Chris Bosh is going to break our hearts.
I am not a pessimistic person. I like everyone, I’m easy to please, and I’m forward thinking enough to see most silver linings.
A silver lining this hath not.
Chris Bosh…is 16 months away from breaking our hearts. And it hurts already.
We should see this coming by now. I listen to enough punk-bordering-emo music to know that you don’t get the girl in the end. I listen to enough R&B music to know that there’s always another man waiting. We’ve bore witness to this same situation elsewhere in sports, in life. We see it coming, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it.
Like an under appreciated girlfriend, Bosh has slowly grown resentful of us. At first things were great, but as he matured we didn’t grow with him. Things hit their peak when the Raptors came out of nowhere to win the Atlantic Division, and everything was great. Life was bliss. The addition of Bryan Colangelo made the feelings grow stronger. We had something here…we could be something real together.
But now we look back on the past two years and see the signs. We didn’t do enough. Yes, we loved, and yes, we cared, but not in the right ways. We were overly sensitive to small losing streaks, put too much pressure on the relationship too soon, and took for granted some things we shouldn’t have.
Bosh has sat idly by, quietly, with a feeling growing. And then the Olympics happened. Bosh had a taste of what else was out there, and though he came back to us, the first seeds had been planted. Bosh can do better. And then other suitors started coming around…Pistons…Knicks…Cavaliers. The rumors swirling, and we have chosen to ignore, assuming he’ll stay with us. But he won’t.
It might even be too late, realizing it now. We can put on a full court press from here on out. Up jersey sales, vote him into the next All-Star game, put a few extra pieces in place this offseason. But Chris has seen the lows, and now knows that the highs may just be temporary with us. After all, we’ve never sustained it…always been up-and-down, generally good but sometimes downright awful.
Teen movies would show us that it’s not too late – we can buy flowers, become romantic, change, and it will make a difference. It won’t. We’ve seen this. Having realized what else the world has to offer, it’s only a matter of time. The writing is on the wall, and each day Chris grows wearier, his YouTubes less frequent and less humorous, his in-game scowls bleeding into post-game scowls.
Even if we improved, like said sour girlfriend, she’s already told her friends bad things about us. She’s known you too well, saw you at your worst. What would the point be in sticking around hoping? Chris knows Toronto can’t bring in top free agents, that the bad weather and near-50% tax rate are killers. The lack of a 2nd round playoff appearance in some time doesn’t help either.
We can try our very hardest for the next 16 months, but it’s unlikely to be enough. He’s made up his mind. We might not know where yet, but he’s as good as gone.
And unlike the Vince Carter break up, which is the type where fights were plenty and the two parties generally grew tired of each other, we can’t rely on distaste and blame to make this easier. There will be no revenge sex, no flaunting a new other. Because this will hurt way more…we’re being left for someone else. We can’t even be mad, really. Oh, we can play mad, pretend to hate, but it will be transparent at best, harmless at worst. He’s leaving for something even we must admit is probably better…at least in the now.
LeBron James? Dwyane Wade? New York? Cap space? Media attention? Global recognition?
With these things we cannot compete. While we are, in our own way, a great catch, Bosh has seen our worst and the best of others. It is contest non grata. We have been measured and found wanting, a new, more exciting opportunity found more promising.
It is 16 months away, an entire off-season and regular season between, and there are beacons of hope here and there. We won’t let this ruin the next year and a half – que sera, sera is the attitude that has led us here, after all – but after every loss, after every rumor is read, we’ll know.
Chris Bosh is 16 months away from breaking our hearts.
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:43 AM
I wrote this last night. Now this has come out: http://raptorsrepublic.com/blog/2009/02/01/sas-bosh-tells-colangelo-he-will-not-resign-trade-discussions-ongoing/ Ouch.
February 2nd, 2009 at 12:19 PM
Nice article. I probably have to agree that Bosh will likely bolt in 2010, but I think alot can change in 16 months so who knows for sure. I read a BC interview today where he flat out shot down the SAS rumours, and who the hell listens to Steven A. Smith anyway? But the constant rumours after every loss are starting to scare me.
February 2nd, 2009 at 12:22 PM
Ya SAS is generally unreliable, but at the least it’s the first outright statement about it instead of just speculating.
Not sure what the market would be for Bosh right now but it will be interesting to see what kind of rumors pop up.
February 2nd, 2009 at 1:29 PM
Caron Butler and DeShawn for Bosh… get ‘er done!
February 2nd, 2009 at 4:09 PM
Now that the rumor has been shot down by CB4 and BC, I’d like to point out…I wrote this Saturday/Sunday, and it IS still going to happen.
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:06 PM
Nice piece man! For what it’s worth, athletes in Canada do not pay the same taxes as regular high income earners. They get plenty of breaks, trust me it’s not even an issue.
The rumor “shutdown” is typical. But where there is smoke there is fire, and more importantly, as the piece underlines, there is not one single solitary reason for CB4 to stay here.
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:22 PM
Like I said before, I am of the belief that Bosh will likely bolt in 2010. To play devil’s advocate, though, I really can’t agree with the notion that he has absolutely no incentive to stay in T.O. Toronto can offer him more money as a FA than any other team in the league according to the CBA, and also has the option of tagging on one more year than any other club.
I’m not saying this alone will persuade him to stay. The argument could even be made that signing on with a team like NY might put some extra change in his pocket in terms of endorsements. But for someone trying to argue that Bosh would stick around passed 2010, this might make a good point.
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:16 PM
Here’s the thing. Agreed on $ not being a factor, as he said as much before. But here’s the real deal. He doesn’t leave a dime on the table at all.
If he gets traded, the other team will get his Bird rights, thus they can sign him for whatever the max is.
And even if they don’t trade him, before his contract is up, then the Raptors will agree to a sign and trade. Again he doesn’t lose the 30 million.
Only way he does is if Toronto let’s him walk, and that will never happen, unless BC has gone completely insane, and if it does happen he should be hung at ACC.
This is pretty much the reason the 30 mil is not a factor in any way.
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:22 PM
Great to have Blake and the ODC back…even if I am partial as all holy hell.
That said, I have to be honest: you are right, this WILL happen, but for me at least, it won’t hurt that much. Perhaps its because of how things ended with VC that I am forever scorn, particularly given what an influential age in which that occurred. But this is not the same. I will not be sad. Disappointed, sure. But you cannot build a championship team with CB4 as a centrepiece. Which is not to say that the Raps will use the cap room to attract someone you CAN build a title contender around (because DWade, LeBron, et al are not willingly coming to Canada), but it is to say that I will not shed a tear for CWebb 2.0. Winners don’t get blocked by J.Noah at the end of games. Winners don’t get punked by KG getting into their shorts two nights in a row. And winners don’t go -23 in one of the biggest tests of the season.
Bring on the cap room, que up 808s and Heartbreak, and see you in my knightmares.
And yes, I am playing the role of bitter dumpee.
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:53 PM
Blake,
My take is this.
Chris Bosh will end up re-signing with the Raptors at the end of his contract … unless, of course, Bryan Colangelo continues to construct a Low End NBA team in Toronto, between now and the 2010 UFA signing period.
If Mr. Colangelo does his job properly … CB4 will be the Captain of this team for years to come.
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:03 AM
[...] Chris Bosh Will Break Our Hearts - Chris Bosh…is 16 months away from breaking our hearts. And it hurts already. [...]
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:37 AM
Oh fuck off, my gosh.
Like Blake has masterfully outlined in this article, this all just comes down to sex, and the reality is, we need to fuck the shit out of Chris Bosh. We tried a hand-job - Jamario Moon - which was pathetic, and incredibly raw, and we even stepped it up and let him do us in the ass for a bit - Jermaine O’Neal - but now, I’m thinking three-some.
The Ender Will NOT Save Us all (man I hate that song); if we lose Bosh, there’s no need to be emo, we just gotta kill ourselves (completely rebuild).
So why not take a chance while we still have a chance, sell the farm - and our sexual/moral dignity - and bring in Shawn Marion. Just do something!, anything! Just please, please, don’t sit and sing me shitty emo songs.
Either that, or we get some new, sweet ass titties!
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:58 AM
Man, girls are retarded.
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:30 AM
Sam, I say this with all the love in the world: come home from Korea, and get help.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:01 AM
[...] there you have it Rapts fans. No need to step up to the ledge … [...]
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:00 PM
[...] Chris Bosh Will Break Our Hearts [...]
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:16 PM
Would BC be willing to take on a semi-malcontent who occaisionally stands tall and talented?