Ballers Blog

TBC FALL ‘08 FINALS

YOUNG GUNNZ TAKE IT ALL 51-50 @ THE BUZZER!

JONATHAN HITS HIS 2ND GAME WINNING BUZZER BEATER FOR THE CUP & THE M.V.P.

 OSWORTH WE SEE YA, DEFINITELY FIRST TEAM ALL TBC

 MOST SPORTSMANLIKE PLAYER - MATTHEW GARNICK

Gotta show love to the Eagles who lost a heart breaker in the Final. They were the team to beat all year and for the majority of the Final they were in the driver’s seat.

MEN’S REC LEAGUE CHAMPS

MORAL HAZARDS

Moral Hazards capped off an impressive undefeated season  with a convincing 84-48 win over Fast Break.  Congratulations
guys! Enjoy your new jerseys!

*** JUS FLY PUTS ON A SHOW***

Justin ‘Jus Fly’ Darlington showed to all those in attendance at the TBC Fall ‘08 Finals why he is an honoured member of Team Flight
Brothers and is considered one of the world’s top dunkers.  Helping ring in the launch of K1X into Canada, Jus Fly got the gym rowdy with a collection of some of his signature dunks!
Stay tuned we have the whole showcase along with Jonathans ridiculous championship winning shot on film. Video coming soon…

SHOUTS TO CADDY ROLLIN’ THRU

This week marks the final week of the Toronto Ballers Club Fall ‘08 Season.  We have a big week planned for the Finals with Justin ‘Jus Fly’ Darlington rollin’ through after doing the Raptors halftime show on Sunday to come and show the TBC what all the hype is about.  As for the game, we have a matchup between two of the hottest teams at the moment.

MEN’s COMPETITIVE

Ever since Jonathan hit that game winning 3 pointer against Angiel basketball, the Young Gunnz have been turning heads with their deadly 3 point shooting and their unwavering grit and determination.  The Eagles, summer league champs are back where they are confortable, as favourites to take it all again.  It should be a great game, and for all those that come down to check it out, it’s sure to be an exciting final!

 MEN’s REC

As anticipated, the undefeated Moral Hazards are set to meet Fast Break in the Final. These have been the two strongest teams all year, with Fast Break really taking it up a notch with the addition of Evan mid season.  We expect this game to be intense and it should go down to the wire.

Some photos from this past Sunday December 7th 2008

Ron finishes Victor’s sick pass off the board with a jam

 Jamal takes it up strong for the Eagles vs. Angiel

Eagles set to defend their crown

Young Gunnz shot their way into the Finals

 Hard @ Work | Paul & Sean keepin’ tabs on the score

Our hardworking officials

Angiel Basketball Club

TBC’s deepest team Magic wonder ‘What Happened?’

Smokin’ Aces’ Dominick takes it to the Scarboro Redout

There’s always Next Year!

I am currently watching the Boozerless Jazz absolutely destroy the Raptors and it is apparent that this team is lost, plays no defense, is poorly coached and is soft as butter.  Its a shame Triano got thrown prematurely into the fire after Colangelo mercilessly let Mitchell go after they laid an egg against the Nuggets. Someone send an S.O.S. to Parliament Hill the Raps need a BAILOUT!

So far the Raptors have been a .500 ball club held up by the strength of Chris Bosh.  He has truly emerged this season as one of the NBA’s elite but I think it may be premature to start the MVP chatter.  The Raptors need to prove that they are a 50 win team for Bosh to even be considered.  It says here that most of the NBA would snicker if they heard that those crazy Canadians were putting Bosh in the same category as the Kobes and Lebrons of the world.  Don’t get me wrong, Bosh is third in the league in scoring and is single handedly willing the Raptors to victories but we must wait to see if he can keep up this torrid pace for 82 games.

I have gone out on a limb around the office saying that the Raps will end up with 48 wins.  Let’s see if someone steps up and becomes the true number 2 option.  It’s been a different guy every night, but therein lies the inconsistency of this team.  O’Neal and Calderon have got to bring it every night, and if they do this years Raptors may be able to win north of 50.

Anyone heard the rumours going around that Colangelo is making a pitch for Shawn Marion? I wouldn’t hold my breath, but these days in the NBA and especially with slick BC, you just never know.

The Toronto Ballers Club is proud to be partnered with K1X as they enter the Canadian market.  Look out for the K1X H1KE All Access available exclusively from Athlete’s World. Also keep an eye out for upcoming events including the much anticipated slam dunk showcase by Toronto’s own Justin ‘Jus Fly’ Darlington. Some are saying he is the highest jumper they have ever seen.  Be sure to make your way down to the gym on Sunday December 14th, to witness Jus Fly do his thing in person!

It’s been a roller coaster ride so far this TBC Fall ‘08 Season.  The main things to look for going into the final week are teams trying to move into the championship round and avoid the consolation bracket.

On the Men’s Competitive side Angiel Basketball and Smokin’ Aces go into the final week both tied with 3-5 records but Angiel holds the tie breaker on head to head +/- to hold the final Championship Round spot.  With the winless Scarboro Redout on deck for Angiel and Smokin’ Aces going up against the first place Eagles it will definitely take a miracle. But after seeing the Young Gunnz’ Jonathan hit the game winning 3 at the buzzer over Angiel two weeks ago, anything can happen.

JONATHAN & MARVIN FROM THE YOUNG GUNNZ

Rec league has been incredibly competitive.  Moral Hazards goes into the final week still undefeated.  They have been tested though, and we expect to see some of these other tough teams like Fast Break and Risky Business take them to the limit.

MORAL HAZARDS IN ACTION

So the Raptors are out of the gate 2-0 with wins over the 76ers and the Warriors.  In both games Chris Bosh proved to the NBA world that he is indeed a bonafide all star.  But here in Toronto we all knew that already. There seems to be a little more of a swagger in this years edition of the Toronto Raptors and I think we have to credit Jermain Oneal with that.  The Raptors have always been considered a soft jump shooting team, but now with Bosh and J.O. on the block and a streamlined roster, it’s looking like this years Raptors may actually have bite.  After hearing reports of O’Neal having it out with a few fans in Philly, and then coming up with a big block and chatting to the Golden State bench, it says here that O’Neal could just be that missing piece that propels the Raptors into a feared opponent.  Let’s see how we feel after 82 games!

After taking a little bit of a hiatus, the Ballers Blog is back! With still over a month and a half left until the season, slowly but surely all the basketball writers from ESPN to SI to FOX SPORTS are all giving their predictions and opinions on the summer that was.  While some seem to think that the Jermaine O’Neal trade was one of the most underrated moves of the summer, others are saying that Colangelo is taking a big $44 million risk.  I agree with both statements so to speak, but I think the real question mark is whether or not Roko Ukic can step into the lineup and contribute.  The Raptors will surely miss T.J. Ford this year, though it’s a shame that he and Calderon just couldn’t co-exist.  But think back to Calderon’s rookie year and you will remember a lot of missteps and turnovers along the way.  Ukic will definitely have a steep learning curve, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Raptors were in contention at trade deadline, if B.C. made a move for a more reliable back up.  Calderon will play heavy minutes, so it’s imperative for the Raptors that Ukic learns the NBA game quickly.  It says here that he will probably struggle just like Jose did in his first year, and that could severly hurt the Raptors playoff seeding.  Nonetheless I wish Ukic all the best, as all eyes will be on the rookie from Croatia, of course after the initial breaking in period of Jermaine O’Neal…

Here’s Ukic doing his thing versus the Raptors last season in the pre-season

Congrats to the USA Basketball team for doing the expected and winning the Gold at the Olympics. I’m especially happy for Chris Bosh as he definitely can use the added confidence from the win. Hopefully that translates in the Raptors getting out of the first round, but he’ll definitely need help. But back on topic, some were calling this years team the “Redeem Team”. To be honest, that name stinks, and whoever came up with that should be ashamed. How dare they disrespect the ORIGINAL DREAM TEAM by using that silly pun. All jokes aside, this Olympic Games has made most basketball heads think back on the ‘92 Dream Team with awe.

Jordan, Bird, Magic, The Admiral, Pippen, Drexler, Stockton, Malone, I am not a role model Barkley, Mullin, Ewing, (Laetner)

Here’s the TOP 10 Countdown.

So the matchup everyone was hoping for will go down in the 2008 Summer Olympics Men’s Basketball Final. USA vs. Spain features two Toronto Raptors stars Chris Bosh & Jose Calderon. In all honesty it says here that this games means a lot more for Calderon’s career and confidence than to Bosh. Last year some, including myself, questioned Calderon’s decision to relinquish his starting duties to get his teammate TJ Ford going. Others applauded the move calling him unselfish and the consummate team player. This year Calderon’s got no one behind him, and that could affect his game either way. We hope that Calderon steps it up and makes his first All-Star game as we all recognize that he has incredible potential.

Good luck to both Bosh & Calderon in their Gold Medal matchup!