We were at Harbour 60 (a steakhouse/bar not too far from the Air Canada von lou0930s Blog
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DENVER - Its been four years since the Raptors had a representative in the All-Star Game. Jamaal Williams Packers Jersey . DeMar DeRozan, a 20-year-old rookie at the time, remembers it well. "I was here when Chris Bosh was the last guy to go," said DeRozan, now 24 in his fifth NBA season, less than two hours after receiving the news. A first-time All-Star, DeRozan got the nod Thursday evening when the NBA named the Raptors guard to the Eastern Conference squad as a reserve. "I work extremely hard every off-season to try and be the best player that I can be," he said proudly. "Just to be a part of All-Star Weekend is something you dream of. I remember being a kid watching All-Star Weekend and wishing to be a part of it. To see your dreams come true definitely means a lot." DeRozan, the fourth ever Raptor selected to the midseason showcase, which will take place in New Orleans on Feb. 16, was hardly surprised to find out his selection had been made official. He had expected it. The texts from family and friends started to come in as the Raptors plane landed in Denver, shortly after the announcement had been made live on TNT. Houston Rockets All-Star guard James Harden called to congratulate him, John Wall of the Washington Wizards, also an Eastern reserve, sent a text. The first call he made was to his fiancé and his infant daughter back in Toronto. "That was cool," he said of what had to be a special moment. Its a moment, an achievement that didnt come overnight. Hes put in the work and his growth as a player, a leader and as a man reflects that. "Hes worked at it [and] he deserves it," said Dwane Casey, who has coached DeRozan in three of his five seasons. "Every year Ive been here he has improved. He has brought something new back after every summer. Im so happy and proud of him as a young man watching him grow." DeRozan, the ninth overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft, is 11th in the league in scoring, fourth in the East, and averaging career highs in points (21.8), rebounds (4.7) and assists (3.6). The Raptors iron man has missed the clubs previous two games with an ankle injury, but hes still only missed 10 contests in his career, with two full seasons under his belt. Since the trade of Rudy Gay, DeRozan has blossomed in his new role. DeRozan has recorded five or more assists in 12 of the 43 contests hes appeared in this season. He accomplished that feat 12 times all of last year and five times total in his first three seasons combined. He has already grabbed five or more rebounds 23 times this season, something he did in 19 games during the 2012-13 campaign. "Im so happy for him, man," said snubbed teammate Kyle Lowry. "It just shows the hard work that hes put in. Its great for our team, its great for the organization, its great for the city, its great for the country." Of course, the news wasnt entirely positive. Lowry, in the middle of a career season, was left off the All-Star roster. The 27-year-old point guard - widely considered to be the most notable name missing from the East team - stood in the lobby of the Raptors Denver hotel, looking ahead to his mid-Febrary vacation. He too was not surprised by the result of the voting and if he was disappointed by it, he didnt show it. "Im alright," said Lowry, averaging career-highs in points (16.8), assists (7.6) and three-point shooting (41 per cent) this season. "Ill be on a beach somewhere hanging out. Ill watch the All-Star game and cheer for (DeRozan)." Lowry is coming off of back-to-back 30-plus point games for the first time in his eight-year career, however both performances came after the coaches submitted their ballots for All-Star reserves on Sunday. Casey has spent the better part of the last month campaigning for both of his guards, hoping to get both voted in, but expecting to only get the one. Why was Lowry left out? Politics, most likely. He and DeRozan may have split votes from coaches who were only willing to vote for one Raptor. Coaches trying to get their own guy in - unable to vote for their own players, by rule - may have thrown their votes to others, less likely to make it. Then theres Lowrys reputation for being, well, prickly on occasion. However, the numbers speak for themselves, or at least they should have. Lowry leads the East in assists in January, averaging 8.3. Hes also hit more threes this month (49) than any player in the league, shooting them at a 46 per cent clip. Hes among the league-best in assist-to-turnover ratio and he has the second highest PER (player efficiency rating) of any guard in the conference. "I am disappointed for Kyle because he is playing like an All-Star," Casey said. "He is one of the best point guards in the league right now and hopefully this doesnt deter him from his continuing his journey to being the best in the league and proving people wrong." Instead, the Nets Joe Johnson made the cut. Johnson is averaging 15.7 points, his lowest mark since 2002-03, his second season in the league. Hes only the second All-Star voted in by the coaches with a below-average PER since 2003. "Im going to keep grinding no matter what, All-Star or not," Lowry said. "Im always going to work hard and continue to be the best player I can be to help my team win." "Honestly I didnt even worry about it," he continued. "We didnt get two, doesnt matter, we got one and thats a big statement for our team. [DeRozans] going to represent our team and hes going to represent us well." DeRozan joins Johnson, Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat, Wall, the Indiana Pacers Roy Hibbert, Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks Paul Millsap on the East squad, along with starters LeBron James and Dwyane Wade of the Heat, Indianas Paul George, Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers Kyrie Irving. Jamaal Williams Youth Jersey . The government says top golfers are expected to compete in the PGA Tour event at the Ashburn Golf Club in the suburb of Fall River from July 3-6 and again next year. Montravius Adams Packers Jersey . "Ive still got it," Seattles ace said with a sly grin. Riding that fastball carrying a little more zip, Hernandez took a shutout bid into the ninth inning as the Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-1 on Wednesday night. On the verge of a brilliant shutout and first complete game since Aug.It was June 22, 2010, and it was blast furnace hot in Las Vegas, site of the NHL Awards ceremonies. I may have been a little hung over, or perhaps a lot, when I stepped outside of The Palms Casino into the relative quiet of the parking lot to make a phone call to Robin Burns and get what I expected would be good news, my first step that day towards what I thought would be feeling a lot better. He didnt get in, Robin Burns said to me solemnly. Can you (expletive deleted) believe it? He didnt get in. He was Pat Burns. In was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame, a voting process that takes place in late June of each year. It was the snub heard round the hockey world and Pats big, burly Irish Quebecker cousin Robin said it exactly as so many of us felt it. Can you (expletive deleted) believe it? Everyone knew NHL coach Pat Burns was dying of cancer, that the odds of him making it another year were virtually non-existent. The reality that day was Pat Burns would not live to see his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, which, of course, finally happens tonight in Toronto. It is, as the saying goes, far more than a day late and a dollar short. If that still sticks in the craw for some of us, it shouldnt. No longer. Two days before the fourth anniversary of Pats death (Nov. 19, 2010), its time to let it go. Finally. Its what Pat wanted. Before he died, that was one of the things Pat told me he wanted to make clear, to make sure everyone knew, Robin Burns said Sunday. Pat told me: Tell everyone Im not upset I didnt get in. Everyone who got in (that year, Jimmy Devellano and the late Daryl Doc Seaman in the builders category, Dino Ciccarelli in the players category as well as women players Cammi Granato and Angela James) deserved to get in. Pat was happy for those who got in, especially the girls (Granato and James). He told me he was just happy to be nominated, to be considered. He was very emphatic about that. He said: Please, please tell everyone not to be mad. Pat knew his friends and family were very upset and angry, but he wasnt. He was okay with it, he was at peace with it. The truth is Pat Burns -- the larger than life ex-cop who won NHL coach of the year honours in three Original Six cities (Montreal, Toronto and Boston) - had too much reverence for the game to feel any other way. As belligerent or brusque as Burnsie could be behind the bench or when the microphones were thrust in his face, there was never a day when he didnt feel like he was the luckiest ex-cop in the world to be as deeply involved and successsful in the game as he was. Kevin King Packers Jersey. That was his reward. Im sure when Pats widow, the lovely Line Gignac Burns, and Pats son Jason accept the HHOF honour tonight on Pats behalf, that will no doubt be the message they deliver loudly and clearly. Its been quite a few days in Toronto for Pats family and friends - his widow Line and her family, Pats son Jason and daughter Maureen, cousin Robin, Pats sisters Phyllis, Violet and Diane although Lillian cant be there tonight because she is at home battling cancer, and Pats brother Sonny (Alfred). The inductees were honoured on Friday night at the Hall of Fame game between Toronto and Pittsburgh at the Air Canada Centre. All of them - Rob Blake, Peter Forsberg, Dominik Hasek, Mike Modano, referee Bill McCreary and Line Burns - were at the TSN broadcast position in the ACC. Its always a wonderful time to congratulate Hall of Famers but it was especially so for me with Line Burns. I was able to tell her how happy I was for my old friend Pat, and his family and friends, that he was finally getting the recognition due him. She told me how much that means to them all and I was humbled when she told me how Pat felt about me. It was a special moment Ill never forget, not unlike the last time Pat and I ever talked to each other, six weeks before he died. There were an assortment of HHOF-related events and functions over the last four or five days and Pats family and friends couldnt help but be warmed by the outpouring of emotion and happiness for Pat on this occasion, especially in the city where he made such a tremendous mark with the Maple Leafs. Pat would have been in his glory, Robin said. Its been amazing. The standing ovation he got at the game on Friday was incredible. I was out with one of Pats best friends Chris Woods and we were having a few (drinks) in Pats honour. We were at Harbour 60 (a steakhouse/bar not too far from the Air Canada Centre) and there were a lot of Pats friends there…Mats Sundin, Tie Domi. John McDermott (the Irish tenor who often sings the national anthem at Leaf games) was there and asked if he could sing a song for Pat. Youve got this noisy bar and restaurant and it goes completely quiet, you could hear a pin drop, and John McDermott sang Danny Boy for Pat. Have you heard John sing Danny Boy? Beautiful, just beautiful. Now theres a moment. Just as tonight will be a special moment for Pat Burns and his family and friends, devoid of any anger or resentment for what could have or should have been. Pat would not have wanted it any other way. Cheap NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap Jerseys From ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys AuthenticWholesale Jerseys ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaNFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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