Basketball in Canada - Page 5

Berklon · #1 Posted **Jan 31, 2016, 8:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by elly63

I can't post in a Hamilton thread? Didn't you just say people died for my right to free speech? You're confusing me now.

You can post in the Hamilton sub-forum... just sad that the only reason you do it is due to your stalking me over to a forum that you never had any interest in. But hey, stalkers gotta stalk.

Berklon · #2 Posted **Jan 31, 2016, 4:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gerrard

Well yeah unlike the average age of the average CFL fan (50s) it's definitely a younger livelier and typically more urban crowd. Even more so than baseball which like the CFL tends to attract a older suburban fan.

Yes, urban - that's definitely a great way to describe a lot of the crowd.
Another word to describe them is diverse - a lot of non-white people at the games... many Asian and African-American.

Acajack · #3 Posted **Jan 31, 2016, 6:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berklon

Yes, urban - that's definitely a great way to describe a lot of the crowd.
Another word to describe them is diverse - a lot of non-white people at the games... many Asian and African-American.

I would surmise that few black people in Toronto are African-Americans!

mistercorporate · #4 Posted **Jan 31, 2016, 6:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I would surmise that few black people in Toronto are African-Americans!

You'd be surprised. A good amount of US immigration is black, but yeah they are a minority of the afro-Canadian crowd.

elly63 · #5 Posted **Jan 31, 2016, 6:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I would surmise that few black people in Toronto are African-Americans!

Reminds me of that classic line in the film gem "Pray for me Paul Henderson"

Woman (in Toronto) to black kid: Where are you from Russell?
Russell: Halifax, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Woman: No, I mean before that, what island are you from?
Russell: Cape Breton, Cape Breton Island

lol

Acajack · #6 Posted **Jan 31, 2016, 7:13 PM**

BTW I don't buy the argument that Toronto is really that culturally different from the rest of the country, to the point where gridiron football is now a non-factor there.

The NFL is promoted like gangbusters by both the national and local media in Toronto, and so obviously there is no shortage of people paying attention there.

The Super Bowl is coming up next weekend, and it would be borderline comical to suggest there won't be much interest in the 416.

elly63 · #7 Posted **Jan 31, 2016, 7:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

BTW I don't buy the argument that Toronto is really that culturally different from the rest of the country, to the point where gridiron football is now a non-factor there.

The NFL is promoted like gangbusters by both the national and local media in Toronto, and so obviously there is no shortage of people paying attention there.

The Super Bowl is coming up next weekend, and it would be borderline comical to suggest there won't be much interest in the 416.

Agree, I also think people are influenced by the bubble they live in and friends and colleagues. But the crime is to not acknowledge that other people may have a different experience.

Getting back to basketball, it seems there are some here who grew up with CIAU as their experience, for others it was the Raptors, the only issue is when one denigrates or denies the other.

Berklon · #8 Posted **Jan 31, 2016, 7:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I would surmise that few black people in Toronto are African-Americans!

The "American" part of African-American I'm referring to is North/South America.

Acajack · #9 Posted **Jan 31, 2016, 7:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berklon

The "American" part of African-American I'm referring to is North/South America.

OK, but that goes against the universally accepted definition of African-Americans: people of African origin residing in the United States.

Kinda grasping at straws.

It would be like saying Nicolas Sarkozy, François Hollande and Zinedine Zidane are French Canadians if they moved to Canada, because they'd be, well, ''French'' and ''Canadian".

Weird logic.

Ramako · #10 Posted **Jan 31, 2016, 8:21 PM**

This thread is a complete dumpster fire.

Acajack · #11 Posted **Jan 31, 2016, 8:22 PM**

Out of curiosity, who invited Sting? The Raptors or the NBA?

Ramako · #12 Posted **Jan 31, 2016, 8:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Out of curiosity, who invited Sting? The Raptors or the NBA?

The NBA. Odd choice for a very young and hip-hop oriented fanbase.

Acajack · #13 Posted **Feb 15, 2016, 3:30 AM**

The NBA All-Star Game did not get much coverage here in Quebec but I did pay attention to the festivities because of all the chatter on SSP. I tuned in to the Toronto news as well just to see what they were saying.

Anyway, one thing I noticed is how the NBA does a masterful job on its All-Star Weekend. They make it into such a big deal. Wow.

They're better then MLB, which I used to think was the best All-Star Game of the major sports leagues. (But I'd still watch the MLB game first cause I like baseball better as a sport.)

elly63 · #14 Posted **Jan 31, 2016, 8:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramako

This thread is a complete dumpster fire.

Don't worry it'll get back on track, they always do. Just a momentary diversion

JHikka · #15 Posted **Feb 12, 2016, 8:41 PM**

Shoutout to the NYT writing about the basketball team in my hometown.

MonctonRad · #16 Posted **Feb 13, 2016, 6:24 PM**

Good article.

Definitely not glamorous, but a realistic portrayal of minor league pro basketball in Canada. The situation would be the same in almost every other country in the world too.

Their is only one "show" for basketball in the world and that is the NBA. Every other league is a journeyman league, but that doesn't mean that the quality of the game is bad. The NBL is just under-appreciated.
__________________

elly63 · #17 Posted **Feb 13, 2016, 7:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Good article.

Definitely not glamorous, but a realistic portrayal of minor league pro basketball in Canada. The situation would be the same in almost every other country in the world too.

Their is only one "show" for basketball in the world and that is the NBA. Every other league is a journeyman league, but that doesn't mean that the quality of the game is bad. The NBL is just under-appreciated.

I don't think I'd call some of the European leagues "journeymen leagues" There's lots of clubs in Europe that could give NBA teams more than they could handle.

We are always unduly influenced by money, glitz and glamour. In 1972 the Russians had holes in their socks, poor skates and shoddy equipment. They gave us more than we could handle.

MonctonRad · #18 Posted **Feb 13, 2016, 8:57 PM**

Perhaps I didn't express myself well.

What I meant is that the NBA gets all the glory, but that there are a lot of "nearly great" basketball players who for whatever reason didn't make the show and ended up playing in minor professional leagues around the world. These players, under slightly different circumstance, could have played in the NBA but missed their chance and unfortunately ended up riding in broken down school busses through snowstorms to get to games rather than jetting around North America and netting eight figure salaries.

We have an NBL team in Moncton, and I find the quality of the product to be very good. I feel sorry for the players because they are playing for starvation wages, but despite this, play their hearts out in front of small but dedicated crowds. They deserve better.

elly63 · #19 Posted **Feb 13, 2016, 9:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

What I meant is that the NBA gets all the glory, but that there are a lot of "nearly great" basketball players who for whatever reason didn't make the show and ended up playing in minor professional leagues around the world. These players, under slightly different circumstance, could have played in the NBA but missed their chance and unfortunately ended up riding in broken down school busses through snowstorms to get to games rather than jetting around North America and netting eight figure salaries.

Amen

elly63 · #20 Posted **Feb 13, 2016, 9:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

We have an NBL team in Moncton, and I find the quality of the product to be very good. I feel sorry for the players because they are playing for starvation wages, but despite this, play their hearts out in front of small but dedicated crowds. They deserve better.

One reason why my interest in the NHL, MLB and NBA has declined steadily since childhood (I was never interested in the NFL). For me there is no relatability and the ever increasing cult of celebrity is a turn off. There are only so many third rate Muhammad Ali imitators I can take, been there seen that. Style has eclipsed substance and most "fans" are unable to distinguish the difference.

My example of that would be a player (about ten years ago) who was probably the least talented on the Canadian men's soccer team. He was able to secure a trial and make the roster of the highest profile club of any of our players. Did he suddenly become a better player the day he signed the contract and jumped from a third division side to a first? Not likely. The reasons people play in "better" leagues are varied from timing, to team needs, politics, personalities, and injuries. It's not always about talent.

Doug Flutie himself said the quality of CFL player was comparable to the NFL "but for one reason or another the certain player "didn't fit the mould" And an NFL assistant coach whose name I can't recall now said that the last fourteen players making an NFL roster were equivalent to the last fourteen cuts.