The city of Toronto, and all of Canada, has Raptors fever - and for good reason.
The Raptors are just one win away from quenching Toronto’s long standing championship drought - a feat that hasn’t been completed by a major North American sports team in the Six since the Toronto Blue Jays back to back World Series Championships in the early 90s.
While many young Raptors fans who are dying to see a home team win a championship wouldn’t remember those victories at all, the guy who hit the walk-off homer to win the second Championship probably would.
That guy, of course, is Jays’ legend Joe Carter.
Carter sat down with Isabel Teotonio of the Toronto Star to chat Toronto championships, and reminisced on the feeling that the Raps’ are probably experiencing right now.
He also acknowledged that this title could potentially even be more intense than the one he experienced.
Carter sang the city’s praises, saying that “It’s exciting times for Toronto, and rightfully so. They’re the greatest fans in the world. Times have changed. These crowds are loud and exciting … It’s a different breed. There’s a lot more excitement now. You get to the airport, and even the customs agents are a lot friendlier — all you’ve got to do is say Raptors and their eyes light up”
Carter also acknowledged how important this win would be on a national scale.
“The (Raptors) are not just playing for Toronto, but for all of Canada, and that’s exactly the way we felt in baseball. We weren’t just playing for the city of Toronto; we were playing for all of Canada. And boy, what an experience. It was great.
“We knew that from the east coast in Nova Scotia, all the way to Vancouver, that the Canadians were rooting for us and it was all about Canada. It was unbelievable. Everywhere you walked, everywhere you went, people throughout the whole country, all they were talking about was the Blue Jays. And it gave you a little pep in your step as you walked around town.”
The buzz is one Carter is familiar with, and he described it as “..electricity, like 100,000 watts of electricity everywhere ... You’ve got the banners, horns honking. It’s just people in a great mood,” he said.
“For players, it gets you so pumped up ... As soon as we would walk out, just for batting practice three hours before the game, the place was packed. And people were yelling and screaming... And that never happened in Toronto.”
Carter also revealed that he’s a Raptors fan, and has reached out to one team member in particular.
“I sent Kyle Lowry an Instagram message. I said, ‘Look, it’s great that you guys get there, but don’t be satisfied with just getting there. You’re there to win it.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, that’s what we’re here for.’”
This is definitely an exciting statement for Raps fans, who are anticipating Monday night’s game with unprecedented enthusiasm.
