For Whom the Bell Tolls!

[TheGloveinRapsUniform]

Thats a good point to bring up.

The only thing I would ask is losing to the Cavs or winning that game going to make much of a difference to those same season ticket holders and affect them for re-upping or not?

You could be right and maybe it does but I get a genuine feel from the fan base that they will be happy when this season ends as they are more interested in the off-season activites than anything happening on the court right now.

I think its different when you actually go to the game vs. sitting at home and watching on the telly.
I went to the Utah game and eventhough i know they have no chance of making it to the playoffs, it wouldve still felt good to go home knowing your home team won the game. Cant really explain why, i guess maybe its the sense of satisfaction resulting from driving an hr to get to the game, sitting for 3 hours and then looking down at your son after he asked you "did they win??". the fact that you as a fan feel as much a part of this loss, makes it kinda hard. hahaha melodramatic i know but thats how it was for me.

last paragraph: totally where im at right now, hehehe.

[Multipaul]

Thats a good point to bring up.

The only thing I would ask is losing to the Cavs or winning that game going to make much of a difference to those same season ticket holders and affect them for re-upping or not?

You could be right and maybe it does but I get a genuine feel from the fan base that they will be happy when this season ends as they are more interested in the off-season activites than anything happening on the court right now.

Well, it certainly isn't helping matters. Maybe as a die hard fan, I take it badly.

[TheGloveinRapsUniform]

The way that this team plays, especially this year, no game is a gimme game or a game that they should automatically win. It's not like Toronto is a vastly superior team than Cleveland. No fan likes to see their team lose at home, but to think of any game for this team as an automatic win is foolish.

And why on God's green earth would you think that they would lose/tank on purpose? It's not like there's a Durant, James, Wall in this draft. Like I said before, the team is probably tired, we've gotten hit by a rash of injuries, and with the lack of talent on this team, losing is gonna happen more often than not.

The fact that they almost won against Chicago and won against Orlando, i was expecting that theyd put away the Cavs, but thats just me.

[sleepz]

What's worse, this was at home, vs another scrub of a team like the Wiz. damn.

Thats a good point to bring up.

The only thing I would ask is losing to the Cavs or winning that game going to make much of a difference to those same season ticket holders and affect them for re-upping or not?

You could be right and maybe it does but I get a genuine feel from the fan base that they will be happy when this season ends as they are more interested in the off-season activites than anything happening on the court right now.

[Multipaul]

our best player ( amir ) was not playing so it made things harder especially with calderon not 100% they did almost come back in the 2nd half though

That was our starters for the night vs their bench. They put in Baron and he sealed their victory.

[raptorsking]

our best player ( amir ) was not playing so it made things harder especially with calderon not 100% they did almost come back in the 2nd half though

[Multipaul]

I know you just didn't call me out because I chose to go to a baseball game last night. You think because I didn't watch a match between 2 of the worst teams in the league with nothing to play for, that that makes me less of a fan? I think you need to choose your words more carefully and think your thoughts through throughly before you post them.

No. I didnt call you out. I said that I watched the game. You went to the baseball game. That is a fact is it not? Why are you getting so defensive? I just said that I liked hoops, and if the other poster didnt like watching "the 78th game between 2 loser teams" then he can as well go see the Jays. Right? I mean, i dont see the point of posting on this thread if one didnt watch the game anyways, that's like writing a Raptors roll call based on what they read in the newspaper the next day.

[MangoKid]

Maybe I'm the minority. I dont care about our record, I will try and watch every game. I support the team and the franchise. I don't care if you don't , you can go watch baseball with Mango. Sorry, I like basketball. This will get even worse come playoff time when I dont sleep at all watching playoffs.

I know you just didn't call me out because I chose to go to a baseball game last night. You think because I didn't watch a match between 2 of the worst teams in the league with nothing to play for, that that makes me less of a fan? I think you need to choose your words more carefully and think your thoughts through throughly before you post them.

[Multipaul]

It hasn't been the first time the team has laid down and not given much effort. GS game comes to mind immediately, as well as the blow-out loss to the Wizards and you could probably throw in the Denver game as well.

Poor effort all around but not that different from the norm. I know some might blame it on injury and not having players in the line-up but this has happened when they had a full team available to them. The talent level is not good and the coaching is obviously equivalent to the talent level.

What's worse, this was at home, vs another scrub of a team like the Wiz. damn.

[sleepz]

I'm expecting the team to try. Including Ajinca. For the record, he looked pretty good. Davis, Johsnon, terrible. DD not much better.

It's easy to read the statline and comment on the game. It's another thing to endure the 3 hours of pain. I guess you made the right decision watching the Jays!

It hasn't been the first time the team has laid down and not given much effort. GS game comes to mind immediately, as well as the blow-out loss to the Wizards and you could probably throw in the Denver game as well.

Poor effort all around but not that different from the norm. I know some might blame it on injury and not having players in the line-up but this has happened when they had a full team available to them. The talent level is not good and the coaching is obviously equivalent to the talent level.

[Multipaul]

I am pretty sure casual fans wrote this season off a long time ago. Between the Leafs playoff push and the excitement around the Jays I suspect that Raptors are at best an afterthought in the minds of sports fans in Toronto. Only hardcore fans are paying attention anymore and even we all know these games are meaningless.

Not sure if you're actually worked up about game 78 for a 20-win team playing its 4th game in 5 nights on a back-to-back without a bunch of key players but if your professed outrage is truly legitimate then you really need to stop watching the Raptors and go do some other stuff in your life. If you're just trying to play devil's advocate then that's kinda sad, too.

Maybe I'm the minority. I dont care about our record, I will try and watch every game. I support the team and the franchise. I don't care if you don't , you can go watch baseball with Mango. Sorry, I like basketball. This will get even worse come playoff time when I dont sleep at all watching playoffs.

And my point is that if MLSE is trying to convince season seat holders to re-up, then that is not how you do it.

[slaw]

BTW, if , as a fan, lets say I buy tickets, $200 for a pair, and show up to watch that! As a dedicated fan, I will be pissed, but I know I will be back. The casual fan? Doubt it.

I am pretty sure casual fans wrote this season off a long time ago. Between the Leafs playoff push and the excitement around the Jays I suspect that Raptors are at best an afterthought in the minds of sports fans in Toronto. Only hardcore fans are paying attention anymore and even we all know these games are meaningless.

Not sure if you're actually worked up about game 78 for a 20-win team playing its 4th game in 5 nights on a back-to-back without a bunch of key players but if your professed outrage is truly legitimate then you really need to stop watching the Raptors and go do some other stuff in your life. If you're just trying to play devil's advocate then that's kinda sad, too.

[Multipaul]

It's the end of a bad season, against a team it would be very difficult to "get up for" with borderline NBA players forced into action. Can we not overreact over a game or two? It certainly wasn't much to watch and the players should hang their heads, but I certainly wouldn't read too much into it.

As for Triano not reacting like Byron Scott would, this is the same team that lost 26 games in a row, including an embarrassing route by Miami. And many thought Cleveland would be fighting for a playoff spot.

As a fan, I would like to see my coach get angry if he sees a poor effort. We expect the same from the coaches of every othe MLSE franchise, and if anything , at least they deliver on that. Phil Jackson, Larry Brown, Riley in his day, Skiles, Frank, Rivers, Thibodeau, JVG, SVG, Don Nelson, Jerry Sloan, Avery Johnson, hell Smitch, all of them knew when and how to make a point when they dont like what they see. These coaches have also coached into the playoffs and right to the top. They wouldnt put up with BS on the court even if their players thought they "couldnt get up for the game".

JT does not posess this penchant, either by design or by choice.

BTW, if , as a fan, lets say I buy tickets, $200 for a pair, and show up to watch that! As a dedicated fan, I will be pissed, but I know I will be back. The casual fan? Doubt it.

[Tim W.]

It's the end of a bad season, against a team it would be very difficult to "get up for" with borderline NBA players forced into action. Can we not overreact over a game or two? It certainly wasn't much to watch and the players should hang their heads, but I certainly wouldn't read too much into it.

As for Triano not reacting like Byron Scott would, this is the same team that lost 26 games in a row, including an embarrassing route by Miami. And many thought Cleveland would be fighting for a playoff spot.

[Multipaul]

MP, how many times have we seen this team not put out effort this season? It's frustrating, but not new. They didn't put anything out a couple of nights ago when they were essentially playing the Knicks' bench - and they got blasted. By New York's bench!
It could be different reasons why it seems that no effort has been produced. Maybe Triano didn't prepare the team/motivate the team sufficiently so that they'd put out max effort. Maybe he's lost the room and it's time to go in a different direction. Maybe guys are battling injuries that we don't know about. It could be anything. Hopefully there will be a better effort put forth Friday night in Philadelphia.

Home games are "worth" alot more than away games, I will say that much. A team's home record, and the show they put on, directly affects the value of the product.

I agree, hopefully Philly pans out better.