The city of Toronto, Canada sits at an interesting point in its sports history. The city seems to be transferring its support from its traditional sports hero's to another franchise. That is not to say any teams support is waning, rather simply the dominant team of the city is rising. #WeTheNorth has taken over the city of Toronto, dwarfing the support that even the city's beloved Toronto Maple Leafs have enjoyed. The Blue Jays have not made the playoffs since '93, Toronto FC remains as a smaller (though fanatically) supported team, and the Argonauts sit as Rob Ford's favourite team, though not supported by many. It is the Raptors that have risen to prominence and now command the hearts of the city.
There are many reasons for the recent rise of the Raptors, not the least of which is the accessibility of the game of basketball. Hockey is an expensive sport, practiced primarily in the northern hemisphere, and though still revered in Canada it does not have the same reach. Basketball features a global reach, with strongholds in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America. Combine the fact that basketball is a global game with the growing cultural mosaic that is Toronto and it becomes abundantly clear that it is one of the major reasons why the Raptors enjoy the fan support they do, despite the highest playoff ticket prices in the entire league.
The Raptors have a fan reach beyond Toronto that no other sports team enjoys in the city. The Raptors truly are Canada's team, with fan support stretching from east to west. There are to many hockey teams in Canada for the Leafs to be considered a national team, and the Blue Jays find some of their support compromised by people in British Columbia who are more invested in the success of the closer and more local Seattle Mariners. The Raptors share no competitors for Canada's hearts when it comes to basketball, the elimination of the Seattle SuperSonic's ensuring the west now supports as well. The Raptors play a global game, and are unchallenged on the national level, making them the kings of Canadian fan support. It should also be noticed that the prevalence of Canadian players throughout the NBA is impressive, as both of the previous two years number one draft picks have been Canadians, further spiking Canada's interest in the sport of basketball. Drake's influence on Canada's interest in basketball cannot be underrated either.
Perhaps the biggest reason for the Raptors claiming the hearts of the city though, is that the team has became successful. Toronto is dying for a winning sports franchise. Each team's fan support is keen to rally around any inkling of success. When the Blue Jays strung together twelve straight wins Toronto went crazy, as the Maple Leafs began to climb out of a 3-0 hole against the Boston Bruins the city had to shut down streets due to fans partying, this is a city crying out for wins and perhaps there is no team in a better position than the Toronto Raptors.
The Eastern conference is weak, with only Cleveland and Chicago standing out as the two front runners of the east. Toronto is once again primed to make a push to be third place in the conference, putting it in excellent playoff position. Toronto returns with a near identical team in a league where the importance of continuity cannot be undervalued. A potential all-star back court in Kyle Lowry and Demar Derozan, key big men in Jonas Valanciunas, Patrick Patterson, and Amir Johnson, and a outstanding bench, this is a team that is primed for success. This success is why the city rallies around the Raptors with such passion. They have the chance to be the great team that this city has longed for. The Leafs haven't won since '67, the Jay have been out of the playoffs since '93, and TFC is still a growing franchise. It is the Raptors who have reached their prime. The fanatical support for the team during last years playoffs made national news in the United States. People have taken notice of the Raptors Once the forgotten franchise of Toronto, now the crown jewel of the city.
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