The ongoing process of making Toronto desirable for those who don't know better continues!

[ceez]

i follow a variety of various sports players from multiple sports and the one thing they ALL have in common is wanting cool, new stuff. it's not necessarily going to sell a FA on wanting to sign with Toronto but it WILL help, make no mistake. reminds me of when Cuban took over the Mavs and started splurging on stuff. the mav players LOVED it. players that are happy playing where they're playing are a FA attraction in itself. so yes, it does matter.

[S.R.]

All thing that matters is winning .

And yet Chris Bosh just turned down a Rockets team he probably would have helped make a 60+ win contender for a Heat team that will be much worse than that, Carmelo took Knicks' money over Chicago W's, Lance Stephenson just left the 1st seeded Pacers for the 7th seeded Hornets (2013-14), and most infamously Lebron just left a four-consecutive-trips-to-the-finals team for a team that won 33 games last year.

A few details to add to all those points, to be sure, but I'm not so sure that winning is as big of a factor as you'd think for FA's now. The elites always believe they can turn a 30-40 win team with a bit of potential into a contender anyway.

[Chr1s1anL]

And yet Chris Bosh just turned down a Rockets team he probably would have helped make a 60+ win contender for a Heat team that will be much worse than that, Carmelo took Knicks' money over Chicago W's, Lance Stephenson just left the 1st seeded Pacers for the 7th seeded Hornets (2013-14), and most infamously Lebron just left a four-consecutive-trips-to-the-finals team for a team that won 33 games last year.

A few details to add to all those points, to be sure, but I'm not so sure that winning is as big of a factor as you'd think for FA's now. The elites always believe they can turn a 30-40 win team with a bit of potential into a contender anyway.

He stayed in a weaker conference on a team that has no problem attracting free agent.

[white men can't jump]

And yet Chris Bosh just turned down a Rockets team he probably would have helped make a 60+ win contender for a Heat team that will be much worse than that, Carmelo took Knicks' money over Chicago W's, Lance Stephenson just left the 1st seeded Pacers for the 7th seeded Hornets (2013-14), and most infamously Lebron just left a four-consecutive-trips-to-the-finals team for a team that won 33 games last year.

A few details to add to all those points, to be sure, but I'm not so sure that winning is as big of a factor as you'd think for FA's now. The elites always believe they can turn a 30-40 win team with a bit of potential into a contender anyway.

I don't really want to argue for anything here. Just want to point out Chris Bosh is a diva, and kind of an idiot.

[YoungGunRaptor]

I don't really want to argue for anything here. Just want to point out Chris Bosh is a diva, and kind of an idiot.

I'm sure that 5 year, 118 million dollar deal had just a bit to do with it as well.

[Katman]

Or we could convince the government to make weed legal

[mcHAPPY]

Or we could convince the government to make weed legal

Has it worked for Denver?

[Puffer]

One of my recurring themes, and Matt has been on this as well as some others, is that anything a team can do, any money that they can spend outside of player salaries, that has any positive influence on the players physical health, skill set, mental outlook and state of mind is well worth spending.

What is a top practice facility going to cost? $20 million, $60 million, I don't know. Just think of it as four years of Hedo Turkyglue money. Except it doesn't disappear down a hole, with nothing coming back. It continues to pay dividends for more than a decade. Have top facilities, hire top staff, do everything to make it easy for players to workout as well as possible, and have as positive a feeling as possible, and improve even incrementally on an ongoing basis and you are well on the way to being a more successful club, than you would have been, all other things being equal.

[psrs1]

Depends how well the Leafs do.

Leafs still a 7-10 team. But if TL can hang his hat on successful Raptor season you can bet he will.

[godkingleonidas]

McCowan seems to think TL will be gone in a year... and how his wife is tired of the long winter. We need him in 2016 to help get Durant!

If you can't change your woman, exchange your woman. #thesehoesaintroyal

[blackjitsu]

One of my recurring themes, and Matt has been on this as well as some others, is that anything a team can do, any money that they can spend outside of player salaries, that has any positive influence on the players physical health, skill set, mental outlook and state of mind is well worth spending.

What is a top practice facility going to cost? $20 million, $60 million, I don't know. Just think of it as four years of Hedo Turkyglue money. Except it doesn't disappear down a hole, with nothing coming back. It continues to pay dividends for more than a decade. Have top facilities, hire top staff, do everything to make it easy for players to workout as well as possible, and have as positive a feeling as possible, and improve even incrementally on an ongoing basis and you are well on the way to being a more successful club, than you would have been, all other things being equal.

Would buying a D-League team have more of an impact?

Mind you, a nightclub in the ACC, that acts as a smaller venue for smaller concerts, and has a higher end clientele could potential clear millions quickly. Especially with the Koolhaus complex being shutdown to build condos around the same time.

[Letter N]

Leafs still a 7-10 team. But if TL can hang his hat on successful Raptor season you can bet he will.

You're delusional if you think the Raptors will save TL if the Leafs miss the playoffs in the next 2 years.

For MLSE Leafs are the main course, Raptors are the bread and olive oil, you're happy when it's there but it's not going to make or break the meal.

[S.R.]

You're delusional if you think the Raptors will save TL if the Leafs miss the playoffs in the next 2 years.

For MLSE Leafs are the main course, Raptors are the bread and olive oil, you're happy when it's there but it's not going to make or break the meal.

Really? Richard Peddie was CEO of MLSE for 15 years. He ruled over plenty of Leafs suckage (granted during the OTPP era). I find it hard to believe TL would have a 2-4 year tether.

The CEO is pretty well insulated - the coach will absorb at least the first couple years of crap before losing his job. You can go through another couple seasons with the next coach. The GM would be on notice then, maybe have a couple seasons more. Rinse and repeat. I'd think you'd need to be on your 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th GM before anyone starts calling for the head of the CEO. He's pretty far above the level of decision making that directly impacts on-ice performance.

So far it seems like any kind of timeline is self-imposed by TL. I think we're more likely to see him move on to a new challenge before he's at risk of getting canned by the board.

[S.R.]

Look, the Heat already showed everyone how to make your organizational desirable:

[Puffer]

Would buying a D-League team have more of an impact?...

I think the Raps owning their own D-League team would be a definite enhancement to the development process for their rookies. A great way to bring guys into the fold where you can get a good look at them and a great place to stash young or recovering players.