DoctorOfGravity

This times 100. As a Torontonian I despise the Raptors branding now. They went from being a Toronto team with an distinct identity (like or it or hate it) to the blandest, most generic red/black ooooh aren't we Canadian. "The North." It's a stupid ass name for one of the southernmost cities in all of Canada. I won't touch a piece of that merchandise and treasure all my pre- :censored:ty redesign Raptors gear. Truth is they have tried to drop the 'Toronto' brand like a hot potato because the concept of 'Toronto' is straight up toxic once you drive outside the 416/905 area code. Since the Raps are the only NBA team left in Canada they have to flog the hell out of the Canadian brand, to gain traction outside the Toronto area, which pisses me off to all hell because when they (or the leafs, or whoever from Toronto) are losing, everyone gets to on Toronto. When they win, however, they're "Oooh wooo Canada's team." It doesn't help the majority shareholders in MLSE (raptors/leafs owners) are Rogers and Bell, both huge broadcasters for whom viewership and media rights are the priority. So branding the Raptors to be as bland and cross-Canada palatable is in their best interest rather than anything to do with the local fans who, again, like the Leafs will pack the arenas regardless. I really hate the genericness, the blandness, the total unwillingness to embrace even the slightest hint of local identity in the recent re-brands. Every distinctive colour and trademark has slipped away. Sorry, for the grump, just a bitter Toronto fan here sick of watching a team flush a local identity down the toilet for the sake of national branding.