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Five Thoughts from the First Blue Jays Series of the 2018 Season

Five Thoughts from the First Blue Jays Series of the 2018 Season

The 2018 Major League Baseball season is officially underway. The Yankees came to town for four against the Jays to start things off, and we've got some thoughts from the series. Happy reading!  1. Playing the Yankees is going to be tough. This offseason there was a lot of talk about the Bronx Bombers living up to their nickname with the addition of Giancarlo Stanton to a line up of existing home run hitters, like Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez. It certainly didn't take long for them to do so; Stanton sent a solo dinger into the bleachers in his first regular season at bat as a Yankee. Stanton then homered again later in the game, this time a two-run shot, and Brent Gardener added to the talley with his own in the 8th. Bombers indeed. 2. Josh Donaldson's arm doesn't look so great. There were some concerns about The Bringer of Rain towards the end of spring training, that he had a bum shoulder, and it didn't temper any concerns that he stayed home for the Jays' two exhibition games in Montreal. Opening Day confirmed there is definitely a problem; Donaldson made four or five throws and all of them were muffins. He seems fine to hit, and perhaps the arm issue doesn't hurt too much, but considering the Jays luck with injuries last year it is worrisome. It would be DH duties for Donaldson in game two, three, and four (Yangervis Solarte came in at third base), so it remains to be seen how long JD will be away from 3B. ***Update: Donaldson will be in the lineup at third tonight against the White Sox.  3. Justin Smoak's great 2017 season may have been legit. Prior to last season, Smoak had been an average ballplayer – a good fill-in option with some pop, but not really a reliable starter. In 2017 the South Carolinian got regular playing time and had a break-out season at the age of 30, finishing with 90 RBIs, 38 home runs, a .270 batting average – all career bests by far – and an All-Star Game appearance. Smoak has picked up where he left off last year. He single-handedly beat the Yankees in game four of the series, first by crushing a two-run home run over the outfield wall and then with a grand slam later in the game. For the season he's batting .368 and has eight RBIs, which is a great start. 4. Yangervis Solarte is all energy and good vibes. The 30-year-old Venezuelan came to the Jays from the Padres this off-season and has already made an impact a few games in. He can play all over the infield and has filled in admirably at third base with Josh Donaldson hurting. Solarte's bat helped the Jays get their first win of the season, and he has also been the team's number-one cheerleader in the dugout. Every time the Jays score you'll see Solarte dancing around with a smile from ear to ear; he provides the kind of positive vibes any team needs to keep things light over a gruelling 162-game season. 5. The Jays should have great support from the fans once again. The last two seasons have seen Canada's team finish in the top five for attendance figures and you'll find fans at every away series (especially in Seattle, where Western Canadians take over). Over the last five years the country has really embraced the Jays and this season should be no different. The Dome was loud over the first four games and will be all spring and summer, especially if the team plays more like they did in 2015 and '16.  The Jays lost the first two to the Yankees 6-1 and 4-2 respectively, but fought back to win the remaining two games of the series, 5-3 and 7-4 results. New York has been pegged by many to take it all this season, so good on the Jays for battling tough. Canada's team might just surprise some people this season. 

Here Comes the Blue Birds

Here Comes the Blue Birds

It may be hard to believe it with much of North America still fighting rain and snow and cold temperatures, but the Major League Baseball regular season is set to begin this Thursday! For most of us in Canada, that means Blue Jays baseball. It's exciting to know that very soon we'll be able to cheer on Canada's team live, from the Dome, the bar, or at home. And hopefully Mother Nature will get the hint and bring out the sunshine right quick, as nothing goes along with baseball quite as well as a bright, blue-skied day.  Because of this, we often forget that in Toronto for the Jays' first ever game, it snowed. Yes, on April 7, 1977 there was a snowstorm. How typically Canadian. And the Jays didn't have the shelter of the Rogers Centre roof – at that time they played in the more rustic, open-air Exhibition Park off of Lake Ontario. A decent layer of snow covered the field, making it seem more the site of some Winter Olympic event than a baseball game. Some of the players went around with catchers' pads as show-shoes and bats as ski poles, allowing for one of the best game-day photos ever:  The game was not called, of course – this was Canada, a little snow was nothing to fret over. A Zamboni-like snowblower cleaned up the field and things got underway. The Jays would win the franchise/season opener 9-5 over the visiting Chicago White Sox in front of 44,649 intrepid fans. First baseman Doug Ault would be the hero of the day, knocking in four runs and scoring two himself. It would be one of few high points for the Jays that season as they went on to lose 107 games. Still, it's always nice to win your first – especially when you've faced three hours and twenty-two minutes of single digit, snowy weather! Flying forward to last season, the Jays had a much nicer start in terms of the elements, but on the field their form was disastrous; they would get off to a 1-9 start over their first ten games, the worst in franchise history. Yes, worse than what the 107-loss baby birds of '77 could manage. Behind the ball from the start, the Jays could not get over the .500 hump at any point last year and missed the postseason. The roster hasn't changed too much going into this season, apart from the departure of face-of-the-franchise Jose Bautista, so it remains to be seen whether the club can take flight in 2018. 2015 and 2016 were happy days for the Jays as they made it within a couple of games of the World Series both seasons, so that will be the goal this time around, to get back to the postseason and make some noise. But no matter what happens this year one thing is for sure: there will never be another game like that of April 7, 1977. 

The Ides of March (Madness)

The Ides of March (Madness)

It's almost here... March Madness, one of the most magical times on the sporting calendar. Over two weeks, 68 teams will fight to stay alive in the single-elimination tournament and reach the Final Four. To help get you excited for the tourney, we've put together a few of the best college basketball shots from The SPORT Archive. You'll see some big names like Magic, Bird, and Chamberlain, and also some lesser-knowns. Check them all out below! Want to take any of these shots home? Every fine art product from The SPORT Gallery is printed on premium 100% Hahnemuhle cotton rag paper and printed with UltraChrome K3 pigmented inks for the highest available archival quality. Mounting, matting and framing are also to the highest archival standards. Just reach out by email or phone and we'd be happy to get a custom order started!

The Reissue: Living Vicariously Through Spring Training

The Reissue: Living Vicariously Through Spring Training

It's finally time for spring training, folks... hallelujah, baseball is back! We ran this piece last year, but because the sentiment – that the reemergence of baseball provides relief from the depths of winter – always holds true, we're giving it to you again (with some slight changes and amendments). Enjoy! *** You step outside, onto your doorstep, and instantly a biting chill hits. The small amount of exposed flesh between toque and scarf takes the blow and tenses up. It is definitely below zero, most likely snowing — tearing tends to impede vision. There is snow. It is not only falling down from the clouds, but a thick layer blankets everything. Though Christmas is over and the new year is in full swing, winter feels like it will never end, its tight grasp stifling all living things. You 180 and go back inside, the elements too much to handle this early in the day. The bus to work will probably be delayed anyway, so no need to rush. "When will this cold, dark nightmare ever end?" you think to yourself. You are frozen, almost literally, to the spot. On the counter at the end of the hallway, in the kitchen, is a small 2018 calendar which catches your eye as you stare off blankly. The calendar is baseball themed. Baseball, summer’s game… Then it clicks: yes, baseball may be at its most glorious, sun-drenched peak in July and August, but each new season is born in winter. “Spring” training has a deceivingly early February 23rd start date (March 20th officially marks the changing of the seasons). Baseball is here, which means warm weather is not far away! These facts stir a strange feeling within: Joy, unabashed. But just as quickly as this happy sensation comes, another, distinctively melancholy, takes its place. Baseball gets going in late-winter, though for most northerly North Americans the year’s second and third months still bring cold and/or snowy weather. How cruel. Not only must we continue to trudge through slush, but do it while Major Leaguers stretch their limbs amongst the palms of Florida and cacti of Arizona. Though it seems impossible, the key is to step away from jealous thinking and remember that spring training ball is now widely available. Back when the game’s earlier legends were migrating south, spring training was not an event. Big names like Stan Musial (pictured) would have been sought after only by the locals and just for a quick autograph. Now the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues have hordes of devotees come down to escape the cold and cheer on their club’s exhibition play. And, sport being the media behemoth it now is, most games are shown live via cable or online streaming. So, even if you can’t get away to Florida or Arizona, find a broadcast and live vicariously through it. Take in enough innings and you will start to feel that little bit warmer, as if the sun’s southern rays have breached the screen and entered your living room. You may become so absorbed by the tropical or desert scenery and the imaginary sensation of warmth that a rude shock hits when your eyes inevitably flit towards the window. Close the blinds if you must. Stay calm and focus on baseball. Imagine you are there, in the stands, the condensation from a cold beer running onto your hand. The sun beats down upon your face, which is protected by a thick smattering of sunscreen. Or, maybe you are on the field, some new prospect showing off his skills. You dive into the channel between right and centre field, snatching the ball just as it is about to hit the ground. The crowd cheers a relaxed spring training cheer. The truly adventurous will not only find themselves in sunny clime, but back in time as well. In a coarse flannel uniform you practice fielding grounders while the odd swimsuit-clad beach-goer watches on their way home. It takes some work and careful meditation to feel happy for, and not jealous of, baseball’s existence this early in the year. But find that happy place and spring training becomes a false, yet healthy shelter in which to hide from winter’s final days. Watch enough games and before you know it opening day and warm, pleasant weather will have truly become a reality. Then you can fling open the door and, after surveying the green, lush surroundings confidently, run out into the world. Winter, no matter how powerful it seems, is defeated eventually. Play ball.

Masked Men: Wearing The Art of Sport (Part 2)

Masked Men: Wearing The Art of Sport (Part 2)

The goalie mask revolution discussed in part one of this article was in many ways a precursor to a larger movement in the NHL towards player safety. By 1979, helmets were mandated for new players in the league. So to adhere to new safety standards, it was necessary for goalie masks to evolve as well. The early masks were often homemade, moulded from fibreglass, and held on the face with leather or fabric straps. They offered little to no protection to the back of the head. During the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the USSR, Russian net-minder Vladislav Tretiak wore a helmet with a cage attached to the front. This design became quite popular with many NHL goaltenders (notably Billy Smith of the New York Islander dynasty of the 1980s). This helmet and cage style of mask definitely provided better protection to the head, and vision compared with earlier goalie masks. However, this new style of mask took away the canvas which goalies had previously used to display their personalized artwork. Fortunately, in the 1980s, yet another style of goalie mask emerged, a hybrid between the cage and the moulded fibreglass models. This hybrid mask was the best of all worlds, offering safety, visibility, and lots of blank space that could easily be decorated and customized. By the 1990s, and ever since, the vast majority of NHL goalies has favoured this style of mask. So let’s pick up where we left off, and take a look at the top masks from the '90s and beyond. 1990s: Curtis Joseph                       Curtis Joseph's nickname and iconic mask were inspired by Cujo, the fierce dog from a Stephen King novel of the same name. This mask fits in the same tradition of intimidation which Gilles Gratton played into his mask. Joseph wore iterations of this design with each of the six teams he played for, and it evolved and modernized over the seasons. My favourite of the bunch is the original. It holds an unpolished rustic charm, reminiscent of a Sailor Jerry or Ed Hardy panther tattoo. The colour scheme definitely makes this mask design pop – I think it's the red of the tongue, balanced with the blue and gold of the rest of the Blues colour scheme. Without a doubt, when you mention Cujo, you've gotta talk about the mask.  2000s and Beyond: Steve Shields       Shield's throwback to Gerry Cheevers' "stitches" mask takes top spot in this category. Shields was the first to paint the hybrid mask with hair and ears to make it look like he was wearing an old-school moulded fibreglass mask. He is by no means alone in doing this, but as far as I can find, he was the first to do this, and chose a great goalie and mask innovator to honour with his bucket. With the advent of Winter Classic and Heritage classic games, many goalies are choosing to honour goalies from their team's past by throwing back to their classic masks. Carey Price's Jacques Plante throwback, Martin Biron's take on Giles Gratton, and Roberto Luongo's adaptation of Curt Ridley's mask are among my favourites. Honourable Mention: Alex Auld Auldy gets the nod for a mask he wore in Montreal. When you play for the Habs you are automatically steeped in a rich tradition, and in 2010-11 (the year Auld spent in Montreal), Montreal was coming off the of celebration their 100th season in the NHL and were looking forward to a spot in the 2011 Heritage classic in Calgary. History was thick in the air, and Auld's two masks that year both payed homage to  some great Montreal goalies of the past. Auld's initial mask featured Montreal goaltending greats Patrick Roy, Ken Dryden, and Jaques Plante, as well as the old Montreal Forum, a wonderful nod to the rich history of the Habs. But the mask he debuted at the Heritage Classic did the same in a much more significant way to us at The SPORT Gallery.  One side of Auld's mask appears very simple – a recreation of Ken Dryden's mask from the 1970s updated for the modern hybrid mask design with subtle images of Dryden incorporated into the striping. On the other side of the mask the simple stripes disperse into celebratory banners, and above a large Canadiens logo. Above that sits an image that pays tribute to Jacques Plante, perhaps the quintessential image of Plante. The one that highlights his tenacity, ability, and contributions to the goaltending profession best of all. The image of Plante that first appeared in SPORT Magazine, the moment he donned the mask for the first time. The moment Jacques Plante became the icon. To bring this look at goalie masks as pieces of artwork, we end where we began – with Jacques Plante and the image of him donning the mask for the first time. This photograph is a piece of art in its own right, and here it has been immortalized on Alex Auld's mask as a piece of wearable artwork, on the very piece of equipment and blank canvas that Plante pioneered.   *** Want more content? Check out our segment, The Art of Sport, on TSN Radio below!    

Masked Men: Wearing the Art of Sport (Part 1)

Masked Men: Wearing the Art of Sport (Part 1)

Hockey sweaters are undoubtedly pieces of art. They are colourful, unique, and evocative. If jerseys are like paintings, goalie masks are more like tattoos – one of a kind, handmade. Pieces of art that you have to be a little bit crazy to wear. Goalies are a notoriously eccentric bunch, and it takes a unique breed to attempt to stop a slapshot bare-faced. This of course was the way that goalies operated up until 1959, when Jacques Plante donned a homemade fibreglass mask (against his coach Toe Blake’s wishes) after taking a puck to the face off of the stick of Andy Bathgate – and returned to the ice. Plante faced ridicule for the rest of his career; whenever he let in a goal it was was blamed on his vision being impaired by the mask.  “I thought I proved myself in the 1960 playoffs when we won eight straight and I scored three shutouts. But every time I’m beaten by what looks to be an easy shot to the fans, they say I couldn’t see the puck because of the mask”                                          – Jacques Plante (Hockey News, March 10, 1962) Plante’s legacy lives on today with the goalie mask being a mandatory piece of equipment for the modern netminder. Beyond that, the mask didn’t seem to hinder Plante’s play, as he backstopped the Habs to a Stanley Cup that season. He went on to win his fifth consecutive Vezina Trophy that year, and added two more in 1961 and 1968 – with his homemade mask on. He won the Hart Trophy for league MVP with a mask on in 1961 as well.Plante definitely paved the way for goalies in terms of safety, but his sense of style was lacking. It wasn’t until Gerry Cheevers started painting stitches on his mask in the 1960’s that masks became canvasses for art as well. As the story goes, Cheevers took a shot off the mask during practice. Although unfazed, he used it as an excuse to throw the towel in for the day and retreated to the dressing room. Whilst enjoying a beer and a cigarette, he was discovered by coach Harry Sinden who ordered him back to practice. The bruins trainer, John Forristal painted a row of stitches on at the mask as a joke, which was popular with Cheevers’ Bruins teammates, and each subsequent time a pick hit Cheevers in the mask another set of stitches was added.Only a handful of goaltenders adopted masks in the 1960s. Notably Tony Esposito, who broke into the league in 1968, was the first goaltender to wear a mask his entire career. The mask didn’t hold him back either as he won the Calder Trophy in his rookie season, and three Vezina trophies throughout his career. Cheevers talks about masks changing the way goalies played the game – allowing them the confidence to drop to their knees without worrying about a puck deflecting into their face, or throwing your entire body in front of the puck to make a desperation save. In a way the mask paved the way for the acrobatic goaltending that we know and love in the modern game. By 1974, there wasn’t a goalie in the league that didn’t wear a mask. And following Cheevers’ lead, many netminders began to decorate their masks. In art terms, for goalie masks in the NHL, the 1970s was the renaissance. Masks were blank canvasses for goalies to express themselves, intimidate opponents, or spread team spirit. They truly are unique pieces of art, and perhaps the purest intersection of sport and art that the world has ever seen. Here is a look at my top goalie masks by decade. Part one with be the 1970s and the 1980s. Part two will take us from the 90's up to the present. 1970s: Giles Gratton This mask is all about intimidation. If you put yourself in the skates of a player on a breakaway, looking up to shoot and seeing that the goaltender is part man, part beast is could definitely be a bit jarring. Anything for a mental edge – advantage Gratton. As for the artwork, not only is the lion portrayed as fierce, it seems quite lifelike. Even though the viewer cognitively knows that it is just a hockey mask, the ferocity of a snarling lion baring its teeth absolutely comes through. And maybe Gratton did somehow take on that lion’s strength, and his eyes peek through the mask where the lion’s eyes should be, making himself and the predator one and the same. 1980s: Murray Bannerman This mask was brilliant, lightyears ahead in terms of the artwork featured. Bannerman’s mask does two very interesting things that have actually become quite modern conventions in the goalie mask. The first is turning his mask into the head of the team’s mascot (see Andy Moog’s Bruins mask, or Brian Hayward’s with the Sharks). You can see the markings on the hair and face of the Blackhawks crest featured prominently on Bannerman’s mask. Secondly Bannerman appears to be the first goalie to employ a “mask on a mask” idea, as the hair peeks out from behind a painted white “mask” on Bannerman’s mask. All of this makes for a very meta mask treatment that in retrospect is actually modern beyond its years. *** Want more content? Check out our segment, The Art of Sport, on TSN Radio below!

The Tigers Mess with their Aesthetic Success

The Tigers Mess with their Aesthetic Success

When it comes to a uniform, it's best to not mess with success, but the Detroit Tigers have done just that. The team's home set has been a beacon of consistency over the last few decades: a navy hat with a pointed Old English "D," white jersey with navy piping and a different, rounded Old English "D," white pants, and navy socks. Yes, the two "D" logos didn't match -- this was a good thing, a quirky quality found only in an old-time game like baseball. It was an intricacy that true fans knew about. Now it's gone.  The Tigers have updated their look for the upcoming season. The changes are seemingly minute, though for those who know and care, they feel like a punch to the gut. Look at a Detroit Tiger on the field in 2018 and you will see that the "D" on his head and the "D" over his heart are one and the same. The rounded "D" once found on left side of the Tigers' home jersey has been erased, replaced with that of the hat. The reasoning behind the move is understandable -- simplicity, consistency, etc. -- but the results are all negative.  Shall we get rid of the Green Monster in Boston, the irregular wall in left field? How about the Dodgers' red front numbers, which stand out from the team's blue and white on-field look? Many don't know this, but the most sacred uniform set in North American sport, the Yankees', has a perfect imperfection -- the hat "NY" and jersey "NY" are not the same. The difference between the two is slight, but is definitely there: Sure, the Yankees could make a change in the name of brand consistency, but that would mean messing with a look that hasn't been touched since 1936.  In the past, uniforms were made by hand. This meant that they were often not so "uniform." Over the years some imperfections stuck and became beloved links to a simpler time. We should be making an effort to preserve these aesthetic charms as we would heritage buildings. And you think a team would want proof of its long, storied history, proof that they've been around since the beginning.  Jazz pianist Thelonious Monk once said, "You've got to dig it to dig it, dig?" Perhaps those currently in charge of the Tigers' organization just don't "dig it" -- they don't get why it matters. The fans seem to; the response on social media has been largely negative since the change was announced on earlier today. A summery of the uproar: make changes to the roster, not the uniform. Unfortunately for the fans, one costs a whole lot less than the other.   Perhaps the Tigers will see the light and go back to normal before the new season begins. It seems unlikely, however. It's hard to admit you were wrong in front of the unforgiving World Wide Web. If a change is made it will likely be done a few years down the road and marketed as an attempt to get back to the team's "roots." Better late than never. 

On a Frozen Pond in Ottawa

On a Frozen Pond in Ottawa

To celebrate 100 years of NHL hockey, the Senators and Montreal Canadians faced off outdoors in Ottawa this past December. Although temperatures ended up being well below freezing, there still seems no better way to celebrate the first century of NHL hockey than returning to the roots of the game. Hockey began outdoors, and for many Sens and Habs players, playing outdoors is a an echo of their childhood playing shinny on a frozen pond.When talking about grassroots hockey, art, and culture, Roch Carrier's classic children's story "The Hockey Sweater" is the place to start. Beyond being a beloved book (and holiday favourite here at The SPORT Gallery), it has been adapted into a award winning animated film by the National Film Board, featured on the Canadian five dollar bill, and was even adapted as a musical staged in 2017 in Montreal. In the book, a young Roch Carrier receives a Toronto Maple Leafs Sweater instead of the beloved bleu-blanc-rouge (with Maurice Richard's number nine on the back). When trying to join a game at the village's outdoor rink, Roch is, because of his unholy sweater, bullied into staying off the ice. It's a vivid depiction of how passionate Canadians can be about their hockey. The Montreal Canadiens' red sweater has been largely unchanged for 100 years, and the current on-ice version (although sadly not worn outdoors in Ottawa) is virtually identical to the one worn by Maurice Richard in the '50s -- the one which a young Roch Carrier wanted so badly. It's a true classic and an iconic piece of fashion.The Senators' uniform history is not as cohesive or consistent in comparison to that of the Canadiens. The modern iteration of the Senators began play in 1992, taking on the name of the highly successful team which won 11 Stanley Cups in Ottawa between 1903 and 1927 (in eye catching barber-pole striped sweaters). Unfortunately, the modern Senators have never enjoyed the success of the early Senators teams, nor have they truly cemented their visual identity. Over the past quarter century the Sens have not really stumbled upon a look that has the same staying power as the gold standard in heritage brands and hockey fashion (their opponents in the NHL 100 Classic, the Montreal Canadiens). Their original uniform set came close, but they have not worn those since the late 1990s.  Since 2011, however, the Sens have shown glimmers of hope, with a simple vintage "O" logo taken from the original Senators. This vintage-inspired logo is featured on the NHL 100 Classic jersey, at centre ice in the Canadian Tire Centre, and on their popular black alternate jersey and 2014 Heritage Classic jersey. With the NHL switch over to Adidas for all sweaters this season, the "O" will not see the ice this year on the front of a jersey (except for during the NHL 100 Classic). But it remains popular among fans, and at The SPORT Gallery. With the NHL 100 Classic outdoors in Ottawa, old became new. The Sens should build off that -- a retro themed uniform set may be the perfect thing to solidify that link between the original and modern Ottawa Senators. They have not had a consistently classic look in the same way that the Habs have. By using the original Senators as inspiration, the modern iteration would be well on their way to creating a heritage brand that will last for the next century of NHL hockey. Here's hoping! *** Want more content? Give our TSN Radio segment, The Art of Sport, a listen below! 

Toronto Huskies

The Raptors Go Retro: Celebrating the Toronto Huskies

The Toronto Raptors, at 22 years old, are one of the NBA's younger franchises. Unlike teams like the Celtics and the Lakers, the Raptors don't have a long list of legendary names to celebrate, or glory days to reminisce about. Their uniforms have never been classic or timeless, always very much of the moment. The Raptors are possibly the league's best example of a Millennial franchise, the child of a Hollywood blockbuster -- Jurassic Park -- born right in the middle of the 1990s.  There is more to Toronto basketball than meets the eye, however -- the city was home to another franchise, the Huskies, who hosted and played in the first-ever game of what would become the NBA, in 1946. The Huskies didn't last long -- only one season, in fact -- but they are still an important part of basketball history, not only in Canada but globally.  The Raptors are celebrating that legacy again this season as they will don vintage-inspired Huskies jerseys six times and also give their court the full treatment -- instead of the ball-and-claw logo and red paint, it will be the panting husky and blue. It's a good call considering the greater throwback movement happening in the NBA right now; the Bucks, Lakers, Heat, Hornets, Suns, and Pacers have all announced throwbacks to be worn on a regular basis, while others will follow with single-game special event designs. It makes sense that everyone is hopping in the time machine. Throwback uniforms salute the past, establish a sense of longevity and team culture. A team's brand is most successful when it unites then and now, past and present. Look at the Yankees, who this past season captured the sporting world's attention through a record-breaking rookie year by Aaron Judge. No one in North America relies on history and a heritage identity as much as the Yankees, yet they have become a trending topic thanks to a glut of young stars.  The Lakers hope to be that story in the NBA this year. With 16 titles and Hall of Fame names up in the rafters, they certainly have a storied past. They also have new talent, most notably Lonzo Ball, who, thanks to his father's braggadocios support, became a household name before playing a minute of professional ball. The Lakers will hope their young player can live up to the hype and put up gaudy numbers like Judge this season.  The current Raptors squad may be the best in franchise history. They've captured the nation's attention. In Drake the Raptors have a big-name ambassador and fan, as well, and are that much more relevant as a result. The only thing missing is a sense of team history, that storied past. There's not much to look back on, aside from the dunking exploits of Vince Carter, so the Huskies have become that valuable bit of nostalgia.  When the Huskies take the court this season, let your mind drift back to the 1940s. Imagine you're in Maple Leaf Gardens, smoky and dimly lit, amongst fans in formal wear. The television cameras aren't capturing an HD feed, but grainy black-and-white. The shorts are short and dunking does not yet exist. Toronto has this charming history, now's the time to embrace it.  *** Want more Raptors content? Give our TSN Radio segment, The Art of Sport, a listen below! 

The Art of Sport: an Hour Long Special on TSN Radio

The Art of Sport: an Hour Long Special on TSN Radio

Some of you may already know about our new partnership with The Sport Market on TSN Radio and our segment called The Art of Sport. For those who don't know, every Saturday the gallery's James Siddall will be bringing our own unique take on sports history to the airwaves, a blast from the past that will highlight the intersection of art, sports, and culture.  We're also excited to announce that last week James and The Sport Market host Tom Mayenknecht recorded an hour long taping of the Art of Sport, which you can listen to below! The special, which here is broken into five parts, touches on a number of topics. First, the history of SPORT Magazine and The SPORT Archive. Next, the unique beauty of the hockey, then a dive into the seemingly endless annals of baseball history. And finally, a quick summary to wrap things up. It's an action packed hour, so be sure to check it out!

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