Sportsfans: It's Your Time

Alright, now this is what I'm talking about! This is absolutely the best time of year to be a sports fan. The MLB Playoffs has started, the NHL and NFL are in full swing, the NBA is less than 3 weeks from the start of the regular season, and soccer leagues around the world are in full swing.

Let's start with the Leafs and the 'dreaded' 0-3 start. Of course with the Leafs being in the market that they're in, people are starting to worry already. Now don't get me wrong, three straight losses is never good, but what did we really expect? Everyone had a great time watching the young guys do well in pre-season, but their performances seemed to cover up the bad play from some of the veterans (Toskala, Beauchemin). Now that games matter and the young guys are back in junior or with the AHL's Marlies, we are seeing the real Maple Leafs. And what are the Leafs? No, they won't finish last in the league, but they definitely need time to learn how to play together. Let's give them more than three games to figure it out.

The Raptors have finally returned! As a big fan of the team since the start of the Vince Carter era, I've gone through my ups and down to say the least. Ups being the Raptors playoff run in 2000-2001, the emergence of Vince Carter as a human highlight reel, the division championship team of 2006-2007, and the continuing development of Chris Bosh. Downs being the Kevin O'Neill run teams, the much too early playoff exit in 2007, and the 2002-2003 season ('nuff said). Now with the current management and coaching staff (led by BC and Triano), I definitely am excited for the next few years. Through the first couple of exhibition games, we've definitely seen a more concentrated effort on the defensive end, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Scoring hasn't been a major concern over the past couple of years, but stopping high scoring guards/wings has been. We've all seen Kobe's 81, Lebron's high scoring games, and countless other stars get their buckets. Things won't be so easy for the competition now that Reggie Evans, Rasho, and Antoine Wright are on the court, and that makes this fan smile.