Benzo

If there is anything that pisses me off more than most things about basketball. Its that the players get together from opposite teams...shake hands ...laugh...smack asses and tickle each other BEFORE THE GAME.

I do not want to see one Raptor even acknowledging Bosh's existence. No hugs, No kisses.

There is a sound clip today from Triano saying "I wish it was like hockey, you cross centre and you get pumped".

Someone can find the exact quote.

If you are a Toronto Raptor, as much as your team sucks this year, Bosh chose to leave you. From warm -up to the buzzer, you are a Raptor with a responsibility to the fans to not kiss and hug bosh.

fancylad

you will be dissapointed Benzo.

m5racer

Who care about the pregame shit. What I don't want to see is us play like a sack of shit like cle did when Mia played in cleveland for the first time.

Barracuda

Y'know what I don't wanna see tonight?

Raps sucking.

Who wants to bet on that one?

Benzo

I care about the pre-game shit.

Respect the fans. Show this guy no love.

Man I long for the days of Oakley. I will bet you dollars to donuts, Reggis Evans does not say a bloody word to him.

fancylad

i do too. The comradery and buddy-buddy attitude in the NBA is fucking LAME. Seriously.... hugging a dude when in a few minutes you're supposed to try to beat him down? I repeat LAME.

Shadowfax

couldn't agree more
i shake my head in disgust whenever i see this happen before a game...Triano is right
handshaking, hugging etc etc should take place before
(in hallways) or after a game over beers...you line up at tipoff and that fucker beside you should be considered your enemy
fuck Bosh, fuck the Heat, fuck any team that comes into your house !

Claudius

Sorry, but why do we show 'no love' for Bosh who left as a free man. Once that contract was up, he didn't have allegiances here or anywhere for that matter. He was free to do what he wanted to do.

Why is it that we shower a mediocre player like Mo Pete ( ) and Alvin Williams with adoration when they leave as a free agent, but when a guy like Bosh does, we have to boo him incessantly? Where was the, I hope we treat Mo like a stranger act?

Why is that we are so hellbent on having a villain always?

Shadowfax

EVERY player and EVERY team that steps foot in your house should be treated like a villain...period

Claudius

But why?

Benzo

WAYYYY different dude, and you know that.

To use your examples, AWill and Mo, both would have stayed if they could. I am a raptor fan, and I hate every other player and team when they are playing us. Mo and Alvin included.

Mo kissing the floor his first game back, pleased me as a raptor fan...if I was a NO fan, I would have been some pissed off.

Some players do deserve hero's welcomes when the come back...legends. Not Bosh's.

Maybe when he retires I will clap....before the game I want my team to win..Fuck him...Fuck them... Fuck Mo...Fuck Alvin...Fuck Vince...Fuck Bosh..Fuck Sean Marks

Nobody liked Bosh on the team and nobody wants to say it.

RAPMAN

What I want to see, Bosh and Bargnani go at it. Don't hide Bargnani guarding Joel Anthony or Dampier. If he is your true franchise player moving forward, let them play and show their stuff. It would be great for the Bosh supporters and the Bargnani homeboys. Toronto is not playing for anything this year! Let them play!!

Claudius

Actually, I don't see the difference. What I see is two guys the FANS wanted to stay as Raptors. We built them up in our own minds as guys who'll always be Raptors etc. But what happened when Mo FIRST became a Free Agent. He tried to bolt but I believe Babcock re-signed him or met with his offer sheet. Williams at one point was complaining about playing time and for a mediocre player we gave him this 'warrior' label. Great.

Yet when they returned, and I'm going to point directly at Mo, we gave him a hero's reception.

And yet, here we are, saying boo the hell outta Bosh....why? Because he did what he was able to do? I understand a lot of people here hate Bosh for some unknown reason and frankly, I've never been his biggest supporter either, but this ridiculous notion that we need to boo out of our minds is incredibly laughable and just shows the immaturity of this fan base.

Also, pre-game, it's just a sign of respect. Go over, shake hands (like has been done MANY times before in other sports) and get it on. I'd be more pissed if a Raptor player helped Bosh up during a charging call or a hard foul or something like that. But before a game, where your just showing some respect? Nah, it isn't important enough to get angry over.

jrob23

we should be worried about the Heat coming out and having a 1st quarter like they did vs the Pacers last night, not about who will dap up Chris Bosh

Benzo

I don't disagree with most of that except the last paragraph. Hockey gets it right...you shake hands AFTER the game or in the playoffs AFTER the series. You cross centre before the game...you get pumped.

You should respect your opponent in your own mind. Don't show it to them.

Benzo

Neither one of those guys said a bad word about the city , they were unconcerned with their own celebrity, and had nothing but great things to say about the city after they left.

Bosh was supposed to be our leader. He was supposed to make those around him better, he accepted that role, and failed and then ran away.....

Claudius

Why?

fancylad

He totally could have handled himself with more class when he left for starters. The twitter thing, the comments about the media, wolf in a cage, the NBA leaguepass thing (which is complete bullshit). Nevermind that he didn't exactly deliver on the court to back up the words coming out of his own mouth. Bosh is a twat.

Claudius

Whoa, whoa, whoa, when has Bosh said bad things about the city? When has any player said bad things about the city? Typically they're directed towards the team and management, but very rarely the city.

And really, who anointed Bosh a leader? Was it the fan base? Was it the team looking for someone after the whole VC debacle? How quickly did we crown Bosh a franchise guy after VC was traded?

And who said he was supposed to make those around him better? Hell name me a PF/C who makes players around him better? I can think of really only KG while playing for Boston and there's a reason for that.

And this whole idea of running away? How often, in your own life, do you stay with one company? The average time is what, 5-7 years? Why do we hold athletes in this different pedestal?

Hell, I don't even like Bosh and thought he was overrated, but some of the comments directed to him are ridiculous.

Claudius

The twitter thing, imo, is blown out of proportion. Who really cares? He was free to do what he wanted in the summer. He wasn't property of Toronto. How did he handle himself last season is what I look at and he was professional on the court. That's all I need.

The wolf in the cage comment, is dumb, yes, but it's a nerd like comment and how many nerd like comments did he make while in Toronto.

And again, I'm kinda curious how he didn't deliver on the court. Wasn't it 2006-2007 when we were chanting MVP and saw him on that caliber?