The Raptors are good, enjoyable and appear to be having fun with each minute of it

Open this picture in gallery:

For a while now, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment’s groups have operated on the treat-‘em-mean-to-keep-‘em-keen model.

The clubs don’t win, however in addition they aren’t a lot enjoyable to be round. The gamers can’t disguise how a lot they resent having to clarify themselves to their clients. Once a season ends, they’re visibly delighted to depart the place the place they’re so beloved.

It was a resilient enterprise follow till the Toronto Blue Jays ruined it. Now hastily, folks need joyful and good.

The Leafs’ response to their new job description was to cease displaying up for work, however the Toronto Raptors have tailored their habits. Not so way back – like, two weeks – this was a blandly likeable outfit that kind of simply existed on the perimeters of the sports activities dialog. Not good, not dangerous, not something.

Then they tried one thing new – successful. Winning solves each single factor. If you’re ugly and also you win, you aren’t ugly any extra. You’re attention-grabbing trying.

Cathal Kelly: The mythology of the NHL’s Atlantic Division is collapsing

The Raptors got here into Monday evening’s sport towards Cleveland having received seven in a row. Over the weekend, the streak tipped from an attention-grabbing anomaly to the brand new expectation. The Raptors are good once more.

They additionally received once more, 110-99. Their secret? They employed a celebrity (Brandon Ingram) and he’s enjoying like a celebrity. However a lot they need to persuade you in any other case, sports activities shouldn’t be difficult.

This group is one Ingram sprained ankle from being mediocre once more, however they’re additionally enjoyable. They like one another, and the gang, and enjoying right here. That stuff may be faked, however not this properly.

Now that the Raptors are good, the apparent subsequent query is ‘How good?’

Open this picture in gallery:

Well, they’re about this good. You can’t see my arms as a result of I don’t know, and no person else does both. They’re adequate to qualify straight up for the playoffs. They is likely to be adequate to win a spherical or two.

But that’s getting means forward of ourselves. Right now is an efficient second to replicate on how little this city expects of its sports activities golf equipment, and the way simply groups agreed to satisfy that expectation.

The worse they had been, the extra pissed off the followers grew. The extra pissed off the help turned, the much less they had been in displaying any kind of contrition.

Think of final 12 months’s Leafs’ locker clear-out. Nobody bothered with any apologies or shows of angst. Why trouble? You hate us, we hate you and we’ll be in contact quickly with the annual jacking of ticket costs.

Think of the Leafs proper now – clean seems, empty quotes, zero concepts. There is a world by which this tailspin may very well be become nice theatre. But no. The Leafs can’t even collapse in an attention-grabbing means.

Cathal Kelly: Blue Jays are sitting fairly as they put together to swing huge in low season as soon as once more

If you don’t want your group to be good, they received’t be. If you set up with it, they’ll find yourself blaming you for his or her failures.

Until this 12 months, that was the Jays and the Raptors. It’s been the Leafs for ages, they usually’re getting worse.

Sports groups love speaking about expectations, however by no means from the attitude of their patrons. They need to win for themselves, and never for you – besides that that’s their job. It’d be just like the clowns on the circus popping out after the present and saying, ‘Sure, you didn’t snigger. But we thought it was humorous. That’s what actually issues.’

Who desires to look at a bunch of wealthy narcissists having the identical on-the-job meltdown 12 months after 12 months? Toronto, apparently. This metropolis doesn’t love its groups. It’s in a bizarre S&M relationship with them. It’s not at all times clear who’s who.

You can’t at all times win, however you may at all times be enjoyable to be round. That is as a lot knowledgeable athlete’s job as placing the puck within the internet.

Maybe it’s occurring to a couple professionals that you are able to do this work one in every of two methods. You can consider it as a cross you haul round, pestered by reporters, leered at by strangers, getting dunked on on-line. If you need this to be terrible, it will likely be. You can determine that your solely pleasure in it will likely be success – whether or not that’s your individual or the group’s.

Or you may method this work prefer it’s a lottery you hit every day, day-after-day, till someday your private lottery is cancelled. Regardless of what it says within the standings, you might be successful.

You don’t have to be comfortable to win, however it’s most likely extra enjoyable. For you, in addition to everybody who pays you a lot to play make consider.