Oh yeah - the football season

Okay, so it's been summer.

We enjoyed a fun World Cup, an eventful NBA free agency and some downtime from sport.  And it seems as though it's back.

And I just cannot get excited.

The plight of Bolton Wanderers is the main cause.  We're in a torrid situation.  We've made no moves of note in the off-season and seem intent on begging, stealing and borrowing our way to mid-table mediocrity.

And then you immediately go a goal down once the season begins, in a tricky away tie against Watford.

Sigh.

And for some reason this means the world - well, twitter - caves in.  20 minutes into the football season and we seem to have earmarked it as a bad one.  20 minutes into the season and we have the first (serious) "Freedman Out" post.

Which is great for the players, right?  The first error or the first sign of a bit of adversity in the 2014/15 season and we don't roll our sleeves up, pump our chest and vocally back the players.  No.  We chunter and moan and blame.

I'm not sure at which exact point us Bolton fans decided we were better than mid-table championship and to expect to keep up with the £18m Hull have just been able to spend.  I'm not sure when an away defeat to Watford became the harbinger of doom.

Could be the uninspiring signings.
Could be the uninspiring manager.
Could be the 3 or 4 previous uninspiring managers, back to back
Could be the ridiculous debt we have.
Could be that if our chairman had been decisive that fatal season and ousted Coyle then he might not have had the chance to take us down.

Fuck it, there's loads of reasons.

But whatever the cause being a Bolton fan isn't a lot of fun at the moment.  It offers little joy.  And certainly a League Cup struggle against Bury isn't going to change it.

Can't we all just get along?

Raptors v Nets - Up in the Air

The Toronto Raptors' unexpected season is up in the air, and due to freak circumstances so will I be when the crunch game 7 concludes on Sunday.

Last night a fortnight of staying up late and watching the games at 1am European time with split-shifts on sleep (3 hours before and after) caught up with me and with a heavy heart I turned the game off halfway through the 2nd with the team down 16.  It seemed I didn't miss much as the team didn't get closer than 10 of the Nets.

This is how the alternate-universe "Tank Raptors" should have performed.  They couldn't defend, couldn't score and only impossible buckets from DeRozan kept them anywhere near sight.  The sight of Jonas getting into foul trouble with two senseless offensive fouls, the sight of panicked rotations, jumping on pump fakes and watching the team walk into half court and then fail to even penetrate the three-point line was a tough a watch as I've had in my time watching this team.

Now they face the game of their lives, a matinee tip off at the Air Canada Centre which means 6pm in the UK - where I fly from - and 7pm in the Netherlands, where I fly to.  I land Dutch time about 9pm, and won't get to home or good wifi til gone 10.  By then the series will be over and I'll miss the drama, the nerves and the excitement of the game 7.

I'm absolutely gutted.

Watching these games live in the middle of the night has been an incredible experience.  I found myself punching the air at Kyle Lowry 3s and DeRozan's charges, I've found myself yelling at imaginary refs for poor calls and I had the pit of my stomach completely sick at the sight at a 20-odd point lead evaporate in game 5.

I'll get to Haarlem on Sunday and will already know if my adopted Toronto Raptors will be headed to Miami or headed home.  If we're going to Miami, I'll smile, I'll probably re-watch the game in League Pass and I'll read all the reports twice over.  If we lose, I'll feel numb like it's not happened.  And like that, the season will be over.

I think they can win.  My worry is that they don't think they can win.  They keys to each of the games Toronto has won has been aggression from the start, it's been Jonas's involvement at both ends and it's been Kyle Lowry's sheer grit.

I'm yet to hear conviction from the Raptors camp that they can do it, they must be completely in a daze over the last 5 quarters of basketball.

The good news is that they are at the Air Canada Centre.  Could those 20,000 fans inside (and around half outside) provide the spark and the lift needed?  Coaches will tell you that the fans won't influence these games.  I don't buy it.  That wall of Canadian noise that greets every dunk or three-pointer, the rendition of "O Canada" and the taunting boos whenever Brooklyn get a call - I think the Raptors will feed off it, and I think they'll go to Miami.

Let's Go Raptors.

KingsDay 2014 - Amsterdam and Haarlem

By result of an unhappy accident I found myself staying in the Netherlands on the first Kings Day bank holiday in over a 100 years.  I couldn't miss the chance to see for myself the colour, the boats and the street party.

This is the picture you will see all over the tourist websites and social media promoting the event.  And it's exactly how you find the festivities.  There are plenty of spots where the boats face a traffic jam and the sheer number trying to get through means things soon pile up.

The boats were all shapes and sizes, from little 2-man dingy's to the big tour-boat things.  Including some full of Japanese tourists who didn't quite know what to make of it all!  What the photos struggle to capture is the noise and atmosphere by the canal.  Each boat had a sound system, some had a DJ spinning the decks and all were high-spirited.

Scenes like the above were common, with people selling each other various goods whether it be food - or mostly alcohol.  One of my favourite accessories was the couch below.  You definitely would - and it's orange to boot.

Getting out onto the streets they were full of second hand stalls.  It was common to hear people barter on even a 3-Euro item of clothing.  My favourite moment of the day was clocking a proud looking young kid, maybe 4 or 5 years old with her home-made lemonade.  10 cents a glass.  I got 5 meters past her and made up my mind paying for a glass would be enough to make her day and a group of British girls in front had obviously had the same thought and scurried back to fuss over her.  Elsewhere there were hog roasts, burgers and chilled beers everywhere.

The streets weren't as crowded as expected, but I didn't head to the center of the city, I stayed around Jordaan.  I headed back to Haarlem to find that as lively.  The usually quiet main square had a fairground and a full on street party outside Cafe XO.  That was 3 in the afternoon.

Overall - I'm glad I saw it.  I think to do the day in a group would be amazing.  There are parties everywhere, DJs, drinks and everyone in such good spirits.

I just couldn't imagine a day like this in England.  A day where everyone just had the same, simple idea, and a day where you can be proud of your nationality without judgement.  There's no way that many people would be by the canals or on the boats without throwing things at the crowd or vice versa.

Macron Stadium...

Being part of the Bolton Wanderers fan base is very humbling at the moment.  Out of the bright lights of the Premier League and slipping ever further into debt, the club continues to maximise its corporate partnerships as a means to generate cash.  No more so than the re-naming rights.

The Reebok Stadium (as it will no doubt always be known) was a good fit on so many levels: the Reebok historical link to the town, the ongoing (as it were) relationship as a kit provider - it was just a cool, neat name that fit the personality of the ground and was easily associated with the club.

The club's new ground sponsor is not bargain wholesaler Makro

I had to Google Macron, whose name sides much too closely to Makro for my bargain basement liking. They don't seem to be anybody that anyone's ever heard of and there's no obvious link or association to the club or town.

It's a problem when the club is having its identity stripped away piece by piece.  Move out of the town into a personality-less ground, change the logo, bring the logo back.  And this is before we appraise what is going on on the actual field!

Maybe we get used to it.  I don't know.  First impressions is that it's a horrible name and doesn't help this fan get over current apathy towards the club. So soon after the sponsorship debacle (in fact, who is even our shirt sponsor these days?) I'm sure there will be a prickly response from the fan base.  

What do we think? 

Game 1 - Raptors v Nets Play Offs

And breathe.

That was some ride. And it's only game 1, round 1.

Hands up who was surprised with the outcome, or even the manner of the defeat? The young and admittedly inexperienced Raptors didn't exactly get caught in the headlights but they did get caught out in executing their usual game. We didn't get enough Demar "it's-not-rocket-science" DeRozan involved and the starters went long periods without scoring. It's not enough to dwell on but how the team now adjusts and reacts will sway whether we're looking at a 4-0 sweep or an actual fight in this series.

The smack was laid down very early from an unlikely source. GM Masai Ujuri lit the touch paper with his "fuck Brooklyn" speech, and all chances of a middle of the road series went out of the window. Why Ujuri did it will be debated much more than DeMar's no-show - and maybe that's the point. He said last week that people will watch Toronto. Chances are there are more people than ever paying attention now.

The Nets' reactions were predictable. Pierce referring directly to the Sun cover and Kidd faking his Ujuri knowledge. This ones going to run and run and if the Raptors go down in 4 or 5 games it's all going to sound like hollow brinkmanship.

Even better? The crowd? That looked incredible. Inside was noisy as hell and outside looked like some party. The build up just on Twitter gave me goose bumps. Very cool to see.

Positives from the game? JV monstered it. He played very hard and aggressive on the boards and scored some crucial tap ins.  Kyle Lowry imposed himself and got good support from Greivis Vasquez. The building blocks are there.

Terrance Ross got caught in foul trouble and I suspect if he can compose himself on Tuesday and spread the floor with his 3-point threat it will be a big help. Amir might not be a worry either if the more agile Patterson gets put on Paul Pierce.

Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets - Playoffs Preview

So, since following the Raptors in 2007 this is my first post season experience with my adopted team.  I'm pretty excited, but have low expectations.  But then again, I've had low expectations all season and this team just keeps beating them.

The Nets - New Jersey as they were back then - were the first NBA team I saw along with a pre-big-three era Miami Heat in London in 2008.  I also caught a New Jersey Nets vs Raptors game in London, which I need to revisit at some point on this blog.  They're a tough team to like, even with the re-branding exercise and the Jay-Z fuss.  They've made a bid to buy a championship and for a team of underdogs like the Raptors it would be great to deny them that.

So for what it's worth, my keys to the series are:

Hungry Kyle
The Kyle Lowry that returned from injury looks incredible.  He looks quicker and is in good rhythm shooting.  He has a tough match up in D-Will, but if I wanted to fire up "Captain Kyle" I'd slip a few photos of Joe Johnson in All Star uniform into his locker.

DeMar Derozan won't need the popcorn this year
DeMar the Star
5 years into his Raptors career and finally DeRozan gets to play some meaningful basketball past mid-April.  His growth this year has been great to see.  He has started to influence clutch time, has added to his offensive game and even started showing more passion on the court, becoming a true leader.  But stopping DeMar will be Coach Kidd's first plan and his new-found ability to pass out of double-teams and read defensive schemes will be put to the test.

JV vs KG
Jonas will be getting his first play off experience at an earlier stage than DeMar but his experience pales compared with Kevin Garnett.  The Nets front court has bullied the Raptors this season and they need to be smart and tough on the inside.  Jonas has had a storming month and comes into the post-season in good form, it'll be really interesting to see if he can give the slower veteran some breathless nights.

Casey vs Kidd
All the talk of Brooklyn's experience tends to leave out that there's a rookie coach behind the wheels, and Casey can claim to be involved in several post-season coaching campaigns, not least of which the Mavs win in 2011.  Given the chance to plan and prepare and adjust for one opponent it will be interesting to see how Casey can organise his team, especially on the defensive end.  Equally, we all wait with baited breath for the series' equivalent of the coke spillage incident from Kidd.

And that's a Rap

Was able to watch the Detroit game live on League Pass on Sunday, and caught up Tuesday evening with the Bucks win.  The game at the Palace was a tough watch - long, lots of foul calls and breaks and the Raptors generally made hard work of it.

How great is the potential battle between Andre Drummond and Jonas in the coming years?  If they stay in the same conference they'll see a lot of each other, and it seems at the moment that the Detroit big man has the better of JV.  He seems stronger and more athletic and his big block on Jonas made me cringe a bit.  Drummond caught the eye at the Rising Star challenge when he got MVP and stats-wise edges his fellow sophomore.

The Bucks just continue to be bad, there wasn't much to learn there.  There wasn't much to learn from Greivis Vasquez's post-match "I wanna prove I can play" speech that he must practice into a mirror either.

Weirdly apprehensive about the events of this evening, when playoff seedings will settle.  I guess the "ideal" scenario is a 3rd place seed versus the Wizards, giving the prospect of the Pacers in round 2 rather than the Heat and avoiding the Nets?  

To be honest, I'd take any.  I trust the coach to make adjustments needed for a play-off series against any of the three prospects - and the Nets could be a great series for the neutral fan too.  It seems to me that experience of a playoff series is needed at some point, and I wouldn't put too much pressure on this young group to do serious damage anyway.

Tonight versus the Knicks it would make sense to rest DeMar and manage the minutes of Kyle and JV, maybe let Mr Novak loose to send some three-bomb reminders to his former team and have a healthy starting 5 for the weekend.

Let's Go Raptors

#RTZ

Valanciunas must now prove he can take his medicine

There's nothing like the ominous "Toronto Raptors statement on Jonas Valanciunas" to make one sit up in bed when you check Facebook first thing in the morning.  And then wait, a statement from JV too.... s*** man, what's he done?

My first instinct was a brawl, but driving-under-the-influence is possibly worse.  I abhor drink-driving as we call it in the UK - there is just no need and the way this played out leaves lots of questions about how the young centre handles his time away from the court.

Overwhelmingly I'm frustrated.  At this point of the season the team and the fans don't need the distractions, it was a situation that was easily avoidable, and the casual nature of how he has got caught just shows a tip of the kind of above-everybody attitude that pro-athletes can have sometimes.  I had a ton of love for the young kid from Lithuania going making it big in the NBA and it's hard not to fall for his humble interview routine, and - well - he's let more important people than me down, for sure.

Jonas is going to have to pick himself up from a big mistake

Then part of me thinks - the lad is 21 years old.  Now, I wasn't drink-driving at 21 but pretty sure I was doing stupid stuff.  And we get our wrists slapped and we carry on.  JV has now got to find a way to put it behind him, focus on the next game and build his public persona back up - let's be honest, two or three dominant displays and a hand in a play-off series win and nobody will remember the day he broke the law.

I'm hopeful, and the early signs are good, that he has the right professional people around him to do that.  Ujuri playing Head Master and Lowry playing the Head Boy/Prefect role - there should be enough arms around the young Center to help him focus, take his medicine and move on.

But we know from a few of his slumps that he has a tendency to put the weight of the world on his shoulders and take things hard...

3 games, 3 wins - a weekend of sport

A couple of years ago there was a rule that one of my teams lost in a particular weekend.  If I'd woken up Saturday morning to a Toronto Raptors loss, then Bolton Wanderers would invariably win.  These days, I can't cope.  Both teams winning at once.  Please don't stop.

I managed to watch the win against the Pacers first thing Saturday morning on League Pass.  I've been so impressed with Valanciunas' progress in the last fortnight.  He had a tough slump to break through but now he seems to have simplified his game and focusing on fundamentals.  He looks so much better for it, setting good screens and following up with some important offensive rebounds.  

I hope there was an important lesson learned too about - as the IGBT called it - poking the bear.  The set-to between Salmons and George was fun but it gave the All-Star all the fire he needed to go on a run.  I wouldn't want to do that too often in a play-off series.  

The follow up game against Bucks was a bit more disjointed.  A lot has been made of the "easy" run-in (and really, 2 games against a Knicks team that needs to win doesn't make this easy) and we'll have to hope the players can wake up for games like this.  Pleasing to see T-Ross come of age too and his 3 seems to be coming back just in time for play-offs.

For BWFC I was confined to radio, which always makes me think of following the team in the 90s.  It was a great surprise to get a late goal, nice 3 points and solid clean sheet.  Not quite sure what we're playing for now, we seem to be in no-mans-land but considering there was a point I thought we might go down, I'll take that.

Wigan's Cup Final 2013/2014 - BWFC vs Wigan

I made a rare visit to the Reebok Stadium this weekend to take in Bolton vs Wigan.  My old man was in Mexico and the season ticket was available.  There haven't been many dull games between Bolton and Wigan and despite a torrid season at the Reebok I looked forward to the game.

It didn't disappoint did it?  Late drama, some good saves from the goalkeepers, a should-ve-been sending off and the softest of handbags at times - it was the sort of game you wouldn't mind our position in the league if we were engaged in this type of affair every week.

And we so nearly threw it away.

We were the better team overall for 85 mins and once we conceded the equaliser - out of relative nowhere - there was that horrible feeling of inevitability about Wigan having a chance to win it.  I'd have been disappointed like crazy with a loss, especially with how much pride Wigan take in beating us.

Raptors v Magic : The Big Dipper

Now that Europe has moved its clocks forward I lose my favourable tip-off times, but an 11pm UK time start in Orlando and a day off work on Monday gave me a rare chance to watch a live evening Raptors game.  As it happened it turned out to be a Big Dipper of a roller coaster the like of which isn't in Disneyland.

I nearly called it a night at half time when the Raptors were well up, and I'd have slept pretty soundly.  It was a fun first half with a good battle at the centre position and some good energy off the bench from Nando and Fields - Fields' big slam quite possibly the highlight:

http://www.nba.com/video/games/magic/2014/03/30/0021301096-tor-orl-play4.nba

From there on some sloppy defence, and some sloppy possessions from the two main point guards let the Magic back in and smell blood.  There was a lot of relief at the end of the game I'm sure.

I don't know why Casey had so much difficulty re-inserting the successful bench unit when Lowry and Vasquez were struggling to much in possession and Salmons getting burned at the defensive end every time a defender pulled a move on him.  With Landry you always get good movement, active hands and it seems as well a burst of pace compared with a tiring league.

I love seeing JV playing well too.  Like many Raptors fans I think he's the future face of the franchise and am desperate to see him meet his potential.  Vucevic is a tough match up on any night and a 20-9 return for the young center - including a rare floating hook! - was fun to see.  I like the look of the Raptors when both he and Old Man Hayes are on the floor together - Hayes just seems to talk to him enough on the defensive end, helping him on positions - I think he can learn a lot from Chuck.

A fun game in hindsight, but those starters won't get any rest if they can't keep 20 point leads.

Post 1 - the Intro

So - who am I, what is this blog about and what's the story behind the name?

On this blog you're likely to find ramblings about Bolton Wanderers, the Premier League, Toronto Raptors and the NBA.  If that's your bag - good to have you along, and if not - you're hopelessly lost!

So I'm Lee and I'm from Bolton, England, currently living in Haarlem, North Holland.  You'll find me either in Haarlem where I sleep, Amsterdam where I work, Bolton where my loved ones are or possibly on some form of transportation in between.

Bolton Wanderers is my hometown team and I had a season ticket for about half of my adult and youth life.  I started supporting the team in Division 4 and have enjoyed the heights of UEFA Cup football.  Haarlem Global Trotters as such is the Haarlem Bolton Wanderers Supporters Club.  As far as I know, it's a club of one - and would love to hear from other Lancashire expats out there.

My second passion in basketball.  For the last 6 years, since I started following the NBA again, my team has been the Toronto Raptors.  So the Haarlem Global Trotters is as much a play on the words of the famous exhibition basketball team that tour the worlds arenas as it is tying in Bolton Wanderers.

Check back soon, I don't plan on waiting long til my next post.