Everything Masai Ujiri

[bertarapsfan]

I don't like the fact that these clowns look at the Raptors as some minor league team though - that they can just snatch their top executives anytime they want. When the Spurs were winning all those championships, I don't remember RC Buford's name being floated around like Masai is now. Or how about Bob Myers? Sam Presti?

Raptors finally won a championship, and Woj first tweet was:

Woj hates us cause were tight lipped. Other teams give him info in a scratch your back you scratch ours agreement. We don't play that shit

[golden]

I don't like the fact that these clowns look at the Raptors as some minor league team though - that they can just snatch their top executives anytime they want. When the Spurs were winning all those championships, I don't remember RC Buford's name being floated around like Masai is now. Or how about Bob Myers? Sam Presti?

Raptors finally won a championship, and Woj first tweet was:

There was this conspiracy theory out there that Woj is getting his palm greased by Steve Ballmer to put out propaganda that helps the Clippers. From that lens, the Masai to Wizards tweet would obviously be designed to discourage Kawhi from re-signing with the Raps, since Masai would have also been leaving TO.

[Bendit]

No touching.

[ebrian]

There was this conspiracy theory out there that Woj is getting his palm greased by Steve Ballmer to put out propaganda that helps the Clippers. From that lens, the Masai to Wizards tweet would obviously be designed to discourage Kawhi from re-signing with the Raps, since Masai would have also been leaving TO.

Hmm.. is there another conspiracy theory out there that Woj is getting his palm greased by the Bucks' ownership to put out propaganda that helps the Bucks in order to discourage Giannis from signing with the Raps?

[KeonClark]

Can we stop talking about Steve Ballmer greasing up Wojanoskis palms? Getting oddly aroused

[The Great One]

Jerry Krause won SIX championships with the Bulls in the 90's. During those years, I never heard his name being floated around - not even once - to manage other teams like Masai is now. Maybe Dolan and all these other owners thinks Masai can be easily swayed because he's in Toronto and not with a historic franchise like the Lakers, Bulls, Celtics, Warriors etc..

[chris]

Jerry Krause won SIX championships with the Bulls in the 90's. During those years, I never heard his name being floated around - not even once - to manage other teams like Masai is now. Maybe Dolan and all these other owners thinks Masai can be easily swayed because he's in Toronto and not with a historic franchise like the Lakers, Bulls, Celtics, Warriors etc..

maybe the fact that jerry krause was a fucking egomaniac that everybody hated had something to do with that. i'd be careful attributing too much of the bulls success to him.

not that i disagree with your stance on masai.

[inthepaint]

Woj is proving to be quite a proficient pet parrot. Out there spinning things the NY & LA way just like ESPN wants. Probably getting some $ from the ownerships in NY/LA on the side. Lost the respect I had for him after the championship last year. ESPN is very quick to ignore/underrate the Raptors all the time, but then we the Raptors organization and team continuously prove them wrong, they're equally quick to turn around and try to poach every good player and executive we have. I used to be pissed about that stuff but now after the chip the whole thing looks kinda pitiful. A once giant ESPN/US media just look like small-time outlets desperate trying (and failing) compete with the internet and raise ratings by singing the "everyone to NY/LA tune".

[Rudy Bargnani]

Contrarian view is that Woj is doing this to help Masai with his contract negotiations with MLSE. Profile him a bit in exchange for goodwill for future scoops.
Access journalism.

[bertarapsfan]

Woj is proving to be quite a proficient pet parrot. Out there spinning things the NY & LA way just like ESPN wants. Probably getting some $ from the ownerships in NY/LA on the side. Lost the respect I had for him after the championship last year. ESPN is very quick to ignore/underrate the Raptors all the time, but then we the Raptors organization and team continuously prove them wrong, they're equally quick to turn around and try to poach every good player and executive we have. I used to be pissed about that stuff but now after the chip the whole thing looks kinda pitiful. A once giant ESPN/US media just look like small-time outlets desperate trying (and failing) compete with the internet and raise ratings by singing the "everyone to NY/LA tune".

I feel like Raptors world is doing a good job of creating good/objective/content by those around the team. Blake is a top notch journalist, Will Lous really good at making youtube content/podcast and quick recap. Alex aka Steven_Lebron is the king of twitter. I don't really care about the stephen As, skips, Windhorst or Wojs. They are basically beat reporters for L.A and N.Y market.
I don't know if other teams are as lucky to have as many good local guys as us. But it seems the future of sports journalism will be fans supporting their own beat guys. It helps when like you got guy like Will who do more then right and put out nice digestible content in video form etc.
ESPN would only be watchable if your a L.A N.Y team or just a causal observer of all sport. If you have any knowledge about a sport most of the stuff those guys say is just straight up wrong.
The future of sports journalism especially is smaller market city's lie in the hands of local guys who can harness podcast/youtube and writing. Look at blake it wasn't to long ago he started running the main page here, now he's one of the raptors best beat reporters. Surpassing guys employed by sun media and bell/rogers quickly

[The Great One]

Rachel Nichols already stirring the pot. She/ESPN badly wants to see Masai in NY.

[golden]

Woj is proving to be quite a proficient pet parrot. Out there spinning things the NY & LA way just like ESPN wants. Probably getting some $ from the ownerships in NY/LA on the side. Lost the respect I had for him after the championship last year. ESPN is very quick to ignore/underrate the Raptors all the time, but then we the Raptors organization and team continuously prove them wrong, they're equally quick to turn around and try to poach every good player and executive we have. I used to be pissed about that stuff but now after the chip the whole thing looks kinda pitiful. A once giant ESPN/US media just look like small-time outlets desperate trying (and failing) compete with the internet and raise ratings by singing the "everyone to NY/LA tune".

Woj was right about Kawhi to the Clippers, though.

[The Great One]

Nick Nurse is next. I guarantee, one of these days, you'll see reports of how the Knicks are interested in Nurse. Why? because he's coaching in Toronto. Would never happen if he was the coach of a historic franchise.

This whole Masai Ujiri thing would never happen if he was the Prez of the Lakers or the Celtics or the Warriors.

MLSE needs to step up.

[Jclaw]

There's one potential problem I see. In a our basketball world, Masai should be spelled Messiah. But in the MLSE world, the Leafs are the golden egg. Now that may be changing. If you look at the Leafs hosting Anaheim Friday and the Raps hosting the Nets on Saturday, tickets in a random good section on stub hub (119) cost more for the Raptors than the Leafs. But the Raps are coming off a championship season. This may be more of a peak than a median. I don't know if MLSE will offer Masai the moon without feeling they have to offer Shanahan one of the planets (or at least another moon). I fear this is the case but I hope it is not.

[The Great One]

There's one potential problem I see. In a our basketball world, Masai should be spelled Messiah. But in the MLSE world, the Leafs are the golden egg. Now that may be changing. If you look at the Leafs hosting Anaheim Friday and the Raps hosting the Nets on Saturday, tickets in a random good section on stub hub (119) cost more for the Raptors than the Leafs. But the Raps are coming off a championship season. This may be more of a peak than a median. I don't know if MLSE will offer Masai the moon without feeling they have to offer Shanahan one of the planets (or at least another moon). I fear this is the case but I hope it is not.

Ah another reason to hate the Leafs. God I really hope they miss the playoffs.

Fuck the Leafs.