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Toronto Raptors: Absence from Christmas Day schedule is irrelevant

By Paul Taylor

TORONTO, ON - MAY 03: The Toronto Raptors line up for the anthems, prior to the first half of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre on May 3, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MAY 03: The Toronto Raptors line up for the anthems, prior to the first half of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre on May 3, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Raptors will reportedly once again not play on Christmas Day. However, despite the frustration from certain factions of the fan base, does it really matter?

The Toronto Raptors have been one of the most consistent and successful NBA franchises during the previous five seasons. During that time, they have averaged 53 regular season wins, won four division titles and made the playoffs every year.

And yet, there are certain factions of the Raptors fan base, who feel their team still doesn’t get enough respect South of the Border. Unfortunately, the latest news will do nothing to quell this sentiment.

As reported by Colin Ward-Henninger of CBS Sports, the Raptors have once again been snubbed from the NBA’s Christmas Day schedule. And while this is nothing new, a look at some of the fixtures for Christmas Day, at least offers some justification for any frustration.

Chief among these is the Utah Jazz matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers. And are you really telling us a game between the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks trumps a clash involving the Raptors?

No doubt the NBA and the US networks will once again blame the issues and logistics of hosting a game in Canada. However, this is easily solved by making the Raptors the road team.

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Apart from this, don’t you think the NBA missed a trick by not having Kawhi Leonard return to San Antonio on Christmas Day, to face his former team? Do they really believe this wouldn’t attract more viewers than Utah versus Portland and New York against Milwaukee?

Of course, no matter how you look at it, this is no surprise. For example, even thought the Raptors have been one of the best teams in the NBA for some time now, they still only had five national appearances on US television last season.

At the end of the day though, it doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. It’s not as if the Raptors have suffered from not playing on Christmas Day.

The Raptors still have the 12th-most valuable NBA franchise according to Forbes. They always do well for average attendance, including ranking fourth this past season.

It helps that Toronto has the fourth-biggest population in all of North America. And in reality, as the only NBA team in Canada, they have an entire country as their potential fan base.

Overall, of course it would be nice to see the Toronto Raptors play on Christmas Day even just once. Ultimately though, it’s irrelevant.

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What’s your take on the Toronto Raptors once again being snubbed from the Christmas Day schedule? Does it matter or not to you, and why? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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