Friday Newsletter – What is going on with Toronto sports?

April 5, 2024

Every Friday I fire off a list of things I think you need to know. Want me to know something in return? Leave it in the comments.

Happy Friday gang, we made it again. While it was a short week in terms of work for some, a lot was going on as we switched to April. The one thing that has been on my mind for a lot of the week, is how sad it has become (again) to be a Toronto sports fan. The Raptors are an absolute mess and I am pretty sure are trying to lose every game they can. The Maple Leafs are plodding towards the playoffs where we expect them to flame out in the early rounds again.

Revisiting my 2022-23 NBA Predictions

January 30, 2023

Now that we are over half done the 2022-23 NBA season, I thought it was a good practice to revisit my early season predictions. It’s been an odd season so far, especially from the perspective of a Toronto Raptors fan. Boy was I off. Scoring is way up, no team looks like they are unbeatable and honestly I think the biggest key to winning the title will be health.

Here are my predictions for the season with a little commentary added on how it’s going as of January 30th.

Never Stop The Madness

March 16, 2016

March! I love it. The weather changes, the days get longer and there is this little basketball tournament that takes over my life. We all know it as March Madness, and I hope it never stops.

I tested my brain the other day and tried to remember as far back as I could on what year I started watching. This is going to really age me, but I got back as far as 1986. Louisville won it all and I was hooked for the next 30 years and counting. Yes, when the tourney fires up this week, it will be my 30th watching on TV.

So many highs and lows. I have seen my team, Michigan, win once and lose a handful of times in dramatic fashion. The players come and go, but the name on the front of the jersey stays true.

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There is no other sporting event like it. Anyone, and I mean anyone, can get wrapped up into buzzer beaters and upsets. You don’t have to know anything about the sport or the players, all you need is a heart.

My Son’s First Toronto Blue Jays Game

July 25, 2014

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Well, that’s another experience checked off my dad bucket list.

On July 23rd, I took Harrison to his first Major League Baseball game and it was at the Rogers Centre to see the Toronto Blue Jays.

Seemed fitting since Harrison has been wearing a Blue Jays hat almost every day since he was two.

Ever since we moved back to Toronto in May, a baseball game was on the list of things we would do over the summer. Then it worked out that the Boston Red Sox would be in town. That meant a lively crowd and a fun atmosphere to watch a game.

As a sport to sit and watch, baseball might not be as exciting for a four-year old to watch. We have been to hockey and basketball games before and the action is always moving. Baseball has its own pace that can be a little slow at times.

But this was Harrison’s first professional sporting event, so that was much more to see and experience than what was happening on the field.

There was the size of the stadium, the big screen, the ballpark food and just watching all of the other fans.

I am not sure who was more excited to go to be honest.

A Dad’s Life: Life Father Like Son

April 9, 2014

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Originally posted on Urban Parent

Who is your favorite sports team? Do you have several?

Everyone seems to have at least one on some level.

The one team that gets our attention and brings us great join and even greater pain.

But how did you pick it? Was it recent or have you been a fan since your childhood?

For me, my dad was pretty new to Canada, so he did not have an allegiance yet. He loved English soccer for sure, but there was no connection with North American sport past knowing who the teams were.

So, for me as a boy, the world was wide open to pick the team I was going to love.

Growing up in SW Ontario, you would think I would have sided with a team from Toronto or Detroit. Nope, I was different.

My longest running bond with a pro sports team is with the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL. I have been a fan of them since I was 10.

Second longest would be my love of Michigan basketball, which started around the same time and makes more geographical sense.

It got me hooked on hoops to the point of playing it for the next several years.

That same University of Michigan team is where I am now seeing the next line of sports fans grow. My boys.