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| Fans watch the Raptors post-game on a big screen in Saskatoon on Monday. |
In a few hours, people from coast-to-coast will be huddled
around television sets or fancy big screens to watch the Raptors attempt to win
their first NBA title in team history, when they play the two-time defending champion
Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Tonight’s game (7 p.m.
Saskatchewan time, ABC and TSN) will be the final contest to be held at the
Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., which is the long time home of the Warriors.
Toronto leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 and dropped 106-105
heartbreaker on home court at the Scotiabank Arena in Game 5 on Monday. Guard
Kyle Lowry missed a shot to win the game at the buzzer.
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| The crowd in downtown Saskatoon for the Raptors watch party on Monday. |
During their run through the post-season, the hype
surrounding the Raptors has captured the imaginations of followers across
Canada. Some of the following comes due to the fact the Raptors are the only
NBA team in Canada.
Whoever thought over 13,000 would turn up to watch a Raptors
game at Mosaic Stadium in Regina to watch the hoops game on the big screen
there. The photos of the watch party made up an article on the website for
Sports Illustrated.
A watch party will be held at Mosaic Stadium again tonight in Regina.
It starts by showing the Saskatchewan Roughriders season opener in
Hamilton against the Tiger-Cats at 5 p.m. and follows with the Raptors game at
7 p.m.
A watch party will be held at Mosaic Stadium again tonight in Regina.
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| Fans watch the final moments of Monday’s Raptors game on a big screen. |
For myself, I am not going to live or die on the fan front
if the Raptors win or lose. I am enjoying the spectacle of the many people in
Canada rallying around and getting into this team.
If a large majority of people in Canada will be happy for a
short spell if the Raptors can capture the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship
Trophy, I am all for it.
It has been cool to see people from all cultures gather for watch parties in downtown Saskatoon to see Raptors game. Kudos to the Saskatchewan Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League for making those parties happen.
It has been cool to see people from all cultures gather for watch parties in downtown Saskatoon to see Raptors game. Kudos to the Saskatchewan Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League for making those parties happen.
I haven’t kept the greatest tabs on the Raptors. I knew they
were doing well again this season, and I knew they had finished first in the
Atlantic Division.
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| A raptor was set up at the Raptors watch party in Saskatoon on Monday. |
I knew Kawhi Leonard and Lowry were the team’s big stars. I didn’t realize Leonard had a big run with the San Antonio Spurs, where he was named the NBA Finals MVP when the Spurs took the title in 2014.
I never knew Leonard was the defensive player-of-the-year in
the NBA in 2015 and 2016.
If the Raptors win the NBA title today or in Game 7 in
Toronto on Sunday, Leonard will forever be a celebrity in Canada. Decades after
his career concludes, he will be able to still go across the country for
speaking engagements to promote basketball like Roberto Alomar does for
baseball long after he helped the Toronto Blue Jays win the World Series in
1992 and 1993.
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| The big screen set up at the Raptors watch party in Saskatoon on Monday. |
Trying to find the jerseys for sale of the current Raptors
in retail sports stores in Canada is challenging right now. Those items are pretty
much sold out at most places.
On social media channels following the Raptors loss in Game
5, you could be swept up in talk about whether Lowry should have taken the last
shot or debate how head coach Nick Nurse used or didn’t use his timeouts in the
contest’s final minutes.
For myself, I haven’t paid this much attention to the
Raptors since Vince Carter won the slam dunk contest in 2000 in the festivities
leading up to the NBA all-star game.
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| People pack up following the watch party in Saskatoon. |
I do remember the Raptors struggling as an expansion
franchise in 1995-96 going 21-61 with Damon Stoudamire being the team’s first star.
Right now, it is the Raptors time in the national spotlight.
Like Joe Carter’s walk off home run in the 1993 World Series for the Blue Jays,
here is hoping the Raptors can cap a title win with an equally epic moment.
Ryan highlights Roughriders preview for The Canadian Press
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| Jon Ryan (#9) joins the Roughriders after 12 seasons in the NFL. |
The
Roughriders open their season tonight, when they travel to Hamilton to take on
the Tiger-Cats (5 p.m. Saskatchewan time, TSN).
The story
focused around Regina born-and-raised punter Jon Ryan settling in with his
hometown CFL team after spending 12 seasons in the NFL from 2006 to 2017 with
the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks.
Ryan
vaulted to star status with the Seahawks and was a member of their 2013 Super
Bowl winning team.
The piece
included quick outlooks on offence and defence. The story is on the Globe and
Mail’s website and can be round by clicking right here.
The story
can also be found on the Saskatchewan Roughriders website by clicking right here.
Celebration of life set for Filteau
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| Justin Filteau in action for the Hilltops in 2014. |
The
celebration of life will start at 3 p.m. at Circle Drive Alliance Church in
Saskatoon. People are invited to wear sports jerseys or jackets for the service,
if they would like to do so.
Filteau, who stood 5-foot-9 and weighed 214 pounds, died in
a plane crash just east of Medicine Hat late on the night of June 1 at the age
of 26.
He was born and raised in Moose Jaw and became a high school
football star at A.E. Peacock Collegiate.
After graduating from high school, Filteau moved to
Saskatoon and played five seasons at linebacker for the storied Saskatoon
Hilltops of the Canadian Junior Football League from 2010 to 2014.
He helped
the Hilltops win four CJFL titles in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014. Filteau was a
CJFL all-Canadian all-star in that final championship campaign.
When
Filteau exhausted his eligibility with the Hilltops, he joined the University
of Saskatchewan Huskies football team in the U Sports ranks for three seasons
from 2015 to 2017.
Filteau first joined the Valkyries coaching staff as a
linebackers coach in 2017. He was coaching the squad’s defensive line this
season.
At the celebration of life, people will have the chance to
write their best memories of Filteau in a memories book.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
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