TUESDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY – WE THE NORTH?

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary at 9:50 am and 5:20 pm on Cat Country 98 FM)

IT’S THE WEIRDEST THING.

ON THE WEEKEND, THE TORONTO RAPTORS HIT THE 50-WIN MARK FOR THE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE SEASON. THEN MONDAY NIGHT THEY TURNED THEIR ONLY REAL COMPETITION IN THE NBA EAST – THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS – INTO MULCH, TO THE TUNE OF 114-106.

GRANTED, THE BUCKS WERE WITHOUT FRANCHISE STAR “THE GREAK FREEK” BUT HOW MUCH DIFFERENCE WOULD HE HAVE MADE?

AND THAT’S NOT THE POINT ANYWAYS.

IF THE MAPLE LEAFS HAD NOTCHED 50 WINS IN FIVE STRAIGHT SEASONS AND WERE COMING OFF A LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP, THE PARADE DOWN YONGE STREET WOULD’VE NEVER STOPPED.

THERE’D ALREADY BE A STATUE OF LEAFS G-M KYLE DUBAS ERECTED OUTSIDE SCOTIABANK ARENA, YET THE G-M OF THE RAPTORS – MASAI UJURI – WALKS THE STREETS OF THIS COUNTRY RELATIVELY UNKNOWN.

NOW, THAT’S PROBABLY NOT THE CASE IN DOWNTOWN TORONTO BUT I’D BET 7 OUT OF 10 CANADIANS HAVE NO IDEA WHO MASAI UJURI IS.

IT’S BECAUSE BASKETBALL JUST ISN’T THAT BIG HERE. OR IT ISN’T YET.

OH WAIT … 20-THOUSAND PEOPLE POURED INTO MOSAIC STADIUM TO WATCH THE RAPTORS ON THE BIG SCREEN A YEAR AGO DURING THEIR CHAMPIONSHIP RUN.

I GUESS PEOPLE AROUND HERE DO CARE ABOUT THE RAPTORS WHEN THEY BECOME THE THING TO DO.

AND, AT LEAST SOMEBODY CAN USE THAT STADIUM.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY ON CAT COUNTRY 98.