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Oh when it all, it all falls down. I’m telling you ohh, it all falls down…
Seasons come and seasons go. As sports fans we are conditioned to have short term memories, reactions and expectations. When TFC missed the playoffs last year I was upset for 2 days before throwing myself headfirst into a new Leafs and Raptors season. When the Leafs season ended in disappointment I celebrated by throwing myself into the world beating Blue Jays (disclaimer: that title has a timed expiration date of… well, probably 2 weeks). This Raptors season for me, I don’t know. I can deal with bad teams, lord knows I’ve seen plenty coming out of the T-dot over the past few years. I can deal with teams underachieving, again, lord knows I’ve seen plenty of that coming out of the 416 area. What I don’t know if I can deal with is a collapse of epic proportions that screws several other teams and fan bases in the process. I don’t know if, as a sports fan, I WANT the Raptors to make the playoffs today. It feels… dirty that they even still have a chance.
Sunday’s game against the Bulls was for all intents and purposes a play-in game for the playoffs. Single elimination, win or go home. Not only did the Raps not win, they didn’t even have to bother with the Go Home part since they never bothered showing up at the office anyway. The Bulls won the biggest game of the year; they’ve earned the right to make the post season as a result. After all, now that it’s the last game of the season and the Dinos need but a single more win and some help from Charlotte to be home safe in the playoffs, we can take a look back at some of the Raptors handiwork.
Losing by 1 on November 15 to Phoenix, on the road. (Remember the optimism? That warm and fuzzy feeling?)
Anyone remember December 1, when the Raps lost by 4 at home to the Wizards? Or the next game; when they decided to forgo the first game of a road trip and lost by 31 points to Atlanta?
How about blowing a massive second-half lead on January 11 in Indiana, eventually losing 105-101? Or the game they could have taken vengeance on those same Pacers, instead giving up over 40 points in the 3rd quarter on Feb 2, losing 130-115?
March 7, losing to Philly by 13 points.
March 10, losing to Sacramento by 23. TWENTY-THREE!
March 13, losing to Golden State by 12.
The terrible effort in Miami on March 28, losing by 3.
Losing AGAIN to Golden State, this time at home on April 4, after Bosh missed a layup to win the game at the buzzer.
Even after all of those loses and terrible efforts, the Raptors STILL could have sewn up a playoff slot and a matchup with the LeBrons with a win on Sunday against the Bulls. Yes, Bosh was hurt and not playing. Yes, same with Wright. And yes, Turkoglu was not only hurt, but playing (the worst possible outcome). Had the guys wearing White shown any real fight or heart, it’d be excusable that they lost. Especially given the injury situation Jay Triano was presented with. Instead, well, we saw nothing. In the biggest game of the year the Raptors got the yips. 21 3 point attempts, 5 made. 15 trips to the free-throw line. All game. More 3 point attempts than free-throws. Again, I realize Bosh was out injured and he is the driving force of the Raptors (literally), but that’s just inexcusable in my books. After losing by 18 in what was essentially an NCAA tournament game, losing twice to the Golden State Warriors, losing by 23 to Sacramento, the 2 blown leads in Indiana, how can any self respecting Raptors fan say that this is a team that deserves to be in the playoffs?
Much ado in Toronto has been made of the Cavs playing LeBron in the game against the Raptors last week, while sitting him against the Bulls. I’ve heard claims of how it discredits the game, and is an embarrassment to sport etc. That’s the biggest load of crap I’ve ever heard. If Cleveland is so secure in its playoff seed that it can affect who they play in the first round of the playoffs, then they’ve earned that right. Conversely, if the Raptors in the last week of the season are relying on other teams to help them make the playoffs, they’ve earned an extra month of vacation. A season isn’t made over the last week or two, it’s made from game 1 to game 82 (or 86). Over that span, the Raptors have showed themselves to be extremely talented offensively, lazy defensively, unwilling or unable to rebound, mentally soft, poorly structured (Hi Hedo!) and partially snake-h bitten (the Bosh injury really couldn’t have come at a worse time). As a sports fan I find it somewhat disgraceful to have to watch my team, a team that by adding up the total of its parts SHOULD easily be a 5th seed in the Eastern conference, rely on other teams help to have a prayer of making the playoffs.
And you, reader: As a sports fan, if the Raptors defy the odds and somehow make the playoffs after no showing in the biggest game of the year, would you feel that the Raps have earned their playoff spot? Would you be able to look a Bulls fan in the eye, or a Rockets fan for that matter, and say, “Sorry about that, thems the breaks”? I couldn’t. I already feel dirty from this whole season. This wasn’t a team that underachieved. This was a club that overachieved at underachieving. Winning games they should lose, losing games they should win, seemingly at random. Earlier this year I wrote something detailing in short that the difference between playoff teams and non playoff teams isn’t beating the upper echelon teams, it’s beating the bottom feeders. The teams that you are better than or equal to. Think about it in real terms: If you and Brad Pitt are both trying to pick up the same girl and he gets her in the end, you can’t be mad. right? I mean he’s Brad Pitt for god’s sake! But if you and Dustin Diamond are both trying to pick up the same girl and Dustin Diamond wins, maybe it’s time for some serious self-reflection. This season, the Raps didn’t even get the cojones to try and talk to the girl, let alone buy her a drink. And sure, maybe Hedo was a little gun-shy after all the shut downs in Yorkville, but as I’ve stated ad nauseum, Toronto sports fans in particular don’t care about results nearly as much as effort. Show us you care, show us you try. The Raps haven’t shown anyone that they care, nor have they shown an ability to try consistently.
Don’t get me wrong, tonight I’ll be cheering for the Raps and the Bobcats as hard as I can. But after the game, should it all break down the way I hope (both Raptors and Cats win) instead of gloating to my Bulls friends, I’ll be apologizing. We’d have robbed them. Even though we’d have gotten the prize in the end, it’d take a long time (or a few SHOCKING wins) to wash the blood off our hands. I know what it feels like to cheer for a team that deserves to make the playoffs and doesn’t, I’m a Jays fan. I’ve seen it every 3 years since 1994. The 2009/2010 Raptors are not that team, and Bulls’ fan base doesn’t deserve that kind of end.
