Halifax fans jam stands for Raptor road show
7,000 watch scrimmage as team tries to raise profile countrywide
HALIFAX— The move to make the Raptors “Canada’s team” is being made on several different levels.
A once-a-year travelling road show promotes interaction between players and fans, does important charitable work in a different community and tries to connect the franchise with its national fan base.
And nowhere does it work better than here.
Despite a whirlwind trip reduced to about two days from the normal five, the Raptors once again were a hit in Atlantic Canada as they continue efforts to spread their gospel coast to coast.
More than 7,000 fans took in an hourlong practice game at the Metro Centre here on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, a testament to their appreciation and the franchise’s desire to become more prominent across the country.
It is an initiative driven by MLSE chief executive officer Tim Leiweke, building on a foundation that was put in place early in the franchise’s existence.
“The turnout we had today at noon on a Saturday in the fall,” marvelled coach Dwane Casey after the Black team (DeMar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas, Amir Johnson and others) trounced the Grey team (Rudy Gay, Kyle Lowry, et al) 92-64.
“They could have been doing a million things but they came here to watch the Raptors and that just tells me they have a love for basketball.”
And that’s what the organization wants to do, to tap into passion in cities like Halifax and Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver, Edmonton and Ottawa to truly become the country’s team.
“It’s great because we represent the whole country of Canada,” said DeRozan.
There is never a lot of time for the players or coaches to venture out, with two practices a day and meetings and treatment and rest, a fact that is especially true this season.
The Raptors arrived Thursday evening, worked out twice Friday and played an intrasquad game Saturday before leaving for Boston, where they will practise Sunday and play Monday.
There were no team-building boat trips like last year, and no player appearances, but there was a bit of a buzz around the team hotel and former Raptor Jerome Williams made an appearance at a local junior high to help promote an anti-bullying campaign.
“The money we gave (to the charities) is unbelievable,” said Casey.
Normally, the Raptors would be in city for five or six days, but this year’s schedule didn’t allow it.
“When our pre-season schedule came out and we were going to Boston, to be on the road for eight days just didn’t make sense right off the start,” said Dave DeFreitas, the team’s director of community relations. “That was the only reason. We would have been here for the entire time like last year.”
But still, the team’s presence did allow for some interaction with the fans at Saturday’s scrimmage, something the players appreciated.
“To get a chance to go different places where they may never get a chance to see us play up close and personal is definitely cool,” said DeRozan.
“I think it’s cool just to get out and see different parts of Canada. Other teams just have their . . . state or whatever, we have a whole country. For us to go differ- ent places in Canada to spend time there, interact with the fans, I think it’s a cool thing.”
The coaches tend to hope the time away is used to achieve more specific goals than just helping sell T-shirts and jerseys. They like the solitude, the lack of distractions and the time together.
“I think everyone being together in the hotel, travelling together, spending time together helps,” said Casey.
The business and community relations people?
“It’s something that we try to do each and every year,” said DeFreitas. “We know there’s a rich basketball history in Halifax; we want to tap into that. We know there are Raptors fans in Halifax; we want to make more of them.”