Basketball in Canada - Page 36

isaidso · #**701** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 5:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I initially had not realized this was the basketball thread, so for a minute I was excited and thought this was FIFA and that Canada had qualified for the MWC! Then I saw 2019 and something didn't jive...

I used to write FIBA instead of FIFA but most Canadians still read FIFA so I gave up.

isaidso · #**702** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 5:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

An example of cross-Canada marketing of the Raptors as Canada's team from this weekend.

Overheard my kids and their friends talking about how McDonald's gives out free fries if the Raptors win.

- The Raptors, who are they?

- No idea, I think they're a sports team.

- They play baseball or basketball, I think.

- Are you sure?

- Yeah, it's basketball I am pretty sure.

- Anyway, never heard of them, but I'll take the free fries!

That blows my mind actually. That certainly wouldn't happen in Halifax. Are you in Ottawa? What amazed me about Ottawa is how they have a powerhouse in Carleton and they still don't register with people there. Btw, they just won their 14th national title in 17 years. In the Semi, Dal was surprisingly up 56-53 heading into the 4th quarter but stumbled badly down the stretch.

Carleton avoid upset by hometown Dalhousie in the Final 4

Courtesy of the Ottawa Citizen

Acajack · #**703** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 5:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

That blows my mind actually. That certainly wouldn't happen in Halifax. Are you in Ottawa? What amazed me about Ottawa is how they have a powerhouse in Carleton and they still don't register with people there. Btw, they just won their 14th national title in 17 years.

I am in Gatineau, Québec. These kids are from a variety of origins, girls and boys, and go to French language high school. The conversation took place in French.

Acajack · #**704** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 5:55 PM**

I do think the Raptors register to some degree in Ottawa, though.

Also, even in here in Gatineau if you were to go to a sub-group of kids who actually play basketball, then the NBA would likely register more, and perhaps the Raptors might register with some of them as a home team of sorts.

Though I remember a couple of years ago I went to pick up one of my kids at a friend's place, and this kid plays basketball on the high school team. Daddy is a big basketball dude and coaches the team at our school, in addition to the team at another school where none of his kids even go.

This happened to be during a good run by the Raptors in the playoffs (which I was aware of due to my SSP friends) and when I went to pick up my kid I asked him about it, and he said he didn't follow NBA, NCAA or any of "that stuff". He said that in terms of higher level basketball he'd watch the Olympic tournament and that's about it.

isaidso · #**705** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 5:57 PM**

^^ Interesting, it indicates passive interest even among basketball folk. I am a bit surprised about the low profile of the Raptors in Quebec. Perhaps it's due to language. Nova Scotia obviously exists in the anglophone media world and already had a decent basketball culture as far back as the 1970s. They've hosted the national championships 35 times since 1964 and had professional basketball since 1991. It would explain the considerably higher profile of the Raptors there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I am in Gatineau, Québec. These kids are from a variety of origins, girls and boys, and go to French language high school. The conversation took place in French.

Quebec universities have noticeably been extremely weak in U Sports basketball but Laval had the #1 ranked team this year on the women's side. They lost the national championship to McMaster last night but it's a change simply having a Quebec team ranked in the top 5.

On the men's side there seems to be a huge uptick in top quality players coming out of Montreal. Chris Boucher is on the Raptors while Lugentz Dort will likely be a 1st round draft pick in the NBA draft. Perhaps it will take more time for the sport to grow in Quebec but basketball culture is taking root there. As in France the cultural shift is due to immigration from francophone Africa.

Acajack · #**706** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 6:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

^^ Interesting. I am a bit surprised about the low profile of the Raptors in Quebec. Perhaps it's due to language. Nova Scotia obviously exists in the anglophone media world and already had a decent basketball culture as far back as the 1970s. They've hosted the national championships 35 times since 1964 and had professional basketball since 1991. It would explain the considerably higher profile of the Raptors there.

Quebec universities have noticeably been extremely weak in U Sports basketball but Laval had the #1 ranked team this year on the women's side. They lost the national championship to McMaster last night but it's a change simply having a Quebec team ranked in the top 5.

On the men's side there seems to be a huge uptick in top quality players coming out of Montreal. Chris Boucher is on the Raptors while Lugentz Dort will likely be a 1st round draft pick in the NBA draft. Perhaps it will take more time for the sport to grow in Quebec but basketball culture is taking root there. As in France the cultural shift is due to immigration from francophone Africa.

I don't doubt that basketball is growing in Quebec. It may be the fastest growing sport for all I know. But at the moment I don't know any people who follow basketball on TV who aren't basketball players themselves or have kids heavily involved in the game. It really doesn't go beyond that niche right now.

begratto · #**707** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 6:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

That blows my mind actually. That certainly wouldn't happen in Halifax. Are you in Ottawa? What amazed me about Ottawa is how they have a powerhouse in Carleton and they still don't register with people there. Btw, they just won their 14th national title in 17 years. Dal was surprisingly up 56-53 heading into the 4th quarter but stumbled badly down the stretch.

I'm quite sure that my 3 kids have never heard about the Raptors (age range : 7 to 12). I'd be very surprised if any of their friends knew anything about the Raptors, actually.

At their schools, soccer jerseys are much, much more common than clothing associated to any other sport.

isaidso · #**708** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 6:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by begratto

I'm quite sure that my 3 kids have never heard about the Raptors (age range : 7 to 12). I'd be very surprised if any of their friends knew anything about the Raptors, actually.

At their schools, soccer jerseys are much, much more common than clothing associated to any other sport.

Would those be Impact jerseys or Canadian national jerseys? Perhaps things will change when Montreal gets its NBA team.

Acajack · #**709** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 6:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

Perhaps things will change when Montreal gets its NBA team.

Oh they would definitely change if Montreal got an NBA team.

Acajack · #**710** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 6:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by begratto

I'm quite sure that my 3 kids have never heard about the Raptors (age range : 7 to 12). I'd be very surprised if any of their friends knew anything about the Raptors, actually.

At their schools, soccer jerseys are much, much more common than clothing associated to any other sport.

In my city the most commonly known sports teams among young people, aside from NHL clubs obviously, tend to be European soccer clubs these days.

Acajack · #**711** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 6:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

Would those be Impact jerseys or Canadian national jerseys?

In my city Canadian national soccer team jerseys are rare among kids. You mostly see European club jerseys, jerseys of other national teams like France, Portugal, Brazil, etc., and also the occasional Montreal Impact jersey.

I won't answer for Begratto but I suspect it's similar in Montreal.

isaidso · #**712** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 6:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

In my city Canadian national soccer team jerseys are rare among kids. You mostly see European club jerseys, jerseys of other national teams like France, Portugal, Brazil, etc., and also the occasional Montreal Impact jersey.

I won't answer for Begratto but I suspect it's similar in Montreal.

It used to be exactly the same in Toronto although Toronto Reds jerseys are now the most common seen on the streets. I wouldn't be surprised if they now constitute almost half of sales in this city. Canadian national jerseys are still rare but that will hopefully change in 2026.

isaidso · #**713** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 7:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Oh they would definitely change if Montreal got an NBA team.

The NBA Canada Series at the Montreal Forum 2012-2015 and in 2018 were all sell outs. What surprised me though was that the Duke - McGill game sold out the arena in Laval: 10,098 capacity. It was nice seeing people come out for that matchup; especially since James Naismith graduated from McGill.

McGill gets pummelled by Duke

Acajack · #**714** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 7:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

It used to be exactly the same in Toronto although Toronto Reds jerseys are now the most common seen on the streets. I wouldn't be surprised if they now constitute almost half of sales in this city. Canadian national jerseys are still rare but that will hopefully change in 2026.

You also see a hodge-podge of other jerseys from various leagues all over the place on kids here, often it's more about the coolness of the logo, or maybe because they went on a trip there at some point.

It's only rarely related to any type of knowledge about the team or even the sport it plays.

So if you walk up to a kid or even an adult and start to talk about the team they're showing the flag for, often you'll get a blank stare.

A relative of mine by marriage, who is an adult in his 30s, was in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. at one point and was wearing a Boston Red Sox cap and a New York Yankees t-shirt, and said that people were giving him the "how dare you?" all the time. At first he was clueless but after a while he got it.

isaidso · #**715** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 7:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

You also see a hodge-podge of other jerseys from various leagues all over the place on kids here, often it's more about the coolness of the logo, or maybe because they went on a trip there at some point.

It's only rarely related to any type of knowledge about the team or even the sport it plays.

So if you walk up to a kid or even an adult and start to talk about the team they're showing the flag for, often you'll get a blank stare.

A relative of mine by marriage, who is an adult in his 30s, was in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. at one point and was wearing a Boston Red Sox cap and a New York Yankees t-shirt, and said that people were giving him the "how dare you?" all the time. At first he was clueless but after a while he got it.

I too find it bizarre that Canadians wear team paraphernalia from countries, cities, or universities they have zero connection to. They're wearing it as fashion or to fit in but it's all rather lame imo. When you see someone in Toronto wearing a Michigan basketball jersey its almost guaranteed that they didn't graduate from there or even been within 50km of that campus.

Even stranger is the look of puzzlement when I respond 'Dalhousie' when someone asks me what college basketball team I support. I went there so shouldn't that be my answer? Or the Ryerson student who responds 'Duke'!

rousseau · #**716** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 7:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

A relative of mine by marriage, who is an adult in his 30s, was in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. at one point and was wearing a Boston Red Sox cap and a New York Yankees t-shirt, and said that people were giving him the "how dare you?" all the time. At first he was clueless but after a while he got it.

I'm pretty sure that wearing a Habs jersey with a Leafs cap (or the other way around) anywhere in southern Ontario would be greeted by grins with the assumption that the wearer is purposely trying to be eccentric and amusing.

Though I'll never forget being rather taken aback at the Leafs cap on the guy behind the counter in a little shawarma place on La Grande Allée in Quebec City once. He was a recent arrival from the Middle East. I explained the hockey rivalry to him, and politely said that his headgear might be considered a bit odd in Quebec.

samne · #**717** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 7:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

In my city Canadian national soccer team jerseys are rare among kids. You mostly see European club jerseys, jerseys of other national teams like France, Portugal, Brazil, etc., and also the occasional Montreal Impact jersey.

I won't answer for Begratto but I suspect it's similar in Montreal.

I don't think Ive ever seen anyone wear a Canadian National Soccer jersey.

I have seen almost as much Toronto FC gear as European Club/ national.

Acajack · #**718** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 8:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

I too find it bizarre that Canadians wear team paraphernalia from countries, cities, or universities they have zero connection to. They're wearing it as fashion or to fit in but it's all rather lame imo. When you see someone in Toronto wearing a Michigan basketball jersey its almost guaranteed that they didn't graduate from there or even been within 50km of that campus.

Even stranger is the look of puzzlement when I respond 'Dalhousie' when someone asks me what college basketball team I support. I went there so shouldn't that be my answer? Or the Ryerson student who responds 'Duke'!

In fairness, the first part in bold is something that people do all around the world these days, even though Canadians are especially "good" at it.

But the second part in italics is more of a uniquely Canadian thing!

VANRIDERFAN · #**719** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 8:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

I too find it bizarre that Canadians wear team paraphernalia from countries, cities, or universities they have zero connection to. They're wearing it as fashion or to fit in but it's all rather lame imo. When you see someone in Toronto wearing a Michigan basketball jersey its almost guaranteed that they didn't graduate from there or even been within 50km of that campus.

Even stranger is the look of puzzlement when I respond 'Dalhousie' when someone asks me what college basketball team I support. I went there so shouldn't that be my answer? Or the Ryerson student who responds 'Duke'!

Brandon University Bobcats! The Glory years of the 80's!
https://gobobcats.ca/schedule.aspx?path=mbball

begratto · #**720** Posted **Mar 11, 2019, 8:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

Would those be Impact jerseys or Canadian national jerseys? Perhaps things will change when Montreal gets its NBA team.

As Acajack mentioned, it's mostly European (but not exclusively) club jerseys and also the occasional Montreal Impact jersey.

When we travel with the kids, we have this tradition that we get them football (well, soccer) jerseys of the country we're visiting, at the beginning of the trip. It's always a good conversation starter with the locals! Worked well in Turkey, Romania, Sri Lanka, Croatia, etc... Then they wear them at school when we're back in Montreal; it makes a great souvenir.

I'm sure it would change if Montreal had a NBA team, but I'm really not sure there's a market for it here given the league's very low visibility in Quebec.