Thursday, September 16th, 2010 at 10:00 am  |  17 responses

Raptors: ‘We Still Really Believe in Bryan Colangelo’

Colangelo’s boss gave the embattled GM a vote of confidence, and wants to extend his contract. The Toronto Star reports and is unimpressed: “A decent half season might score Colangelo the long-term contract extension he has been coveting. Heck, if you listen to the man who’ll largely decide Colangelo’s fate, you get the idea a passable 25 games could do it. That’s not to say a disastrous beginning couldn’t end Colangelo’s four-plus-year tenure in Toronto. But on Wednesday Colangelo’s boss gave the impression that a decision on the GM’s future will be made sooner rather than later. And if you’re laying odds, it’s a short bet he’s not going anywhere. ‘I will make a recommendation to the board (on Colangelo’s future) at some point during the season,’ said Peddie. ‘I’m not going to leave Bryan hanging out. He’s got kids in school here.’ Kids in school? It’s good to know Peddie, the president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, is looking out for Colangelo’s brood, if not the heart-scarred youth who’ve celebrated advancement in precisely one playoff series on Peddie’s circa-1996 watch. Still, while some among the fan base might see Colangelo as a lame duck whose performance has dipped since his 47-win Toronto debut — and while Las Vegas has the over-under on Raptors wins at a dim 28 1/2 — the GM isn’t viewed nearly as harshly in the MLSE boardroom. He is beloved and trusted by chairman Larry Tanenbaum, among other board members. And the buzz on the inside is that Colangelo has successfully cast himself as the did-all-I-could victim of Chris Bosh’s summertime of self-serving delusion, not to mention Hedo Turkoglu’s immaturity and the Charlotte Bobcats’ late-stage pullback on a trade that could have improved the Raptors. ‘We still really believe in Bryan Colangelo,’ said Peddie.”

  • Add a Comment
  • Share
  • RSS

Tags: ,

  • http://gmail dirty frank

    The problems with this team precede anyone who is currently part a part of the organization. This team, along with a few other’s in the L, is stuck in a culture of mediocrity, (spelling?), that will be really hard to break out of.

  • dsleepy

    i feel bad for raptors fans.

  • barnabusb

    He need to focus more on getting good basketball players and less on wearing gigantic shirt collars.

  • Tupack Shakur

    Gigantic shirt collars is what got us into the mess in the first place!

  • TrailBlazing&SportingLisbon

    wow, how can he mantain his job when its clear a good one has not been done?

  • SWIFTboy

    I think Raptors fans, for the sake of the Raptors, need to be okay with the fact that this team won’t be good anytime soon. Any attempts at quick fixes will just hurt them. As far as I’m concerned, they need to focus on developing their young talent, drafting well with the high picks they are sure to get in the next 2-3 years, and keeping future contracts reasonable.
    I’m not dissapointed in Colangelo for the Bosh situation, or for the Hedo disaster. If you want to be critical of something, it is the contracts he’s given to existing players. Calderon contract was a huge mistake. Bargnani doesn’t quite seem worth the money he’s getting, and I don’t feel like he’s going to make any major improvements. Amir Johnson seems like a HUGE mistake, although we have to wait and see with that one.
    I know other teams would have given these players similar contracts, and Toronto didn’t want to lose their best players, but sometimes less is more in the long run. Hopefully both Colangelo and Raps fans can see this.

  • MikeC.

    MLSE has deep pockets, so worrying about spending isn’t a huge issue for the cRaptors. Their issue is attracting major talent during free agency, and having to overspend to keep their own free agents. A lot of players who are traded to the cRaptors don’t want to live in Toronto until they get there. Many players praise the city after they leave, but few get excited about joining the team when they’re traded there. Kinda like the situation Sacramento was in before C-Webb, Vlade and Whit Eboy put the Kings on the map.

  • http://www.slamonline.com/ niQ

    I already know this season will be a bust. Just hoping for a top 5 pick…

  • http://thekobebeef.wordpress.com LDR4

    Peddie may be the only person who believes in Bryan Colangelo. Toronto deserves a little more than becoming the New Jersey of Canada.

    (Side note: Why does Slam now have tea party-esque ads denouncing Obama? Obama loves to hoop, you would think he would get some favorable treatment from a basketball publication.)

  • http://www.slamonline.com Migs

    Problem is, people are still buying tickets and merchandise, so MLSE still believes in BC (to make money for them). He does a pretty good job in instilling hope via his big hail-Mary trades and signings, even though the results are lackluster and mediocre. I’m pretty sure MLSE and the Teachers pension plans aren’t complaining though, since they’re coming away on top and the fans continue to suffer. IF BC gets his extension, there will be no more excuses. Aside from Triano and Calderon, everyone else has been brought in under his watch… clock’s ticking and the blame (or praise) will rest on his hefty collars now.

  • T-Money

    BC doesn’t seem to have an eye for talent. The Raps keep throwing money at marginal players.

  • JoeMaMa

    Hedo was a good pick up. If you were in Toronto, you were happy. He was a HUGE bust, and that was HIS fault, not Colangelo’s. Also, the Charlotte deal was a GREAT move by Colangelo, and MJ stepped in for that one. I think BC should’ve seen the writting on the wall with Bosh, though, and traded him when he could’ve. Also, the Amir Johnson signing was excessive. But he’s got an athletic young core (Jack, Weems, Derozan, Davis, Kleiza) and I think Bargs can be a 20/8 guy. True Raptor fans know that Colangelo is WAY better than Babcock, Thomas (he really screwed us on his way out) and competes with Grunwald. I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt.

  • SWIFTboy

    @JoeMama: You’re right. My content with Colangelo probably mainly stems from the fact that I’m comparing him to Thomas and Babcock. I think he deserves 3-4 more years to see what he can do, and the security of 3-4 years so that he doesn’t feel the need to make it all happen now. For those who don’t agree I ask: who instead?

  • Baljit

    I got rid of my season tickets 2 years ago and will not renew till things change in the front office (Ok will go to Watch the Heat,Lakers etc). Bryan Colangelo really reminds me of the former GM of Blue Jays J.P. Ricciardi lots of style with no plan making panic moves to cover his brutal mistakes. Rewarding a guy for a culture of mediocrity is a mistake in the end it will cost them money as fans have lost a lot of interest already. Vince Carter could sell out a charity basketball game in the middle of the summer at the Acc fan interest was at an all time high. This year you may think you are at Jay’s game with all the empty seats(lol)

  • 1972

    raps need new ownership…peddie is incompetent.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    In my opinion, BC is one of the top President/GM’s in this league. That Raptors job is a tough gig, but he’ll get it turned around, and he’ll build an exciting brand of basketball in Toronto. BOOK IT!

  • Ghost

    Would not mind at all to see MLSE extend him, I really believe in Mr Colangelo.

Advertisement