The contest may be over but the debate lives on…
There were an overwhelming number of responses to the ticket contest, and most if not all the answers were well thought out. This just solidifies what we already know about the Raptors fanbase– Passionate!
I reached out to Raptor nation asking them to give their reasons why Bosh should stay in Toronto — a topic that I have written about in the past. I still believe he will remain a Raptor past this season with money being the motivating factor but won’t be surprised if he asks for a trade down the road. Like most fans, I am tired of all the speculation. The only people who know what is going to happen in the summer of ’10 are the guys themselves. For now, I look forward to enjoying what Bosh brings to the floor and appreciate him for the player he has become.
Winner – Ben
Why should Bosh stay? WHY? I have this pair of purple pajamas. Raptor pajamas. As time has gone by, as they were getting old and crinkly and ragged, I thought, “It’s time to let them go. It’s time to throw them away.” But dammit, they are SO comfortable. So soft (like the Raptors defense). I seemed to want to discard them as many times as I wanted to give up on the Raptors, after the heartbreaking game 7 loss to Philly (where I watched IN a hostile Philly bar), after we lost a young Tmac to Orlando, after Vince Carter turned off his heart and stole ours, after we drafted Araujo over Iguodala, after Paul Pierce dunked on Bosh earlier this season and stood above him — I’ve wanted to give up on these guys so many times, but I never had the heart to do it. Never had the heart to turn away from the NBA team that finally came to Canada after so many years of cheering for U.S. teams. And why dont I think Bosh will leave? Because he’s one of us. He’s humble. He works damn hard. He is friendly, a little geeky, a bit of an underdog, just like Toronto. I think he identifies with this city on a level he doesn’t fully understand. I think he belongs here.
GAME RECAP: Written by Ben
I attend a few games each year in hardcore section 318 – the old school Sprite Zone. Natasha’s tickets were a slight upgrade. In the platinum section. Two rows from the floor behind the net. When I got to my seat, three things stood out: (1) the number of security, media and Raptor personnel scurrying around, (2) how small the court looks up close; (3) how big the players really are. Bargnani may look lanky, but up close he’s actually a pretty huge dude.
Although I’ve been watching basketball my whole life, I actually felt disoriented for the first half, finding it hard to follow player movement and spacing, in part because when you’re behind the net your depth perception is off. From section 318, you get to see the bird’s eye view, and can almost anticipate plays and player movement. Up close and from under the net, your perspective is completely different. On the other hand, baseline blow-bys and alley-oops were a thing to behold, and thanks to Derozan and Amir there were a few to admire.
It was also fun walking in and out of the tunnels, which give you access to washrooms and concession stands. I also made sure to walk past when the Dance Pak started to linger. I ended up hanging out with a few of them in the tunnel opening and getting a few pictures. Really friendly girls, and I won’t lie, that experience alone was worth the trip!
The game itself is essentially a completely different experience from this angle; it is quicker, more rugged, and the amount of incidental contact that you notice is pretty amazing. A lot of people who don’t closely follow basketball often see the sport as finesse, but in truth it is a sport that beautifully balances physicality and finesse – speed and strength – and this experience has only cemented my feeling that basketball players are the best athletes in the world, playing what I think is the best sport in the world.
I selected some of my other favorite answers to share…
Brian Gerstein: The grass is not always greener, and since the Raptors have the ability to offer Chris the most green, that is taken out of the equation. Additionally, Chris has all of Canada behind him plus he has built a lot of equity in his branding as an original Raptor drafted out of College playing here all these years. Even his endorsement money will grow as Bosh is having a career year and will only get better as he enters his prime years. Finally, and most importantly, Bryan Colangelo has assembled the teamates with Chris that not only are locked up, but are more than capable of growing together with him for the next 5 years and competing for a championship, not just winning a round in the playoffs. Bryan himself will be with us for another year and a half plus should he resign Bosh, in all likelihood Bryan will sign another contract with the Raptors as he will also want to finish the job, meaning winning a Championship.
Jesse: Chris Bosh should stay in Toronto because he is the Toronto Raptors. He is the identity of this team and he is the reason we all stay glued to our tv’s every night. Not often do players get a chance to sculpt a franchise from the bottom up which is what Chris has been given the opportunity to do. To abandon his project before it is complete would be a disservice to the work that he has created and poured his blood, sweat and tears into. He knows it is not about him. He knows it is bigger than him, bigger than this city. It can be as big as he wants it to be, all he has to do is sign on the dotted line and we will continue to support him and this franchise no matter what.
Paul C: …because as he can see from Carter, Mcgrady, Antonio Davis, Mike James, et al the grass is not always greener on the other side. And instead of being someone’s Robin, he can run the Batcave with his improved supporting cast and have the satisfaction of building this contender from the ground up , which will make it sweeter……the extra 30 mil the Rapts can give wont hurt either…
Illest23: truly speaking, Chris Bosh IS the Toronto Raptors. I’m not gonna lie, I’m still sad over Carter leaving, because our future looked awful, if you can recall all those D-League call ups, signing ROD STRICKLAND (LOL). We’ve seen Bosh mature and elevate his play to NEAR-superstar level. He is simply dominating opposing big men now. Bosh knows Toronto loves him, and he obviously loves the city, or else he would have asked for a trade when we were struggling. He knows Colengelo is building the team around him, and if he were to leave, he’s looking for a championship, and if he can’t lead HIS team as the number one option deep in the playoffs, how would that help his ego if he’s going to a contender just to be the 2nd or 3rd option. Bosh is a smart man, and business ALWAYS comes first, solely for the fact that we can offer him the most money, he’d be a FOOL to walk away from what, almost 30 million? Bosh’s heart belongs to Toronto 
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