Raptors Facing Extinction

Steve Nash has a long list of accomplishments in his tenure in the NBA. After today's game against the Raptors, he can add being 12-0 lifetime versus this franchise. That's not the real story though. The Toronto Raptors have lost 7 out of 9 games and seem to be struggling to compete with the best teams in the league. The problem has been brewing since last year, so lets do a little recap.

Last year they ended the regular season with a record of 33-49. Sam Mitchell was fired and Jay Triano was brought in. They traded highly paid Jermaine O'neal for Shawn Marion. The team went into the All-Star break 13 games below 0.500 and ended up missing the playoffs. In the off season they unloaded the talents of Jamario Moon, Anthony Parker and Shawn Marion. They picked up Marco Bellini, Hedo Turkoglu and Jarrett Jack.

Jarrett Jack and Chris Bosh are best friends since they played basketball together in college, so his acquisition brings some comfort to Bosh. Smart move by management. Toronto is really becoming a team full of international players with the likes of Turkoglu, Bellini, Nesterovic and Bargnani. With the way their team is built right now they are considered one of the better offensive teams in the league. They have a top 10 player in Chris Bosh and bunch of decent shooters. Their problem lies in their atrocious defense. Jay Triano said something today along the lines of "we are just getting used to some defensive schemes." Well here's the problem. The Raps are 17 games into the season and Triano should have addressed the defensive schemes in the preseason. The Raptors have the talent to score 100+ each game, but when they aren't firing on all cylinders their team is in trouble. It seems that every day player is a superstar when playing against them. It's time for Triano to work on some team defense or else this team will be facing extinction. If they miss the postseason this year it will decrease their chance of resigning Chris Bosh. If he leaves the team won't have a chance of making it their in the new future. Continually missing the playoffs spells extinction for the Raptors, just like the Grizzlies in their time in the NBA.

Worst Contracts in Sports

To meet the demands of a passionate fan base, professional sports team often sign big name players to big time contracts. Everyone wants to snap up the next Wayne Gretzky/ Michael Jordan before a competitor does. Sometimes, these deals go terribly wrong and end up on my top 10 worst contracts in sports list:


10. In 2000, the Texas Rangers signed Alex Rodriguez to a 10 year/$252 million dollar contract. He is a future hall of famer, unless voters aren't sympathetic towards his admission to drug use. His time in Texas was futile so he was eventually shipped off to the Yankees so they could deal with the mess. So how many world series championships did he bring his baseball teams? 1. I think he is a good player, maybe even great. The hardware is what matters and 1 world series title just isn't good enough.

9. David Beckham was given a 5 year/$250 million dollar contract to bring fans and legitimacy to the MLS. Yes he does have quite a bit of fan fare everywhere he goes but the dude was way past his prime.

8. Jerome James was given a 6 year/$30 million dollar contract by the New York Knicks following the 2004-2005. He was touted for his decent performance in the playoffs for the Supersonics (12.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg). Truth is, the fellow barely belonged in the league. He averaged 3.1 ppg and 2.1 rpg for the Knicks. The man was paid $5 million a year to score 3 points per game. Isiah Thomas for the win.

7. I was a University of Kentucky fan growing up and also a fan of their legendary coach, Rick Pitino. In 1997, the Celtics brought him to the NBA under a lucrative contract of $70 million over 10 seasons. That's a huge contract for a coach, that's Phil Jackson caliber figures. Sorry but coaches shouldn't be paid that much unless they have a few NBA rings (as coaches) in their trophy case. Sure enough, Pitino was a bust. The Celtics didn't return to their glory under his tutelage and he was fired in 2001. They didn't even make the playoffs.

6. The 1998 NFL Draft would future two of the games future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, but it didn't. The first overall pick, Peyton Manning will go down as one of the great quarterbacks of the NFL. The second overall pick, Ryan Leaf will go down as the biggest bust in NFL history. Leaf and his 4year/$32.5 million dollar contract will be enshrined in trivia questions for future generations.


5. Grant Hill was the face of Sprite because image is everything. In College, he was the man. To this day Hill is still remembered for his successes with Duke. Right from the get go, Hill was a superstar in the NBA. He was one of the best all around players in the game. With his talent he was destined to end up in Cooperstown. The Orlando Magic signed him to a 7 year/$93 million dollar contract. Big money for a future hall of famer seems justified right? Here's the but. Injuries hampered his career and Hill only played 47 games in his first four seasons with the Magic. He never regained his superstar status. Although, he still made some All-Star games solely based on his popularity.


4.3.2.1. The worst contract in sports history was awarded to a farmer boy from Gans, Oklahoma by the name of Bryant "Big Country" Reeves. He played for the woeful Grizzlies when they were in Vancouver and was given a lucrative $61.8 million dollar/ 6 year contract extension following two good seasons. He was an imposing physical presence with a decent mid range jumper. His next season (1997-1998) would be his best year, where he averaged 16.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg and 1.08 bpg. The big man had delivered for the franchise but only for that one season. He came into training camp overweight and the dream was over. Bryant Reeves would retire from the NBA in 2001-2002.

I read somewhere that Pavel Bure's 5 year/ $47.5 million dollar contract was a bad one. The man produced 58, 59 goals in his first two seasons and was still a point a game player the following three seasons. Knee injuries forced him to retire but Bure was still a great player. Florida wanted him to be the next great one, but there's only one and that's Gretzky.

The Scoop

It's still early on, but the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft is quickly turning heads. His name is Brandon Jennings and he plays for the Milwaukee Bucks. In 7 games this season he is averaging 25.4 pts/game including a 55 point performance today at the Golden State Warriors. Even if it is a once in the lifetime game for him, he sure put on a good show. If you are a fan of the NBA pay attention to this kid I think he has potential to be a good player. For trivia fanatics: He was the first player to skip college to play professional basketball in Europe to be drafted in the NBA. He was also the youngest player to score 50+ points in an NBA game taking that honour from Lebron James.

Lebron James: New York Bound.

Lebron James thinks that Michael Jordan's #23 should be retired league wide just like Gretzky's #99 in the NHL. He grew up idolizing MJ like many of us did and remembers him as the best player ever. Lebron pointed out that "if I shouldn't wear his number then no one else should." Sounds a bit pretentious of him but LBJ is a pretty darn good player himself. I have a feeling that LBJ is hinting that he won't be staying in Cleveland after this season. In my mind here's how's it's all going down. Tell the world to retire #23 and gain more fans. Sign a maximum contract with New York Knicks and change his number to #6. LBJ plays another decade in the NBA and one day will be known as the best NBA player ever.

Superman vs Superman

Everything about Orlando is magical. Wonder world, the Orlando Magic and the fact that in less than two decades, two Supermans have anchored their paint. Every little boy grows up idolizing a different super hero and at some point claims that they are the living version of it. In the 1990s Shaquille O'Neal put Orlando on the map with dominance in the paint. He routintely tore other big men to shreds and broke the glass as he dunked. He made Shawn Bradley look like a pansy. Shaq was not just a man, he was Superman. He brought the Magic to the finals in 1996 and then bolted to Los Angeles. I was only 8 at the time, but Penny Hardaway and Shaq were my favorite players. He left the Magic in the dust and went on to win 4 NBA titles (3 with the Lakers, 1 with the Heat). Orlando was left derelict with no real shot at winning the title. For years they were at best a mediocre basketball team. The Magic needed help and they found it in Dwight Howard. Straight out of highschool, Howard would be the new Superman. For the past decade, Shaq was the dominant force in the paint but a new hot shot was bound to take over. It's just kind of amusing that Dwight Howard also calls himself Superman. When O'Neal played for Orlando he was cheered on as their hero. Now when he visits, a chorus of boos echos the building every time he touches the ball. There is a new Superman in town, Dwight Howard. It's still pretty early on in his career but the man is pretty good. The physical specimen that stands at 6 ft 11 has already garnered 3 All Star, 3 All NBA team, 2 All Defensive, 1 Defensive Player of the Year and 1 Slam Dunk Trophy in his 4 years in the league.

I like Dwight Howard and he is a pretty good center in the league but Shaq was the most dominant center in the NBA. DH is strong no doubt, but Shaq was a beast. The man had to be triple teamed and still couldn't be stopped. Shaq changed the game so much that they had to invent the Shaq attack to stop him, by sending him to the foul line. Detractors will point out that he has a terrible FT %. Imagine shooting a ping pong ball in a beer cup 10 meters away. DH's FT% aren't that great either (58.5%).

Past Superman vs Future Superman

Career stats:

Shaq: 24.6 pts/game 11.2 rpg/game 2.4 blocks/game
Dwight: 17.3 pts/game 12.5 rpg/game 2.0 blocks/game

Hardware:

Shaq: 4 NBA Titles, 3 Movie roles: Blue Chips, Shazam, Steel, 1 MVP, 15 All-Star Team, Rookie of the Year, 14 All-NBA Team, 3 Finals MVP, 2 Scoring Titles, 3 NBA All Defensive Teams

Dwight: 3 All-Star Team, 3 All-NBA Team, 1 Defensive Player of the Year, 1 Slam Dunk Title

Star Quality:

This one goes hands down to Shaq, the great aristotle, Superman, the big Diesel, Shazam. The man goes by so many names because he just has so much character and charisma. Dwight Howard isn't just another stiff lipped boring athelete and does have star quality but he'll never be Shaq. Dwight Howard has moon boots on his feet and can jump very high but it's unlikely that he'll never reach the dominance that Shaq has throughout his career.

Steve Nash Future Hall of Famer?

The prodigal son of Canada was recently bestowed the Order of Canada. When he retires in the next 5 years will he have done enough to earn Hall of Fame status? As a Canadian citizen I am quite proud of what he has accomplished in the NBA, but it was a bit late in his career. Lets take a look at the argument from both sides, those who think he should be in the Hall of Fame and those who disagree.

Steve Nash Future Hall of Famer:
1. He won back to back Most Valuable Player awards (first Canadian to win an MVP award)
2. He made the players around him better. Over his 6+ seasons in Phoenix he has averaged 10+ assists per year.
3. By the time Steve Nash retires he will be top 5 for total assists, 3 pt% and FT%.
4. Every MVP winner eligible for the Hall of Fame has been inducted.
5. The man had a profound impact on the game of basketball. This point gives partial credit to Mike D'Antoni. Nash ran a high octane, small ball offense that made the game of basketball exciting for fans to watch again. Although no team has yet win with this style of playing, it's made the NBA a lot more entertaining. The success that Phoenix had with small-balling made this strategy a popular one amongst other teams in the league.

Why Steve Nash should not be inducted:
1. The Basketball Hall of Fame is not meant for players who were elite for a short period of time. By the time he retires he will have played just short of 20 years in the NBA. I'm guessing that he would have 5-6 years of Elite level play under his belt. This is under the assumption that his remaining years in the league will show a decline in his play. This is a strong argument against his induction.
2. He was just a product of Mike D'Antoni's run and gun style coupled with All-Stars like Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion.
3. He was a defensive liability.
4. He has yet to lead his team to win the Conference Finals or NBA Championship.

Those are the following arguments for and against his induction. I'm kind of on the fence about this one but if he can continue his elite level play in the NBA I think he will make it to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Sports Digest

The C.F.L. is Canada's Football league where the field is wider and there are only three downs to every drive. It's an 8 team league where the stakes are low. I support Canadian everything but lately it's hard to pay attention to this game. I do love the fact that the B.C. Lions do give a lot back to the community that supports them. They send out tickets to local elementary schools and send players to give speeches about pride and respect. I am not really bothered by the number of teams in the league, but rather how easy it is to make the playoffs. In the NHL, there are 30 teams, 15 in each conference. 8 out of 15 teams in each conference are given a playoff birth (just over 50% of the league). In the C.F.L. 6 out of 8 teams make it. You could potentially be the worst team in a division of 4 like the Lions are this year and still have a shot of competing for the Grey Cup. I think the owners and the commissioner need to sit down and rethink this whole thing. I propose that the top two teams in each division make the playoffs not the best 6 out of 8. A league that lets 66.66% of its teams make the playoffs is one that I'm about to tune out. For the love of the game, lets make it a 4 team playoff scenario.



The NFL is just a mighty fine league. Remember when Michael Vick was sentenced to two years in jail for animal cruelty and lack of judgment? Well, he's back this year playing for the Eagles and there has not been much media coverage around him. Truth is, he has yet to provide that extra punch that Andy Reid was touting when they signed him. Once, Michael Vick was an exceptional athlete with exorbitant amounts of wealth, fame and fans. Now, he sits on the pine waiting for coach to let him experience that field he used to dominate.
One a happier note, 40 year old football legend Brett Favre still proving that he has got game. Surrounding by a good set of receivers, rushers, offensive linesmen and solid defense, Favre has brought the Minnesota Vikings to 7-1 start. Packer fans sure were/are/always will be angry at him for signing with their division rivals. Favre is 2-0 versus the Packers this year throwing 7 TDs while torching their secondary. Some athletes have had a hard time retiring from the game they love and end up hurting their careers even though they have nothing left to prove (Pedro Martinez, Alonso Mourning, Ken Shamrock, Allen Iverson, Chuck Liddell, John Daly, Peter Forsberg, Claude Lemieux), Brett Favre still has it. A few years from now if he is still chucking the pigskin around he might have to join that list. It's tough for athletes to go from a life on the road, structured practices, routines they have been going through for most of their adult lives to retirement. When you have been competing for as long as many of these guys have been, your mind doesn't want to stop but your body does. I applaud the likes of Chris Chelios for still having that desire to compete, even at the age of 47. He signed an AHL contract with the Chicago Wolves so he could continue to play hockey at a high level. He's not only sharing locker room space with kids half his age but best of all he is sharing his love for the game.



The NHL - The Leafs suck but are no longer the worst team in the NHL. That dubious honor goes out to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Andrew Raycroft has been stellar in net for the Canucks as Luongo's backup. Kessler and Burrows continue to prove that they deserve every dime in their contract extensions. Maxim Lapierre is as soft as the inside of a banana. Steven Stamkos is making a serious case to be included on the Team Canada roster for 2010. Anze Kopitar is a burgeoning unknown star in the NHL who is currently on top of the leaderboards. Rick Rypien is just waiting for the sucker to challenge him to a fight (David beats Goliath Part 7). The lucky loser point continues to make a big impact on the rankings of the teams. Darcy Hordichuk records his first goal of the season. The Colorado Avalanche continue their impressive start to the season. San Jose Sharks putting up Ws in the regular season as usual.



The NBA - I was having a discussion with my brother earlier today on the players in the league. He might be one of only a hand full of people that I know that enjoy the game and know a bit about it. Die hard Lakers fans who just yell out "Kobe. Kobe. Kobe." do not count in my book. We decided that the Top 5 players in the league are Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard. Honorable mentions: Chris Paul, Chris Bosh, Steve Nash
This list isn't based on what these players have achieved throughout their careers, it's about the present. The draft class of' '03 is incredible considering Lebron, Carmelo, Wade and Bosh were all drafted that year. If only Darko would only emerge from the shadows of mediocrity and live up to the expectations of scouts when he was drafted 2nd. When the woeful Grizzlies left Vancouver for greener pastures in Tennessee I decided that Toronto would be my new team. It feels like a crime to support a team based out of Toronto, but I live in Vancouver and people here really only care about the Canucks (when they are winning). Back to the Raptors update.

Since last January, Andrea Bargnani has shown the Toronto Raptors that he is worthy of that number one draft pick. He's a good three point shooter with a good free throw percentage averaging over 20 points per game. He's one of few European big men to be able to shoot like that beyond the arc, Dirk Nowitzski being the other. I miss the energy that Jamario Moon brought every night and the perimeter defense that Anthony Parker provided. I think Jarrett Jack and DeMar DeRozan will bring more to the table for the Raptors. Moon, was often misguided and took many ill advised shots that hurt the Raptors. There's been a lot of buzz around injured newcomer Reggie Evans. He is known for his rebounding, tenacity and hustle; skills sets that will make him a very valuable role player for this playoff bound team. Bosh is about to hit free agency and this might be his last year playing for the Raptors so I hope that they go far.

FIFA - Congratulations to Honduras on qualifying for the World Cup. One day Canada will be there.

Those are my ramblings on sports these days. As a present to anyone brave enough to have read up to this point, here's a nice picture of a hot canucks girl.