Why Are Raptor Fans So Stupid?

Posted on November 22, 2009 | 6 Comments

I remember watching a game during the Vancouver Grizzlies inaugural season against the Chicago Bulls the season they won a league record 72 games. It was the first time Vancouver basketball fans had a chance to see his Airness play without having to take a trip down to Seattle. For all but a handful in the building, it was the first time they’d ever seen him play in person.

The game was going well for the Grizzlies, who had only won 2 games up until that point. With just six minutes left, they were ahead by 6 points. Sure, a lot of time left, but in the Vancouver years, that was almost as good as a victory. Yes, the Grizzlies were awful, but here they were, holding the best team in the league and the best player in the league, down to their level.

And then Derrick Martin did something really, REALLY stupid.

I can still remember clearly watching, in utter disbelief, as Martin started jawing with Jordan, who was relaxing on the bench, after Martin hit a couple of big shots. Was Derrick Martin really that clueless? Did he not realize the only reason Jordan and the Bulls were not crushing the Grizzlies was because of a lack of motivation going against the worst team in the league? And Martin just gave Jordan some motivation.

The next six minutes are now part of Vancouver Grizzlies history, as Jordan went on a rampage that showed exactly why you never, ever wake a sleeping giant. He scored 18 points in the last 6 minutes and reversed the Grizzlies lead, giving the Bulls a 94-88 win over Derrick Martin and the lowly Vancouver Grizzlies. Just over a month later, Martin was traded away to the T-Wolves.

Read Derrick Martin’s recollection of this event.

It’s ironic that Martin ended his career in Toronto after Vince Carter had become villain #1 for Raptor fans. He could have told them the folly of giving a great opposing player motivation. It’s a lesson Raptor fans have yet to learn.

Yes, Vince Carter was back in town, this time with the Orlando Magic. I was only able to watch half the game, but what I saw made me shake my head. I know Raptor fans hate Carter giving up on Toronto and forcing a trade. They’ve shown their displeasure over the years.

What I don’t get is why they still boo Carter. Yes, for the first couple of years, the booing seemed to have an effect on the sensitive Carter, who didn’t generally play well and didn’t lead his team to victory much whenever he came back to Toronto. That changed last season.

I don’t know whether Carter finally got over his relationship with the Raptors, or whether he simply got used to the booing, but last season, Carter and the Nets’ record in Toronto was 2-0, versus 0-2 in New Jersey. And as he showed by his 39 pint scoring outburst last season, he can still be a devastating scorer when motivated.

That’s always been the problem with Carter: Motivation. He certainly had the talent and athletic ability to become one of the all-time greats, but even with the injuries, it was his head that kept him from fulfilling his potential.

Well, like Jordan, Carter was motivated today when he played his former team, and it showed. He wasn’t motivated because it was the Raptors. Only Bosh is left from the team he played on. What motivated him were playing in front of his former fans, in his former building, in his former city. At one pint, he started jawing with a couple of fans on the sidelines, and then proceeded to ice the game for the Magic.

Good job, Raptor fans.

Now shut up.

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Category: Bulls, Grizzlies, Magic, NBA, Raptors

Comments

6 Responses to “Why Are Raptor Fans So Stupid?”

  2. DFDFDFDF
    November 22nd, 2009 @ 5:38 PM

    WOWWWWWWWWW you just took all the words out of my mouth. I totally agree with this article. If we (Raptor fans) never booed him so much, maybe it would have been a different game. At one point, Raps fans started chanting Howard’s name to piss him off. I mean I know they were our opponents, but come on…Raps fans really piss me off at times.

  3. J
    November 22nd, 2009 @ 8:26 PM

    100% agree, Tim. There are two (bad) reasons why Raptors fans continue to boo Carter.

    1. “It’s fun.” They enjoy booing Carter, so don’t even try to take that away from them. The outcome of the game doesn’t matter, just as long as they get to vent.

    2. Someone wrote this big long justification on Doug’s blog last year about how it’s false that Carter does better in Toronto. He referred to the fact that he does about the same in Toronto as he does in NJ. I, of course, wrote just as long a justification refuting it, but I’ll summarize it here (I doubt the stats have changed much since then so I think it still holds true): Carter does perform about the same in Toronto as he did in NJ; however, you have to compare that to him playing other teams. He performed worse overall playing against other teams while away from the Meadowlands, but in Toronto, he actually performed as well as he did while playing at home. He maintains a home court advantage at the ACC, pretty much, and the fans are the reason for that. However, as long as wannabe statisticians try to justify their stupidity, Raptors fans will continue to boo.

    Lastly, the crowd is the 6th player on the court. If your team is down, CHEER THEM ON — not the opposite! For all the ripping of the players, fans forget to rip themselves.

  4. J
    November 22nd, 2009 @ 8:28 PM

    Forgot to add that it’d be interesting if Carter showed up at the ACC one day and there was SILENCE when announcing him. Bet that would throw him off a tad. What better way of saying “you suck” than showing you don’t care enough to boo.

  5. brothersteve
    November 22nd, 2009 @ 9:14 PM

    Once again one has to wonder just how good Carter could have been if he cared!

  6. Dave
    November 23rd, 2009 @ 12:17 PM

    I remember watching that Bulls-Grizzlies game at the time.

    Great finish by MJ. A man amongst boys.

  7. Tim W.
    November 25th, 2009 @ 4:50 PM

    J,

    I suggested a while ago the best thing to piss Vince off would be to ignore him. How better to show him that Raptor fans have moved on and he’s simply not important enough?

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