Name the Affluent School

I have vaguely heard of Dave Bidini a local writer and musician.
He has written an article for a publication I have never heard of, the National Observer. Maybe it is just me and I should know more about Bidini and the National Observer. I'm taking a chance that it not like The Onion and the articles are not fake.

Bidini writes an opinion piece with the premise that the Toronto Raptors lack of Canadian press is due to racism. That he has to search on page six of the sports section to read about the Raptors recent win streak.  No doubt NHL hockey is the lead every night but it is easy to find Raptor articles.

What really got my attention was a story that Bidini leads off with about a"sports event" which he refuses to identify, at his kid's school. Bidini claims that a school from an affluent Toronto neighbourhood demanded that the gym be cleared of fans. That the fans were primarily black. He claims that the fans were not removed from the stands, as no good reason was given.

Why would you not name the affluent school? That would be the lead story in the Toronto Star if true and would be a huge scandal. If that story is not an outright lie than there has to be more to it and Bidini should give us the full story. If that happened in my city I want to hear about it.

I agree with Bidini that the Raptors do not have a national following like the Blue Jays. It is cultural and is reflected in the TV ratings for their games. I'm a big Raptors fan and I live in downtown Toronto. I would watch a Raptors game over the Leafs. By and large people in Saskatchewan do not follow the Raptors. That should not bother anyone. Sports in primarily local and while some teams have broader appeal, most don't. I don't care for curling and won't be watching The Brier. That should not offend people on The Prairies.

The Raptors sell out every game. In the playoffs they have thousands of young people watching them on the big screen outside of the ACC arena. They have a big, diverse following in the GTA. Be content with that, don't wish for people in Medicine Hat to follow your team.

Bidini's comment that the Raptors have been around for decades is an exaggeration if not factually incorrect. This is their 20th season.

If you look closely you will find the Raptors on the first page of most sports sections in Toronto. They play second fiddle to their owners, the Leafs, because this is Canada and hockey always leads.

I would not sit in a sold out arena, surrounded by thousands of screaming fans, worried that some fisherfolk in The Maritimes doesn't care if my team wins or loses.