REFLECTION & REASON

I've been to Raptors games before, but this one definitely had a different energy. A lot of the guys are the same, a lot of the fans are the same, but there was something extra "Toronto-ish" about last night's home opener against the Indiana Pacers. The evening of Wednesday, December 28 began at 6:00pm, with Toronto-native Jamaal Magloire addressing the crowd, thanking the management, and promising the fans an exciting season. Although a new member of the team, it has been great to see the media unofficially annointing Magloire the "voice" of the Raptors. My footage from the game intro... Despite the well-appreciated presence of Bargnani, Calderon, and DeRozan, I think the fans, the media, and the team are enjoying the toughness and personalization that Magloire's addition to the team brings. Giving him the mic to start off the season is a perfect indicator of what he means to the franchise at this time. Magloire " is" Toronto . Naturally. ...

How can I not like this guy? I'm admittedly a bit late jumping on the Drizzy bandwagon, but I'm definitely on it now that I picked up his " Take Care " album. For years I only semi- paid attention to his lyrics, his stories, and his relevance, but like everyone else in this city, I was proud of him nonetheless. Proud of what he represented. Proud of his mannerisms and the way he carried himself. Exceptionally proud that every time I stepped into the U.S. over the last two years because their top hip hop stations and clubs were downright over-saturating the airwaves with this guy's hits. Proud is probably an understatement. We take our people real seriously, don't we? I remember when Kardi was on Jay Leno a few years back performing his hit " Dangerous ," I damn near had tears in my eyes! Didn't know the brother personally, but I knew the environment from which he came, and the great footsteps he was taking on behalf of all of us. Even in sport...