I don't want to be "that guy," but I keep hearing how "smart" and "selfless" Calderon is and how "selfish" but "athletic" Lowry is--as though the point guard position is so cerebral that no man of color could possibly wrap his head around it. And then we see that case history of one black point guard after another getting run out of town. Do the white boys who own and run that team just not like black point guards? We saw this all the time when Warren Moon was throwing for the Oilers. He was the first big name black QB in the NFL (and played in Canada, ironically!) and racist detractors always said how he was supposedly "too dumb" to understand the vast intricacies of the QB position. I've only been to Canada a few times, Ontario mostly, and I wouldn't say I was treated poorly at all, but I did get the impression that sometimes people were going out of their way to not seem intolerant. And through that, there was still some sort of different treatment in play. Basically: What the hell is going on in Toronto?
I'd say it's bc they are winning with Calderon and were losing with Lowry. Pretty simple, doesn't need to get complicated with race.
Their losing probably has more to do with Andrea Bargnani being out, but unfortunately, since Lowry played with Bargnani, they're lumping Lowry into the reason why the Raptors were losing. Plus, they're trying to shop Calderon and prop up his value.
The Rockets were successful last season after Lowry got injured and Dragic replaced him in the starting lineup. Lowry is a very good player, but I do question why teams are winning once he's no longer starting. It could be coincidence, but my point is that it shouldn't become a race issue.
Could be bothered by the minutes. Could also be that he was rushing out to meet with friends and family since he's from Philly.
The issue is that in the long-term, they've NEVER been winning with Calderon at the helm, and keep running all these quote unquote "more athletic" but "more selfish" and "less cerebral" point guards out of town anyway, all of whom are black. It's such a perverse and suspicious way to run a team for 10 years that I can't help but think there is something else going on in the land of ice and snow. If somebody just wanted to tell me there was some systemic racism involved, like they view a point guard as having to be a plucky high motor white man, I would believe them. I know people thought this way 20 years ago, but I didn't know they *still* did. It wouldn't surprise me, is what I'm saying. I try to never play the race card myself but let's be honest, it's all very suspicious when considered along with that Toronto Raptors track record with black PGs. I want to know more about this.
You're overthinking it. Toronto's been trying to trade Calderon for years, despite him rightfully winning the PG battle with TJ Ford. They traded a guaranteed lotto pick for Lowry, which is unheard of. The simple truth is that he's kept up with or outplayed all his competition. He just happens to be white and unathletic. Do you have this same suspiscion about Phoenix? They've had a Nash/Dragic rotation at starting PG since 2004 and have put black PGs like Barbosa, Telfair, and Marcus Banks on the back burner. Discrimination?
Utah. Minnesota. The list ends there. Dat comfort in the hearts of a fan base knowing that a basketball will not be sullied by darker hands.
I'm not raising a proud fist and calling for a boycott here. I just want to know if that garbage franchise is sentimental about white point guards, or is at least catering to a sentimentality among its fans. Others are. Others do.
If the Toronto management is racist, why would they make the trade (essentially a guaranteed lottery pick) for Lowry? I lived in Houston during the Warren Moon era and don't remember any reputable source saying he was too dumb to play QB, but I do remember hearing how dumb Terry Bradshaw was. Moon was acknowledged as an intelligent guy.
In answer to your first question, Toronto's management is incredibly stupid and inconsistent. So if you notice stupid inconsistencies, then there you go. In answer to the second, you need only have travelled outside of the Houston metro area to hear what the rest of Texas and football fans in general had to say about this black (and they'd use a different word there) who thought he could throw a football and run a team. Hell, I've even personally had Cowboys fans try to explain to me how "they" [meaning black men] were "more athletic" but were also [and then they used to use a bunch of different phrases here: less "poised". less "cerebral." "couldn't read defenses as well."] Right to my godamn face they would tell me this. It was a different time. A worse time. But in the Houston metro area? Not so much. I bet if some small segment of fans ever thought that way about Moon, they kept it to themselves or else had a change of heart in the face of his undeniable talent. Houston has been very progressive with its sports teams over the years and I am immensely proud of that.
If you don't think systemic racism has impacted the sports world over the last 100 years, then you are easily the dumbest person to post on this page, and I'd prefer you didn't do it again.
When's the last time Utah had a white point guard? Minnesota drafted Johnny Flynn at #6. Sorry to disappoint you, but there are white players in the NBA and teams are not systemically racist for using them.
It sounds like you don't have the slightest clue what is being said here either. Oh, word? Minnesota drafted Flynn as a 6th pick? The struggle is over! lol god damn even that one made me laugh. Some of these people.
Since this conversation has already gone off the rails, I want to point out that this thread would be twice as long if DD were still here to post "I told you Lowry isn't an NBA starter" hundreds of times.
Or you could look at Minnesota's rosters since inception and tell me how discriminatory they've been. They've had maybe four white point guards total? You're right, I don't see your point. First it was about Toronto, then about Utah and Minnesota, and now possibly about a league-wide struggle for all black point guards? What struggle are you talking about? If you're arguing that black point guards are being discriminated against by multiple teams, I find your evidience uncompelling.
Please. You're playing the race card right now. If they hated black PGs, why would they keep bringing them in? Their first ever expansion pick was B.J. Armstrong (refused to play in Toronto), their first ever draft pick was Damon Stoudamire, and both were black PGs. They traded for Kenny Anderson (refused to play in Toronto) and drafted Francis with the 2nd pick (refused to play in Toronto). They traded Anderson for Chauncey Billups, and then went through a series of PGs like Muggsy Bogues, Dee Brown, Mark Jackson, and Alvin Williams (who is currently working in the Raptors front office). You're way, way off base.
