DeMar DeRozan recently mentioned that living in Toronto cost him millions of dollars in taxes. It is a lot of money to pay for the privilege of seeing a specialized salt truck every February. I remember when Jorge Garbajosa used to play here, and I often wonder if he ever looked at his pay stub and sighed.
Money is a strange thing because it exists until it does not. DeMar gave us his best years, and in exchange, the government took a percentage to fix the roads near the Gardiner Expressway. It seems like a fair trade if you do not think about it for more than three seconds, which I usually do not.
The Washington Problem
We are playing the Wizards tonight on TSN. People say the Raptors have no excuses against Washington, which is a bold thing to say about a team that can find an excuse in a cardboard box. The Wizards are a basketball team in the same way that a folding chair is a piece of furniture. It serves a purpose, but you would rather have a couch.
We supposedly have a rebounding demon on the roster now. I am not sure if he is an actual demon or just a man who is very good at taking a ball away from other men. My uncle used to say that rebounding is just about wanting it more, but I think it is mostly about having long arms and being in the way.
March Break and Existentialism
A fan asked if they should take their four year old to Raptors Fan Day during March break. They wanted to know if the players actually come out. The players do come out, mostly because they have to, and they stand there while children look at them.
It is a good way to spend a Tuesday, I suppose. You stand in a line and wait for a person who is seven feet tall to acknowledge your existence. It teaches children about the fleeting nature of celebrity and the cold reality of indoor lighting.
The game starts at 7:00pm. I will probably watch it while eating something that I will regret later. That is the rhythm of the season, a slow march toward the lottery or a play-in game that feels like a trip to the dentist. We all spin, much like Pascal used to, until the taxes are paid and the whistle blows.