Raptors Game Day - The "State of the Raptors"

As we close the books on 2008 and look ahead to all things great in 2009 I figured it was time to provide a state of the Raptors address.

Can this team literally shut the door on 2008 and look ahead to bigger and better things in 09'? Can they turn it around and get to where they want/need to be?

When this losing slide began I maintained that this is at the very least a .500 team. But since then losses against OKC and Golden State have me rethinking that mark.

To put things in perspective the Raptors have to go 29-22 to finish the season AT .500.

That to me seems like an awfully difficult task for this team which has been extremely inconsistent. They have shown that they cannot close out games, defend the perimeter or protect their home court.

Do I think the Raptors should shut things down and tank the season for a high draft pick? The simple answer is NO. I think they should continue to play hard, hope Colangelo can get somebody in here that will help them and hope for the best.

At this point in the season I'm not sure a .500 season gets them to the playoffs. If it does it likely gets them a matchup with Cleveland or Boston which we all know is a sure 4 game exit. But I want to watch a team that still competes. Perhaps they can play a spoiler later on in the season.

I honestly think this team is about where they should be give or take a game or two.I had very low expectations when BC traded every desirable asset for O'neil. The team needs a stronger bench and a legit starting Wing and until they get that they aren't going to be much more than they are now.

Youtube of the Day - Christian The Lion

If this video doesn't make you feel all warm and fuzzy this holiday season then I don't know what will.

Sideboob of the Day - Eva Laskari

T-shirt of the Week - ADD

Available Here

Youtube of the Day - Starring things that are Awesome

Sideboob of the Day - Claudia Fernandez

Raptors game day - Is Joe Smith Headed to Town?

If the latest reports are to believed then it looks like well traveled veteran Joe Smith may be headed to Toronto.

This move could help the team depending on who they would have to give up to get him.

A quick look at ESPN's Trade Machine will show that there are numerous trade combinations that could land Smith with the Raptors.

Which is really interesting because unless they give up scrubs (For example Hassan Adams, Joey Graham and Will Soloman) then I don't see the point of the move.

The likely scenario is that they would trade Anthony Parker straight up for Smith (both expiring contracts). If thats the case then its a lateral move in my eyes. The Raptors would lose their best Shooting guard and replace him with Smith who is the same age and on the downward slope of his NBA career.

Lets hope that this isn't the deal that Colangelo has in mind to save this team.

Sideboob of the Day - Bar Refaeli

Raptors Recap - The "How long before a change is made" Edition

The raptors lost another last night. Yes the Trailblazers are a better team but the Raptors also had and lost another double digit lead.

You have to wonder just how long its going to be before Colangelo gets a Bona Fide Swing man in here. Bosh and O'Neil had huge games again last night but that obviously isn't enough for this team to win. We have seen that far too often.

The Raptors shot the ball well in the first half but tighter defensive rotations in the second half and an offensive explosion from Brandon Roy did them in.

A quick look at the stats from the perimeter guys from the Raptors last night and you can see why they lost.

Kapono 0-5 fg zero points 32 min
Parker 2-6 fg six points 22 min
Graham 0-0 fg zero points 12 min
Moon 4-8 fg eight points 29 min

Add all of that up you a grand total of 14 points on 6-19 FG (32%) in a total of 95 min played. If that is the production you're getting from the Swing position then you are not going to win a game. Combine that with the fact that defensively they let Roy go off for 32 points on 14-19 FG (74%) 9 assists in 38 min.

That is truly awful "production".

Changes need to be made and soon or this season will be over.

Raptors Recap - The "winning Streak" Edition

Wow it seems like forever since I had seen a raptors game. With the craziness of the holidays and the TSN 2 fiasco I have caught barely 3 quarters of the last few games.

Last night was a welcome relief. I was able to watch the game and enjoy a win.

The Raptors could have come back from the Holiday break and played flat. Nobody would have blamed them. They were on the road and the 3 day break ususally favors the home team. I'm not saying the Raptors played a perfect game. They were far from perfect.
their 13 first half turnovers nearly cost them the game. They straightened up in the second half and were able to go with what was working. Last night that was Jermaine O'neil. Now I'm not saying the Kings are soft in the interior but I think i could have probably scored on a couple of those back to the basket moves against Spencer Hawes and Brad Miller.

Triano had a couple of nice out of timeout calls late in the game as well and that helped the Raptors seal the deal.

Hopefully they can keep the momentum rolling tonight against Portland.

I have to admit that I'm a little bit giddy to be able to watch Rudy Fernandez again. He is quickly becoming one of my NBA favorites.

Happy Boxing Day Canada!!

I hope everyone finds all the great deals! I was in line at 4am and it was totally worth it! Don't forget, it's ok to push people on boxing day.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Underboob of the Week - Happy Holidays

Raptors - Can they find a trade partner?

Reading NBA rumors online can be really strange some days. You can never be sure who to believe and you really have to take everything that's out there with a grain of salt and know who the source is.

A perfect example of this is the latest rumblings that Colangelo is in a panic to make a deal. I read that and considering the source I'm not sure how much I believe it.

I do however believe that Colangelo is actively searching for deal that is right for this team. So its not a matter of if he makes a trade its when.

He doesn't have many chips to deal however and I'm sure this is making things harder for him.

What Colangelo really has to do is evaluate whether he believes that this season is worth salvaging to try and get to 7th or 8th place to face Boston or Cleveland.
I say make a deal that will get this team on the right track to a 5th or 6th place finish and see what happens.

Those that are calling for Chris Bosh to be traded are crazy. Why trade the best guy on the team now? For what?

Sure you can get value back but what is value really? Draft picks? Young talent? Those things are nice but that puts this team back into a rebuilding phase and likely out of the playoffs for the next few years. It also confirms once again that Toronto can't hold on to superstar players (ie. Vince carter, Tracy McGrady ect).

I say its time to trade Bargnani. I think that Colangelo can get the piece this team needs to get them rolling again. Bargnani has shown flashes of what he's capable of and as we all know he's disappeared for long stretches however I think that has a lot more to do with the situation this team has put him in than anything.
One night he's playing the 5 the next he's a 3 or a 4. One game he's starting the next he's coming off the bench. He needs a situation where he knows his roll and can work within that roll and he is not going to get that here.

Then I read this morning that Stephen Jackson wouldn't mind a trade out of Golden State. The warriors are a team that is going to do some rebuilding and I think they might take a shot on a guy with the potential of Bargnani. Jackson is also the perfect type of wing guy the Raptors need. He can be a go to scorer from the perimeter and he can post up on the block. He brings swagger and toughness to the position as well. He is also signed long term to a reasonable contract 7 million a year for the next 5 yrs.

If the Raptors can put a lineup of Calderon, Jackson, Bosh, O'neil and Kapono on the floor I think they could do some damage.

Therefore the deal I propose is this:

Anthony Parker (expiring contract)& Andrea Bargnani and 2nd round pick to Golden State
for
Stephen Jackson and Marcus Williams.

They get Jackson for the wing and williams to backup Jose.
Golden state gets a draft pick, some cap relief and a really young promising big man.

Sideboob of the day - Morgan Webb

Youtube of the day - Jingle Bells Rasheed Wallace Style

For an added laugh check out Mo Pete, Tyson Chandler and Ryan Bowen here

Side Boob of the Day

Mustache of the Week - Mugshot mustache

Best part of this stache is that this is a mugshot for this dude.

For sale - Tmac's Baby Blue Mercedes

For the low low price of 150k you can own Tracy McGrady's BABY BLUE 2001 Mercedes c-class

YUCK (thx to ball don't lie)

"7 Pounds" ....of tears

7 Pounds is the new Will Smith movie.
I really don't know how I feel about this movie. It's a very sad and depressing movie.
Unless you're a fan of Will Smith, I would suggest that you choose a different movie to see.
Do not see this movie is you are already feeling sad because it will put you right over the edge.

I do think Will Smith's performance is Oscar worthy. Rosario Dawson certainly holds her own too.

Rating: 3/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 28%

Sideboob (and frontboob) of the day - Jennifer Anniston

Sadly, she only wants to be your Friend :(

T-shirt of the week

I thought this was pretty funny.

2008 Albums of the Year

2008 was a good year for Music.

Here in no particular order is my list of best albums from the past year (also a click of the artist and album title will navigate you to their MYSPACE page for a quick listen):

Best albums of 2008

Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death and All his friends
Download these – Strawberry Swing, Violet Hill, Viva La Vida, 42, Lost, Lovers in Japan, Death and All his friends

Coldplay - Prospekt March (EP)
Download these – Glass of Water, Life in Technicolor II, Rainy Day , Lost +


Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
Download these – Grounds for Divorce, One Day Like This, Mirrorball, Weather to Fly, Some Riot

Jason Mraz – We Sing We Dance We Steal Things
Download these – I’m yours, Details in the Fabric, Lucky, Dynamo of Volition, If it kills me, Beautiful Mess

Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs
Download these – Cath, Grapevine Fires, Long Division, I will posess your heart, No Sunlight

R.E.M – Accelerate
Download these – Houston, Living well is the Best Revenge, Horse to water, Until the day is done, Mr Richards

Kings of Leon – Only by the night
Download these – Sex on Fire, Revelry, Closer, Use Somebody

Greg Laswell – Three Flights from Alto Nido
Download these – Its been a year, That it moves, Comes and Goes (In Waves), The One I love, Not out, How the day sounds

Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours
Download these – Lights and Music, Far away, So Haunted, Hearts on Fire, Out there on the Ice, Feel the love

Portishead – Third
Download these – The Rip, Machine Gun

Kanye West – 808’s and Heartbreak
Download these – Say you will, Paranoid, Robocop, Street Lights, Love Lockdown, Heartless, Welcome to the Heartbreak

Q-Tip – The Renaissance
Download these – The move, Won’t Trade, Believe

Common – Universal Mind Control
Download these – Universal Mind Control, Announcement, Sex 4 Suga, Gladiator

Lil Wayne – Tha carter III
Download these – Got Money, Lollipop

Nas – Untitled
Download these – Fried Chicken, Project Roach, N.i.-.-.e.r. (The Slave And The Master), Hero

The Roots – Rising Down
Download these - Rising up, Get Busy, Birthday Girl, Here I come, 75 bars, Rising Down

John Mayer – Where the Light is – Live in Los Angelas
Download these – Neon, In your Atmosphere, The heart of life, Good love is on the way, Gonna find another you, Don’t need no Doctor,

Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
Download these – White Winter Hymnal, Sun it rises, Tiger Mountain Peasant Song

Sia – Some People Have Real Problems
Download these – Soon we’ll be found, Buttons, Academia, Go To sleep

TV on the Radio – Dear Science
Download these – Family Tree, Crying, Dancing Choose, Golden Age, Stork and Owl, Lovers Day

Meiko – Meiko (re-release)
Download these – Reasons to Love you, Boys with Girlfriends, Under my bed, Heard it All before, How Lucky we are

City and Colour – Bring me your love
Download these – The Girl, Waiting, Sleeping Sickness, Body in a box, Constant Knot, What Makes a Man

M83 - Saturdays = Youth
Download these - Kim and Jessie, Skin of the night, couleurs, We own the sky, graveyard girl

Vampire Weekend - Vampire weekend
Download these - The kids don't stand a chance, Mansard Roof, Apunk, Oxford Comma, Cape Code Kwassa Kwassa

Steven Wilson - Insurgentes
Download these - Harmony Korine, Abandoner, Significant Other, Insurgentes

Youtube of the Day - Lazy Sunday

They're droppin Hamiltons!
They love those cupcakes like mcadams loves Gosling.

Frost/Nixon is red hot!

First off, I'd like to thank the Academy for my own private viewing of the movie.

This movie is filled with outstanding performances. There is great tension and very funny moments throughout the movie.

If you have the slightest interest in politics, this movie is a must see for you.

If you are just looking for a movie that will thoroughly entertain you from start to finish, this movie is for you.

Rating: 4.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes: 90%

Sideboob of the Day - Alicia Witt

Raptors Recap - the "Sky is falling, let the trade talk begin" Edition

The raptors lose again tonight against the NBA's WORST team OKC Thunder. This is officially time to panic if you're a Raptors fan.

The Raptors now have to go into San Antonio tomorrow night after one of the worst losses in franchise history not to mention having lost 9 of their last 11 games.
The Raptors are not playing with Confidence and have zero swagger.

This season could very well be over after this road trip if they don't get a couple of wins out of it.

All that said I've been trolling the Raptors boards on the net to see just how crazy Raptor fans can be. I've found some CRAZY trade scenarios and some not so crazy scenarios. I thought it might be fun to list a few of the ones I found. I'm not saying any of these will or should happen but I'm sure that Colangelo is going to have to do something soon.

Here's what I came across:

Scenario 1

Toronto Trades - Chris Bosh and Anthony Parker to Portland
Portland Trades - LaMarcus Aldridge, Travis Outlaw, Raef LaFrentz ($13 million expiring contract)2009 1st round pick

Analysis - I like this trade a lot. Brings back a very good, very young big in Aldrige and give the raptors a wing in Outlaw, also some cap flexibility and maybe they can get a steal in the late 1st round. I would certainly try to pry Rudy Fernandez from them though. I don't think Portland makes this deal though because they'd mortgage too much of their future by losing Aldridge and Outlaw with no guarantee bosh resigns in 2010. That said if Toronto is in fact going to trade Bosh, I think portland is where they need to look. They have the pieces Toronto needs to improve.

Scenario 2

Toronto trades - Chris Bosh and Jason Kapono to New Orleans
New Orleans trades - David West and Peja Stojakovic to Toronto

Analysis - This deal might work but considering the Hornets are playing well right now I doubt they make this deal. PLus peja is a little too old and injury prone for my liking.

Scenario 3 -

Toronto Trades - Andrea Bargnani and Jason Kapono to Milwaukee
Milwaukee Trades - Richard Jefferson to Toronto

Analysis - Milwaukee is still struggling and might be looking to rebuild. I'm unsure whether Jefferson fits into their plans (13 million a season). If Colangelo can make this deal I'd do it in a second. RJ is exactly what they need on the wing. He's a scorer that creates his own shot, rebounds and gets to the line.

Scenario 4 -

Toronto Trades - Andrea Bargnani and Will Solomon to Milwaukee
Milwaukee Trades - Charlie Villanoava and Tyron Lu to Toronto

Analysis - This trade would more than signify that Colangelo made a mistake Drafting Andrea. I'm not sure how much of an upgrade CV would be. He's basically the same player Bargnani is and I still think Bargnani has more potential than CV does. Adding Lu is an interesting scenario as he would solidify the backup PG spot.

I doubt any of these deals happen but after tonights loss I expect the ESPN Trade machine to be working overtime from Raptor fans.

Raptors Game Stream

Anyone looking for a live stream of the Raptors/Thunder game you can find it here. Thanks again TSN2

http://albaaa.altervista.org/watch.php?id=209

Gift Ideas - The Ultimate Christmas Gift

This is the gift that keeps on giving

Sideboob of the Day - Britney Spears

In Honor of her # 1 album.

Youtube of the Day - Barkley and Webber re-enact Bush ShowThrowing

Where are they now - Mike Tyson hasn't missed many Meals

Side Boob of the Day - Monica Bellucci

Youtube of the day - in the 3rd race...Honeymoon is over

Raptors Game Stream

Anyone with Rogers cable looking for the Raptors game tonight which is being broadcast on TSN2 can find a stream of the game here:

http://www.justin.tv/atdhe2

Sideboob of the Day

Ariadne Artiles

Top nude scenes for 2008

Anyone that has seen the movie Knocked up will remember that Seth Rogan's Character and his buddies were trying to setup a website that devoted its time to finding the best nude scenes in movies. This was all until they discovered that Mr. Skin.com had already beaten them to it. Mrskin.com is a legitimate website and he has scoured the years films (and tv shows) to find the cream of the crop in nude scenes.

So without further adu, here is Mr. Skin's list of top scenes for 2008.

1. Mischa Barton – Closing the Ring
2. Sophie Monk – Sex and Death 101
3. Heather Graham – Adrift in Manhattan
4. Asia Argento – The Last Mistress
5. Neve Campbell – I Really Hate My Job
6. Anna Faris – The House Bunny
7. Amy Smart – Mirrors
8. Mena Suvari – Stuck
9. Laura Ramsey – The Ruins
10. Angelina Jolie – Wanted
11. Penélope Cruz – Elegy
12. Jessica Morris – Role Models
13. Willa Ford – Impulse
14. Carly Pope – YPF
15. Jenna Jameson – Zombie Strippers
16. Jess Weixler – Teeth
17 Moran Atias – Mother of Tears
18. Vera Farmiga – Never Forever
19. Maria Bello – Downloading Nancy
20. Amy Adams – Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

The Top 10 TV Nude Scenes of 2008:

1. Lizzy Caplan – True Blood (HBO)
2. Mary Louise Parker – Weeds (Showtime)
3. Anna Paquin – True Blood (HBO)
4. Arlene Tur – Crash (Starz)
5. Jenaveve Jolie – Entourage (HBO)
6. Caprice Benedetti – Brotherhood (Showtime)
7. Hayley Marie Norman – Crash (Starz)
8. Cerina Vincent – Manchild (Showtime)
9. Alicia Leigh Willis, Katherine Moennig – The L Word (Showtime)
10. Carla Gallo – Californication (Showtime)

Raptors Game day - The "At least they have a sense of Humor" Edition

Just a quick note. The games on TSN 2 again which means most of the GTA (including myself) can't watch them get lambasted by the Mavs.

Hopefully I can catch the Game in an hour later on tonight but who knows if I'll be at all motivated enough to stay up and watch it.

That said a funny thing did happen today. As always I received a lovely email from the Raptors and MLSE as I am a Raptors Insider. The funny thing was it arrived in my inbox and the title of the email was "Raptors Aim To Rebound Against Mavs". I had a nice chuckle about this as we all know the Rebounding wows this teams has experienced of late. It is nice to see that they can at least laugh at themselves.

Anyway for those that don't have TSN 2 enjoy Secret Millionaie.

Youtube of the Day - Letterman LOVES Transformers

Street Sign of the Day

Naturally these streets should intersect.

Youtube of the Day part 2 - Ellen and Britney Spears Go Caroling

here's part 2

Predictions - What will the Raptors Record look like come 2009?

I was looking at the Schedule today and thought it would be interesting to see whether the Raptors could get through the rest of 09' in a respectable manner. They currently stand 10-14 which is good for 10th place in the East.

Their next 8 games are really tough as they have to head out west again starting this weekend for another 5 games. The remaining games this year are as follows:(with my predictions included):

Dec 17 - Home vs Mavericks: Loss
Dec 19 - Road @ Thunder: Win
Dec 20 - Road @ Spurs: Loss
Dec 22 - Road @ Clippers: Win
Dec 26 - Road @ Kings: Win
Dec 27 - Road @ Blazers: Loss
Dec 29 - Road @ Warriors: Loss
Dec 31 - Home vs Nuggets: Loss

That is an incredibly tough stretch of games, especially the 2 back to backs. I would normally predict a win against Golden state but that game is the second night of the back to back and the last game of the trip and I just don't think they'll get it done.

So if my predictions are correct then this team will head into January with a record of 13 - 19. OUCH!

Their next 10 look like this:

Jan 2 - Home vs Houston: Loss
Jan 4 - Home vs Orlando: Loss
Jan 5 - Road @ Milwaukee: Win
Jan 7 - Road @ Washington: Win
Jan 9 - Home vs Memphis: Win
Jan 11 - Home vs Boston:loss
Jan 12 - Road @ Boston :loss
Jan 14 - Home vs Chicago:Win
Jan 16 - Road @ Indiana: Win
Jan 18 - Home vs Phoenix: Loss

Another .500 stretch. This puts their record at 18-24. And that's provided they win EVERY "winnable" game in this stretch. This team doesn't inspire confidence that they can beat a decent team let alone a good one so the games against Boston and others are almost Guaranteed losses. They have also yet to prove they can defend their home court which is troubling.

All that said they ABSOLUTELY have to get the games they should win over this period (wizards, bucks, pacers ect.) to even have a shot at the playoffs. If they slip up (like they have been doing ie. 2 losses to the Nets ect) then the season could be over come the middle of January. Doug Smith wrote today that Colangelo isn't likely to make any moves until the new year due to the holidays and I think my assessment of the games aboves proves that he should NOT wait to make a move.

So lets just hope Colangelo puts something under our tree this Christmas in the form of a slashing/rebounding Wing. If he doesn't do it before Christmas it may be too late.

Youtube of the Day - If White Chocolate made a Nike Basketball Commercial...it would go a little something like this.

Side Boob of the Day

Scarlett. Yum.

Street Sign of the Day

I came across this one when I was in England. Not a place I'd want to live

Raptors Recap - The "I didn't need to see it to know they Suck" Edition

I haven't seen one minute of the raptors game thanks to the wonderful folks at MLSE and TSN. Was I mad? Maybe a little but, I knew after Friday's blow out that they would lose tonight. Starting Kapono over Parker is like trying to choose between kissing your mom and your grandmother...at the end of the day it just doesn't matter.

This team is spinning its wheels on route to what will be a .500 season. This team can't win games they HAVE to win at home. Its not like they play in Jersey either. The ACC should be a decided advantage for them yet they always seem to play tight at home. There is no excuse that they could provide that would explain it. New coach or not this team has reached a point where expectations aren't enough...results are necessary and maybe a .500 season gets them to the playoffs but I for one don't care. With the way they are playing its not going to matter because at this rate it will be a 4 game sweep.

I leave you with this stat: Andrea Bargnani is shooting 27% from the field (16% from 3pt) in the month of December.

AWFUL.

Merry Christmas Raptor fans

Youtube of the Day - Best 19th Birthday ever

This video wouldn't be post worthy but its this kids 19th birthday and if dude doesn't have a horseshoe up his ass then I don't know what's going on.

Sideboob of the Day - Aldara Ortega

2 Reviews for the Price of One!

"MILK"

Many great performances.
Many outstanding mustaches.In the end, the performances and the mustaches weren't enough to elevate this movie beyond being anything but average.

If you have been dying to see the Green Goblin(James Franco) and Spicoli(Sean Penn) get it on, this movie is for you.

One final thought...this movie does have potential to be a great drinking game. Drink anytime a character appears on screen with a mustache. Warning: You'll be tanked after 15 minutes!

3/5

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Twilight"

I didn't leave my house with the intention of seeing Twilight. I was at the theater and I had just watched Milk. I saw that Twilight was starting in ten minutes so I thought what the heck.

Not sure what to tell you. If your not a teenager you probably won't find this movie interesting.
There were a few funny moments but I'm not sure if they were all intended to by funny.
The overly friendly high school students were ridiculous. Completely unbelievable. I thought they were be super friendly to "the new girl" as a joke but I quickly learned I was wrong.

I have to admit though, Kristen Stewart is certainly fun to watch on the big screen for 2 hours. Keep an eye out for some serious overacting by her near the end of the movie.

2/5

Youtube of the Day - George George George of the jungle, Watch out for that SHOE

Side Boob of the Day - Brooklyn Decker

Youtube of the Day - Whoops Sorry My bad.

Side Boob of the Day

Leann Tweeden. I love her.

Street Sign of the Day

I wonder what the cities clean up costs are for this street.

Album Review - Sia "Some people have real problems"

When I first heard the gorgeous timbre of Sia’s voice I found myself immediately wanting to love this record. Sia, the Australian born former lead of the band Zero 7 has been around the block a bit. This should give her an advantage in a market saturated with similar Jazzy/soul/trip hop artists (Duffy, Adele, Feist). Unfortunately for Sia and myself I found this record to be frustratingly inconsistent.

There are moments when you think that she could really be onto something. This is never more true than on the song “Soon we’ll be Found”, which is easily the albums best track. It maximizes everything Sia does right. Her duet with Beck “Academia” is also a solid track. Ballads “Soon you will be loved” and her amazing cover of the Pretenders“ I go to sleep” are both gorgeous songs.

However there are also moments on the rest of the album that just all kind of blend together into a bland vanilla landscape. Songs like “Beautiful Calm Driving” and “Lentil" and "The girl" fall into this category. They are all good songs but I can't help think that they could have been great songs.

All that being said it’s a decent album with some really STELLER songs. Unfortunately the inconsistency of it is not enough to distance Sia from the rest of the pack.

I do encourage you to watch her performance of “Soon you will be loved” from Letterman below. Its one of the BEST Late night TV performance’s I’ve ever seen (painted hands and sign language included)

6.5 out of 10

Download these – “Soon We’ll be found”, “Academia”, “Soon you will be Loved”, “Death by Chocolate”, “I go to sleep”, "buttons"

Youtube of the day part 2 - Prince plays guitar with Q-tip

Prince shows up about 0:54 he doesn't stay long but still this woulda been an Awesome show to be at

Youtube of the Day - Swear Jar

"Eric I have doucebag on line 3 for you"

Side Boob of the Day

Kapow! Vida Guerra.

Street Sign of the day

Raptors Recap - The "we needed that/trade O'neil" Edition

Not much to say after last nights game. The raptors needed a win and they got one. They played well enough to win shooting just under 50% from the field. Jason Kapono had a very nice game starting in place of the injured Anthony Parker. Jamario Moon had one of those games where you remember just how much he can help this team. His put back dunk on JO's missed jumper in the second half was almost unbelieveable.

All that said what does this win really mean?

I say nothing. They beat a very bad Pacer team that has had very few bright moments this season. They held the pacers to 35% shooting but most of the missed shots were open looks. Danny Granger who has had a very nice season thus far was a putrid 9 for 25 from the field YUCK. Most of his misses were open looks but the raptors who boast 3 big men were STILL out rebounded 52 to 47. Had this been a team that could make shots the raptors would have been blown out again. Calderon won his first battle against TJ. Jose had a fantastic game (11 pts, 14 assists, 5 boards, 3 steals). Ford was pretty much a non factor all night. Toronto now shifts its focus to getting some revenge against VC and the Nets in Jersey on Friday.


Trades:

I was a little bit surprised to see the Suns trade Diaw and Bell for Jason Richardson. I was hoping that the Raptors could somehow make a deal with Phoenix for Bell or Barbosa but that's clearly not going to happen now.

All that got me thinking of what the Raptors could do to improve. A trade is obviously required to do this. Everyone I talk to and everything I've read suggests the Raptors have very little that other teams would want. But then I got to thinking why not shop O'Neil?

My reasoning is this.

For the most part he has lived up to the expectations of what Colangelo brought him in to do. He's rebounding the ball and playing tough D in the paint. His scoring is down but he's also not the first option on offense. So he's doing all of this and the team still isn't winning. There are other major gaps that this team needs to fill and so why not try to package him for a couple of players. There has to be some teams out there looking for cap space in 2010. I highly doubt the raptors will be in the running for any big name free agents that summer and if they can make a deal now that improves the wing position and maybe gets them a backup PG or even an ok big man at the same time. Would you not make that deal? I know I would.

I'm not suggesting this will be easy. Colangelo basically has to find a team that wants to be a player in 2010 and needs a big man. I know Tyrus Thomas and Ben gordon are unhappy in Chicago. Maybe you make a deal for them and spare parts (Larry Hughes contract makes it work). Or to Charlotte for Gerald Wallace, Nazr Mohammad and spare parts. This is not an easy task and isn't likely to ever happen but all I'm saying is its worth a call.

Street Name of the day

Not an area I'd want to live in or visit

Sideboob of the Day - Heidi Klum

Youtube of the Day - Regular Everyday Normal Guy

He has $600 dollars in the bank MUTHA FU#@#!A!
And he make a pretty good spaghetti sauce!

Jose vs TJ - Who ya Got?

T.J Ford returns to the ACC tonight to face the struggling Raptors. I'm sure knowing Raptors fans that Ford will be met with angst tonight as he is introduced.

I for one certainly don't think he deserves it. I think TJ played hard while he was here in Toronto and was one of the main reasons that they were able to turn things around and make the playoffs 2 straight seasons. It was clear however near the end of last season that the Calderford/Forderon experiment had to be broken up. The general consensus this off season was to trade Ford and make Jose Calderon the man. I was on board 100% for this plan and when the trigger was pulled to send TJ to Indiana for Jermaine O'neil I was a tad bit skeptical. I felt the need for a swing man outweighed the need for a 21 million dollar center but that's just my opinion.

I do not doubt Jose's ability to run this team. He is efficient and his decision making is usually very good. However his style of play suited Sam Mitchell's, run a play on every posession type offence (granted it was usually the same play). Its interesting watching Jose try to adapt to a more run and gun style that Triano is now trying to run. I wonder if TJ wouldn't be a little more welcome around these parts now that Smitch is gone and Triano is at the helm. I found a really good article breaking down both PG's statistically on RealGm. The bottom line on it was that Jose is really only better because he plays 18% more of the games based on injury history.

I think at the end of the day Calderon will be able to adapt and he is certainly the more team oriented guy. Its just interesting to wonder what if.

I expect TJ to be a man possessed tonight and to attack the paint at every opportunity. Jose can't guard his first step so the help D will have to be there tonight and there rotations will have to be crisp.

Raptors Recap - The "They STINK" Edition

This post is going up with 9 min to play in the fourth quarter.

There is nothing good to say about the play of the Raptors of late. This team hasn't looked this bad since the season they only won 27 games. Nothing they did was good, nothing. Not even the short lived comeback in the second quarter.

Again tonight they looked totally over matched by their opponent and anyone that thinks this team is making the playoffs without any personnel changes is kidding themselves.

Bargnani has disappeared into the same vortex that sucked him in last season. Chris bosh looks totally disinterested in attacking the basket. Jermaine O'neil gets paid 21 million dollars a year to complain about every call. The only player that was aggressive at all tonight was Joey Graham.

On the bright side the starters will be rested for the back to back tomorrow night against the Pacers, a game I do not expect the Raptors to win. I think that after tomorrow Colangelo is going to have to take a good hard look in the mirror and make a decision on this roster. He can't leave it the same. He just can't.

Oh and by the way Lebron James is....pretty good.

I Want these!

I heard these today at Futureshop.

They are the Best headphones I've ever heard.
I read that Lebron James bought each member of USA basketball a pair during the Olympics. They're $399 at futureshop.

Street Name of the day

Arlene does what now?????

Bosh and Lebron - MVP Battle?

The Raptors battle the Cavs tonight in Cleveland and Lebron James is on pace for another MVP type season. Both are currently franchise players for their respective teams. Chris Bosh went on the record a week and a half ago saying that he wanted to do everything he could to be the MVP this season. Admirable? Yes Attainable? Lets look:


Bosh had elevated his game early on this season but since his statements his game has dropped off steadily and the Raptors have now lost 4 in a row.

So what's the reasoning for the drop in Bosh's game? I think its a combo of 2 things. The first is that Bosh has played A LOT of ball with very little rest (Olympics, preseason, reg season) this appears to be wearing on him, although I'm sure he'd never admit it. The Second and more important reason is that Bosh just doesn't play well against better opponents. He's struggled against the Celtics (twice), Jazz, Nuggets, Lakers, Blazers.

You simply cannot do that if you want to be an MVP in the NBA.

Bosh dominates lesser opponents as he should but when the true test comes his game always labors. Sure he puts up respectable numbers in those games but he doesn't have the ability to dominate like he does against the weaker teams.

I was at the game Sunday where bosh had the chance to win the game for his team. He had the ball in his hands with 8 seconds to play. He couldn't get it done. Tell me this, When was the last time Chris Bosh won a game in the crunch for this team? I can't think of one time, EVER. Sure he put the team on his back early on this season and helped lead them to a few wins (Bobcats, Sixers, Warriors) but in crunch time he ALWAYS falters.

Look at the Playoffs the past 2 seasons against the Nets and Magic. These were the most important games he had ever played (until the Gold medal game) and he was basically neutralized.

In fact I could argue that Jose Calderon is this teams MVP. If I had to choose who the team would miss more if they were injured I would immediately pick Jose. If he goes down for any length of time this team is done. At least they have a shot if Bosh goes down. Now this is more Colangelo's fault than anything but it still says a lot about Bosh's game.

If Bosh truly wants to be an MVP he has to elevate his game against stronger opponents. He has to be the guy to make the big plays down the stretch. He hasn't shown that he can do that on a consistent basis and until he does I can't classify him in the MVP Category.

Maybe this will happen when he joins forces with Lebron in NYC come 2010.

Youtube of the day - Xmas shopping

Are you having trouble finding the one you love a great gift for Christmas?
Problem solved!

Side boob of the Day - Emmanuelle Chriqui

One great reason to watch Entourage.

Street Name of the day

Dead end...no kidding.

Side boob of the day - Elisha Cuthbert

Sloppy seconds I think NOT!

Raptors recap - The time to Panic edition?

I feel bad for Jay Triano. He's been thrown into this situation which is about as lousy as it can be. He had to finish a terrible road trip which was already in the crapper when he took over. Then he had to come home and play the Blazers who have a million weapons at their disposal. Now he has to go on the road to play Lebron and the Cavs.

Is this the time to panic? I don't thinks its to that point yet. It is still incredibly early in the season and although the past few games have been bad I think there are better things on the horizon for these guys. I guess I should say I HOPE there are better things anyway.

A few thoughts on the game...which we were at by the way.

- Anthony Parker did a great job on Roy in the first half, he had a couple of steals, forced him into the help and basically shut him down. Which was nice to see especially after reading Roy's remarks following the Blazers loss to the Celtics when he said "Half of those moves I did tonight,'' Roy said after the game in Boston. "They are going to work against Toronto. Roy was 5 of 16 from the field. Good job AP.

-Unfortunately for Parker playing solid D on the other teams best player usually means his offensive game suffers which it did on Sunday.

- Bosh has not played well lately. He was ok against the Jazz and then ok again yesterday. That play at the end of the game was awful. I'm wondering if his hectic summer combined with the west coast trip have caught up to him a bit or whether he's just had a couple off nights. He was outplayed by Aldridge and his 4 free throw attempts yesterday is not enough for these guys to win.


- The final play. Bosh has to be quicker with his decision making. Triano said that he didn't catch the ball where they wanted him to, which was obvious as I'm sure he didn't draw up a play for bosh to create a shot starting at the three point line...but even so he can't wait until 1 second on the clock to get a shot up. He has to try to draw the double and kick it out or get fouled not force up an off balance shot with 1 to go.

- Oden looks 50 years old in person as well its not just a rumour.

- Rudy Fernandez is Awesome. I love his game. I wish he was a raptor.

- Joey Graham has played very well lately. Everything he's done the past 2 games has been going to the rim STRONG. He's been playing the 4 which I think suits him. He can use his strength and quickness to his advantage. His 2nd half dunk was RIDICULES!

- Jose finally looks like he's almost 100%, He finished at the rim a couple times yesterday and his jumper seems to be back on track. Not to mention the 2 handed dunk he showed in the pregame warm up.

- So I think we can all expect another loss tomorrow in Cleveland and then what? well TJ and the pacers are here Wednesday and then the hated Nets again friday. Wed and Friday are as close to MUST win games as you can get. If they lose 2 or even all 3 of these next games THEN I think you can press the panic button.

P.S Portand's sideline reporter Rebecca Haarlow is quite hot (see below)

Youtube of the day - Jizz in my Pants

Raptors lose to the Blazers

I have to press it! I have to press 1 on my phone!
I pressed 9, two games ago and the number 1, against the Jazz. I think it's time to finish the dial.

The Raptors are in desperate need of help!
Send everything! Fire, Police Ambulance! Whatever you've got!

Please, please bring some rebounds with you stat!

Side Boob of the Day

Eva Mendes. Hotness. Bonus side-bum.

Hugs With Strangers - Nikki

Name: Nikki
Occupation: Raptors Dance Pak Member
Interesting Fact: She got annoyed that me and Pete didn't know she was a Dance Pak Member since last season.

Song of the Day - Lilly Allen "The Fear"

Youtube of the day - Big Baby Davis...lives up to nickname and CRIES on the bench

To be honest I wouldn't want KG yelling at me either!

Raptors Recap - The two word edition

Play Defence!!!