Hello and welcome to my first TOTW (Thoughts of the week), where I will share my opinions about a variety of things from sports to politics that transpired over the week that was.
I hope to release these once a week, but things do not always go as planned as this past year and a half has shown us.
Firstly, I want to congratulate Christine Sinclair and the entire Canadian Olympic Women’s Soccer team for their gold medal against Sweden. Sinclair has always been one of, if not the most outstanding athlete that Canada has ever had. It is incredible to see her rewarded with an Olympic gold that is the cherry on the cake of her terrific international career.
One of the top news stories out from this week is surrounding Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri. He recently got a contract extension and a new title of vice-chairman, which will put a lot of Raptors fans at ease after the team’s lacklustre start to NBA free agency.
I know that many Toronto fans are feeling down about the team currently, but they have an excellent opportunity to return to the top of the eastern conference once again.
For one, continuity is on the Raptors side. The same player core of Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and O.G Anunoby remain. The team will look to those three to become the locker room leaders with the departure of GROAT (Greatest Raptor of All-Time), Kyle Lowry, on his way to South Beach. I feel that they will do well this upcoming season, and they all boast experience from their time with Kawhi during the championship season in 2019. They know what it takes and will be well equipped to lead the Raptors into their new era.
Another factor will be the return to Toronto. It can not be stated enough that not having a single home game last season hurt the team and was a significant factor in their first losing season since 2013. The fans are ready and excited to see the Raptors again, making Toronto, once again, a tough place for visiting teams to play.
Another story I wanted to write about is Buffalo Bills Quarterback Josh Allen and the massive contract extension he received (Six years worth $258 Million with $150 Million guaranteed).
After coming off a season in which he played at an MVP level, he will now be paid like one. I love this deal for Buffalo as it removes any hovering uncertainty surround Allen in Buffalo for the long term. Also, with the rising salary cap, it will be a good value contract if Allen can replicate his 2020 season. Overall, it was a move that needed to be made and one that makes Bills Mafia happy.
With that, I conclude the first edition of my TOTW blog. Let’s hope I can make it a weekly event.
Talk to you later!