To the dismay of many fans, unless they are being presented by a certain global ambassador, the in-arena video package and starting lineup player introductions are typically not broadcasted.
To many diehards, Herbie Kuhn introducing the myriad of starting lineups the team has had in the past 20 seasons with perfect pronunciation and cultural flair (Desde Espana… numero ocho!.. Jose Calderon!) was a pregame tradition for every home game. In that time, fans have seen a great variety of creative expressions of the various lineups the team has trotted out. In this edition of #NorthernNostalgia, we will look back upon some of the worst (or rather most hilariously cringeworthy) and best player introductions in Toronto Raptors franchise history.
2008 Playoffs VS Magic
“Are you red-y?!”
Prior to game 3 of likely the most unheralded of Raptors playoff series’ vs the Orlando Magic, fans were treated to this play on the 2007 film “300”. It was likely intended to illicit feelings of warrior-like intensity and bravado but ended up giving up more of a Saturday Night Live parody vibe.
Sid Lee and the We the North campaign certainly has nothing on the dad joke level slogan “Are you Red-Y” which sounds like something that was conceived of somewhere between St Andrew’s and Union station three hours before the tip.
2005-2006 Season
“Crazy”
The team’s first season without Vince Carter was definitely a tough one. The team started the season rattling off nine straight losses on route to a 27-55 finish. The introduction video reflected the dire straights the franchise was in. Nothing screams winning motivation than Beyoncé and Jay Z professing their love to one another. The direction in a dance party of Raptors legends Eric Williams, Loren Woods, and Rafael Araujo seemed to be the franchise saying “we’re probably going to deeply disappoint you, but dammit we’re gonna entertain you!”
(Note: It’s no wonder why Matt Bonner was able to carve out such a long career with the San Antonio Spurs with such rhythm and grace.)
2008-2009 Season:
“Oh hot damn…”
Hip hop music in 2008 was in full out tank mode. The evidence is clear in the Raptors song selection in their introductions for the 2008-09 season. To the painfully generic sounds of Will.I.Am and Flo Rida, Bosh, Bargnani, Moon and CO, dressed for a night out at the Guverment, pile into old school convertables and roll around with the very real backdrops of downtown Toronto. Jamario Moon is having way too much fun.
2006-2007 Season:
“Renegades of Funk”
The first season in the Bryan Colangelo era brought forth the biggest single season turnaround in the franchise’s history so far, and this was reflected in this season’s video introductions. In the first half of the season, the team were ushered in by the dark and forceful tones of rap/rock fusion group Rage Against the Machine, with verse kicks in with the impressively well fitting lyric “since the pre-historic ages..”. The song, to the non hip hop fan likely caused many older fans in the crowd to look to others and ask “the renegades of…what? Can they say that??” This may be the reason that in the second half of the season the intro music was changed to the much safer “Vertigo” by legendary rock group U2.
2007 Playoffs:
“Bring Em Out”
The Raptors first playoff appearance since the departure of Vince Carter which was played against Vince Carter was rung in with an introduction as epic as the narrative. Guided by Mark Petrie’s “Titan Warfare”, the stage was set for the Raptors to go to war with a familiar and hated foe. The court shaking “Bring Em Out” by T.I. would be the track of which the 2007 Atlantic Division champions would be welcomed to. The track helped supplement the raucous roars of support that would be a half a decade early preface to the Northern Uprising.
2014 Playoffs:
“We the North”
With the meteoric rise of the Raptors in 2014 came not only a winning product on the floor but new creative and dynamic presentations of the team. From the creation of Open Gym, to the extremely popular We the North campaign and of course, the masterpiece that was the team’s playoff intro vs the Brooklyn Nets. There are few songs that can capture the moment of a playoff game quite like the Diddy and B.I.G classic “Victory”.
What’s eerie in all this is that all these intros were for some of the franchises worst displays of basketball. The Raptors were made minced meat of by Dwight Howard in the Magic series, and were lottery teams in 2006 and 2009 respectively. Coincidence?? I think not (thought they probably are).
