 100 points and watch them go at it"....just sums up the ignorance of typical Canadians.

I think hockey would be much more entertaining if they just did 5 minutes of sudden death. It's not like anything actually happens that's worth watching for the first 60 minutes.

That's usually my response to ignorant puckheads too. "Really? How many NHL games are decided in OT/SO?"

[isaacthompson]

Yea definitely. Up there with Poker in my opinion.

I love that first comment in the Star article "I don't watch it. Just put 5 minutes on the clock, give each team 100 points and watch them go at it"....just sums up the ignorance of typical Canadians.

I think hockey would be much more entertaining if they just did 5 minutes of sudden death. It's not like anything actually happens that's worth watching for the first 60 minutes.

Yeah, what the hell. Why is poker broadcasted on sports networks?

[nubreed000]

Nascar isn't even driving in circles, it's turning slightly to the left for 3 hours. Worst televised event ever! Give me the Spelling Bee at least.

Yea definitely. Up there with Poker in my opinion.

I love that first comment in the Star article "I don't watch it. Just put 5 minutes on the clock, give each team 100 points and watch them go at it"....just sums up the ignorance of typical Canadians.

I think hockey would be much more entertaining if they just did 5 minutes of sudden death. It's not like anything actually happens that's worth watching for the first 60 minutes.

[Bendit]

In an earlier post in this thread I had mentioned the lack of supportive pre and post game programming. Well, anyone viewing the SN1 last night were treated to an obscure women's triathlon event immediately after the Philliy-Raps game. Brilliant. Normally NBA/Raptors TV on another cable channel (not everyone subscribes to/has) would carry a Raptors PostUp show but it decided to program another nba game.

[ebrian]

Lol if Gary's ripped stature gives him an advantage over another accountant in a competition then it actually is sport.

Sport or game or let's say "competitive activity" will be subjective, but let's not get crazy here. From an athleticism point of view, Kevin Martin didn't need to be like Harnden (who is built like a hockey player) to dominate his sport. Meanwhile you're not going to see any fatties leading the NBA in scoring -- they'd be lucky to even make a roster. Nor would you see 43 year olds leading their teams to the NBA championships like Martin did 4 years ago at the Olympics.

[Axel]

If you want talk about a non-sport it is most definitely Nascar, watching some cars drive around in circles for hours on end, I just never got it; I swear most people just watch it hoping for a horrible flaming crash, the same types who clog up the highway rubbernecking the accidents. I would watch curling any day of the week over Nascar. Curling most definitely is a sport that requires athleticism, quite randomly I watched the wheel chair curling in the Paralympics and that was more like the shooting free-throws analogy; it was brutally inferior, sweepers matter.

Nascar isn't even driving in circles, it's turning slightly to the left for 3 hours. Worst televised event ever! Give me the Spelling Bee at least.

[RobertArchibald]

I would say it's worth nothing. I could post a picture of Gary from Accounting and how ripped and great shape he is, doesn't make Accounting a sport.

Finesse skills are a big part of curling, and golf, but they are also a big part of sports. It isn't a defining factor. I think the free throw example much earlier is a good example. Shooting free throws takes lots of skill but by itself it's clearly not a sport. Stationary demonstration of skill without any need for athleticism is a game. Throw 4 golfers at the tee at the same time and make it a combined score of time and stroke (so they actually have to use speed, agility and endurance on top of high end skills) then you have a sport (and something I'd consider watching). Just because it's on the sports channel, doesn't make it a sport. I don't care how many weekend mornings are ruined by "fishing, Canadian sport fishing!" it's not a sport.

The culture in Canada will change, and it will likely be fairly soon. The influx of Canadian talent at the NCAA and NBA level means more average households will pay attention. If Canada can actually get to the Olympics with Wiggins, Ennis, Stauskas, Bennett, Olynyk and such, then suddenly they are in the households and on the minds. Demand will rise beyond Internet forums and the basketball sub-culture. We are ahead of the curve is all.

Lol if Gary's ripped stature gives him an advantage over another accountant in a competition then it actually is sport.

[OldSkoolCool]

Watching the OKC/Clips game one SN1

Tons of baseball commercials about the Jays

Feed is also crap (HD as well), frame rate is really slow so it gives a 'shakey' camera feel and is a bit hard to watch sctually

[JordanMariam14]

Drake was on ESPN today and announced he is hosting ESPY's, he also talked about the Raptors with the guys from ESPN countdown (Jalen Rose, Bill Simmons, and Avery Johnson) anyone know what he said or has a video?

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[Prophet2k]

Some truth! No need to be annoyed though. Disappointed yes (as I would be too in your example with the Spelling Bee). Truthfully, I believe the curling/darts/poker priority days are numbered, especially if the Raptors have a few consecutive playoff runs. Nascar is a different story though. It draws huge numbers in Canada.

If you want talk about a non-sport it is most definitely Nascar, watching some cars drive around in circles for hours on end, I just never got it; I swear most people just watch it hoping for a horrible flaming crash, the same types who clog up the highway rubbernecking the accidents. I would watch curling any day of the week over Nascar. Curling most definitely is a sport that requires athleticism, quite randomly I watched the wheel chair curling in the Paralympics and that was more like the shooting free-throws analogy; it was brutally inferior, sweepers matter.

[OldSchool]

A bit of a reality check on why the networks aren't fawning over the Raptors.

This is their 19th year in the league, and this team will in all probability have the best record in their entire history. This team also currently has the 11th best record in the NBA. For viewership to climb, the Raptors will have to start a winning tradition to dig themselves out of the non-relevance hole they've been in so long.

This is true - and the tradition has begun

Also, didn't read the whole thread but I think someone was actually calling curlers athletes!??! LOL that was my laugh for the day. Gotta love this site

[Axel]

For what it's worth, this is the second from Team Canada's Olympic curling team. Looks fairly fit to me!

I would say it's worth nothing. I could post a picture of Gary from Accounting and how ripped and great shape he is, doesn't make Accounting a sport.

Finesse skills are a big part of curling, and golf, but they are also a big part of sports. It isn't a defining factor. I think the free throw example much earlier is a good example. Shooting free throws takes lots of skill but by itself it's clearly not a sport. Stationary demonstration of skill without any need for athleticism is a game. Throw 4 golfers at the tee at the same time and make it a combined score of time and stroke (so they actually have to use speed, agility and endurance on top of high end skills) then you have a sport (and something I'd consider watching). Just because it's on the sports channel, doesn't make it a sport. I don't care how many weekend mornings are ruined by "fishing, Canadian sport fishing!" it's not a sport.

The culture in Canada will change, and it will likely be fairly soon. The influx of Canadian talent at the NCAA and NBA level means more average households will pay attention. If Canada can actually get to the Olympics with Wiggins, Ennis, Stauskas, Bennett, Olynyk and such, then suddenly they are in the households and on the minds. Demand will rise beyond Internet forums and the basketball sub-culture. We are ahead of the curve is all.

[3inthekeon]

Though the initial post dealt largely with actual coverage of the team beyond broadcasting games. They get no real attention in Canadian media, including the specialized sports media. They're lucky to get 2 or 3 minutes of coverage on Sportscentre on a night when they play and win in games that matter. If they got more coverage, it could also help generate more interest in the team. You'd even think the television media especially would want to take advantage of this good season, since 2 of the largest companies in that sector co-own the majority of the team.

Agree they should, understand why they don't...yet. Let's see what happens when the team has some real (playoffs) success - this year is almost perfect with only the Habs in the playoffs.

And to look at the bright side, things can only get better.