Even here in Milan the NBA All Star Game is big news. No, the talk around the water cooler isn’t whether this is Chris Bosh’s last ASG as a Toronto Raptor. Two really good stories on Bosh today that I thought I would point out:

First from ESPN, an unlikely source given the subject matter. Marc Stein though takes a good approach in his column:

““It’s funny you say that, because I was thinking about it. I was just looking at what people say and it’s like, ‘Chris is going to go here and play with him or this, this and that.’ I’m like, ‘Wait a minute.’ I feel like I should be built around. And maybe that’s just my ego talking, but I feel that I’m a very good player in this league and I’m only going to get better. So … maybe we should be getting somebody [in Toronto].”

Bosh is sure to field more probing questions about his future Friday when he meets the bulk of the media in town to cover All-Star Weekend. But the above comments, at the very least, give more insight into our assertion made back in November that Bosh likes his situation in Toronto more than many of us south of the border want to believe.”

That comment couldn’t be more accurate. Look, I don’t know if he is staying or not. Here is what I believe:

I don’t think Bosh is a liar. I don’t think he knows what he wants to do. If you read more of Stein’s column you will see that he want’s to be the guy and not the 2nd guy. He can be that in Toronto. I think the money is irrelevant as he will get it no matter what, here or there via sign and trade. What is important is winning. IF, and I say IF the Raptors can somehow go a run in the playoffs, I can’t see Bosh leaving. If they pull a Brady, and fizzle out early or not make the playoffs at all, I think all bets are off.

Now, Mike Ganter in today’s Toronto Sun hits a homerun (or a really long three pointer at the buzzer to win the game ):

” Maybe if the members of the American media throwing these blanket statements around so cavalierly had been in the countless pre-game, post-game, pre-shootaround, post-practice scrums that those of us who are actually around Bosh on a near daily basis have been, they wouldn’t be so quick to write off his Raptors future.

Now there’s no doubt that Bosh has confidantes in the media south of the border. He is an American. He grew up in Dallas. He helped his country win a gold medal in Beijing two summers ago. There is no way he hasn’t made those relationships.

He might even be more comfortable expressing future plans with that select few. We get that.

But Bosh has been so steadfastly adamant that he has not made up his mind about next season, let alone next week, that it’s hard to accept that anyone who has spent any time looking into his future could dismiss it. ”

It’s nice to know that the MSMers are getting us fed up with this bs as we fans are. Ganter does a great job running down all the accounts of Bosh’s exit and providing what I believe to be some real analysis on where things sit.

Marc Stein’s ESPN article on Chris Bosh can be found here.
Mike Ganter’s story on Chris Bosh is here.

Anyone happen to see today’s Toronto Sun?  Cover story was the Raptors beating the NY Knicks.  First page stories were all Raptors, first there was the Raptors beating the Knicks and then Chris Bosh making the all star team and the increase of trade rumors involving Chris Bosh.  Page 2 was a Blue Jays story after the Jays held a gathering for season ticket holders.  It wasn’t until page 3 or 4 that the Leafs showed up.

Finally they get it right! I know, the Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t play last night and if they did….. well the Leafs didn’t play Sunday night either when the Raptors ended up on page 6 on Monday.

I will try not to harp on this too much anymore, but it shouldn’t be a competition. If the Raptors are the only ones playing, give them their due. If it’s the Leafs, or the Argo’s, Jays or TFC, same thing. It shouldn’t be leafs leafs leafs- and I am a big Leafs fan.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Here’s your bikini of the day from bikinibeat.org:

On Fan 590 Tonight

5:22 Richard Griffin, Toronto Star
5:42 Jack Armstrong, Raptors Analyst
6:06 Mike Boone of the Gazette & Al Morganti
6:30 Colin Campbell, NHL’s Sheriff
6:45 Michael McKinley, Hockey Historian

On 640 with Brady and Watters thanks to Mike S.:

- NHL commissioner Gary Bettman
- Bob “The Bear” Cowan with his Monday NFL pick
- Jolly Jonas Siegel from the ACC to preview tonight’s Leafs-Thrashers game
- Hockey insiders Darren Dreger & Ray Ferraro at 6:10

This dynamic season feature is very cool. It’s especially cool since they talk about the Raptors and Chris Bosh. It has this rewind feature that lets you go back in time and change the results of any game that may have already been played. The dynamic season also has awesome online features. This is the best preview I have seen.

Today is an important day. No, really it is. Today is an important day for both myself and little TSM. Today he and I share a right of passage. Tonight, little TSM will see his first Maple Leafs game LIVE. It is hard to believe how much time has flown since he and I watched our first game on television. He was 2 days old, the Leafs were playing the Habs, in Montreal. He had just come home from the hospital and before he went down for his part of the night, we sat on the couch as Travis Green scored his first of the year from Nik Antropov and Tom Fitzgerald. I have to admit, I don’t remember my first game at the old Maple Leafs Gardens. I remember going a lot as a kid. I actually can remember the smell of the old barn. I remember so many of the games that I saw there, but I can’t really remember my first game. So I hope that he will remember tomorrow night, his first experience at an NHL game, at a Maple Leafs game.

Don’t get me wrong, I have taken him to lots of sporting events. We used to go to lots of Plymouth Whalers games. Then it was the Barrie Colts. He’s been to a few Raptors games, one ARGO’s game and to a couple of Blue Jays games (both here and in Detroit) and yes to a Marlies game, a TFC match and even the Rogers Cup. This will be his first Maple Leafs game. I am not sure who is more excited, him or me.

So hopefully the boys show up. Hopefully the scalpers, I mean brokers are in full force. Hopefully the organ is loud. Hopefully he gets an autograph or three, or maybe catches a puck. Hopefully, he has fun and asks to go again.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Hey everyone I’m new to the site and look forward to blogging, writting, and reporting on basketball

I have a strong interest in basketball. I was the assistant coach on my highschool baskteball team from 1998-2001.
I’m always down for talking NBA, or Hoops of any kind especially Raptors Ball. Hit me up if you want to talk ball.

Tim

So we are finally at the time when can start to look at the now, as opposed to looking forward. Summer is over. Most of our beloved reporters and media members will be back from vacation, Maple Leafs rookie camp is on, soon the big boys and the Raptors will be working out and of course, the NFL is almost ready to start up again. This week, there is going to be more news on the Coytoes and I would bet on the NHLPA. Follow that with Kessel, Heatly and it should make for an interesting week. Before we look at those items as they unfold, I thought it interesting to look back a little bit to see how far we have come.

It was 10 years ago, a search showed that we were hearing rumblings of the potential sale Of Maple Leaf Gardens. How sad I must say that not much has happened with the old building since the sale articles appeared in September of 1999. Only in this city can we sit on a historic building for so long. Look around at other cities with, dare I say equally if not more historical properties that either get restored or torn down in short order. Here in Toronto a building just sits. For my two cents, it doesn’t matter what is done with it as long as it gets done soon. If it were a movie theater, it would be cool to know you are sitting in the old gardens. If it were condo’s it would be cool to know that they were the old gardens. But for nothing to go on isn’t right. I suspect the city has held this up (way to go Mayor Miller) as there is nothing better for bureaucrats to do. It’s time me move on. Get this right.

Similarly, I read that it was 10 years ago that the Maple Leafs had 2 potential players as hold outs, Dimitri Yuskevich and Bryan Berard. What a difference 10 years make. When was the last time we saw a holdout with the Maple Leafs. Holding out these days will make it pretty difficult to play. If players hold out too long they won’t play at all. Funny in reading the articles back then to read the quotes of one Ken Dryden and of course one Wilbur Watters. My how their careers have changed in 10 years. Interesting also to read quotes from Dryden having to defend the Maple Leafs payroll of about 33-35 million back then. Does anyone miss the Dryden years? Does anyone miss the Watters years? The good thing about the Watters years was we knew the media would get lots of info and scoops. Watters was a great quote then, much as he is now.

Ten years ago I was just married living in Miami. We had a dog, but no kids. 10 years ago the Jays were bad, and well, not much has changed there either. It’s hard to believe how fast time has gone, yet equally so hard to believe how little has changed.

With all that has gone on this summer, it will be fascinating to look back and see where things are 10 years from now. Will the Jays be any better, will Burke’s Leafs have won the cup?? Where will the Coyotes play?

Interesting questions, any predictions where we will be in the year 2019?

By the way, did anyone catch Bob Elliott’s latest column in the Sunday Sun. He had a summary ala Simmons Last Word piece. I have to say it was damn good. Interesting how versatile the Jays writers are. Griffin has written some excellent non-Jays stuff I seem to recall, you all know where I stand on Jeff Blair and now Elliott. Do you think there is a reason for this? I do.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Here’s your bikini of the day from bikinibeat.org:

On Fan 590 Tonight- thanks to Mike S.

- McCown is on vacation again this week, Rob Faulds is guest host

- Open phones with Faulds and an interview with Dave Naylor in the first hour

- Co-host at 5:05 is Jim Kelley

- Tripp Mickle of Sports Business Journal

- Byron Macdonald of CBC on swimming and the ultra-fast swimsuits that are being used these days

- A discussion on baseball and the Roy Halladay situation

- Noel Biderman, CEO of ashleymadison.com

- Jack Armstrong on basketball

On 640 with Brady and Watters:

Hosts: Duff & Watters

440 – Nathan Green – won canadian open

510 – Mike Liut – on wellwood arbitration hearing today

610 – Wayne Primeau – replayed from Leaf Lunch

640 – Buster Olney – ESPN MLB writer – on Rose/Halladay

Amazing what time in a mall waiting for my wife can do for deep thoughts. It occured to me that with about a month a change left in the Maple Leafs summer/off-season that Brian Burke has one major thing on his to do list, provide his team with 1 guy that fans will cheer for, the guy that will give the team an identity. Every great team has at least one, the Leaf didnt’ have that last year and I know this is going to be really unpopular, haven’t had one for a long time. Mats Sundin was not universally loved, and in fairness may that isn’t possible today. However, Brian Burke, if he wants to build this team in to something that fans of all ages can identify with then he needs someone. At least one guy.

As a parent, I can tell you that there wasn’t one guy on the Leafs last year that little TSM knew. In fact he never once asked for Leaf jersey with a name on it. In contrast, he wanted an Ovechkin, he wanted a Crosby. On the basketball side, only a crow bar could take away his TJ Ford Raptors jersey and he is dying for a Bosh jersey. Neither he nor I may be the Leafs target audience but I can’t imagine we are too far off. I am not going to suggest that Burke hasn’t gotten that guy, or that the guy may not emerge from his current roster. Schenn may become the guy, I think it’s too early for that though.

Someone said on the radio the other day that no matter how good things sound to Leaf fans now, if the team is in the shitter again next year people are going to be pissed. The inverse is that if the team is winning, all will be good. I think in either case the team needs the guy. I don’t think Burke has found him yet. That isn’t to say that every time someone scores, throws a big hit or a Maple Leaf is in a fight that the place isn’t going to go hog wild, it will. It doesn’t mean that you won’t see Leaf jerseys throughout the ACC, you will. However, I saw as many Sundin’s, Mccabe’s and Gilmour’s last season as any other player (in total) that was on the roster.

Burke has a couple of weeks to give this team an identity. If you were printing the media guide, who’s face is going on it? In my book Schenn isn’t that guy. Kaberle may not be here, he isn’t that guy. The kid they drafted this year likely won’t be here, he isn’t that guy. Toskala certainly isn’t that guy. None of the free agent acquisitions nor the the guys picked up via trade are that guy either. Burke knows it too. When he gets asked about a captain and he says it’s likely there won’t be one this season, it’s because he doesn’t have the guy. Think about this, if Kaberle goes, and Joesph is already gone and May doesn’t come back, who is the Leaf veteran guy? Jason Blake????!!! Poni?????

If Burke wants the fans to really get behind this team, he needs the face of the team. He needs to find the guy. He needs to find the guy we all root for, we all want the jersey and we all want to win here. So far, he hasn’t got em. Do you think he will?

TSM

Look at me, two Raptors stories in 72 hours!

Ken Berger writes in his CBS Sports blog that the Raptors and Dallas Mavericks are talking sign and trade for Shawn Marion. Here is how Berger sees the deal unfolding:

“If Toronto and Dallas work out a deal, Jerry Stackhouse almost certainly would be headed to Toronto because only $2 million of his $7 million salary for next season is guaranteed.”

Over to DL for more info and opinion.

TSM