This is the time of year in Toronto when fans of the Raptors have traditionally found their thoughts drifting from basketballs to ping-pong balls. As the NBA regular season winds down and the playoffs carry on ahead, the Raptors have—year after year—asked fans to turn their attention to the draft lottery, and to resign themselves [...]

Each week, Torontoist examines the upcoming TV listings and makes note of programs that are entertaining, informative, and of quality. Or, alternately, none of those. The result: Televisualist. We were totally going to be classy and not rag on Vancouver for being a stinking den of hippies, but then we thought, “hey, why don’t we [...]

Each week, Torontoist examines the upcoming TV listings and makes note of programs that are entertaining, informative, and of quality. Or, alternately, none of those. The result: Televisualist. Brett does not like sports, so here is Howie Mandel of America’s Got Talent doing something with a rubber glove. Illustration by Brett Lamb/Torontoist. Monday National Geographic [...]

Photo by Amanda Fantastic from the Torontoist Flickr Pool. It’s decision time yet again in the NBA. With next weekend’s all-star festivities signaling that the 2010–11 season has entered its stretch run, and with the trade deadline only a week away, general managers the league over will be sizing up—and tinkering with—their rosters, weighing the [...]

Sure, us Raptors fans are used to getting dumped by flighty franchise players. Damon Stoudamire, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter—they all eventually kicked us to the curb for hotter, ESPN-ier American cities we just couldn’t compete with. But you were supposed to be different, Chris. You were the nice guy, the one who kept in touch with fans on Facebook and Twitter, made yourself available to reporters, stayed hip with the young folks via MuchMusic and MTV Canada, and became our local hero. You invited us to play in your fantasy football league. You even made us look cool stateside. Held the door for us. Kissed us without our makeup on. Got to know mom.

Every Saturday at noon, Historicist looks back at the events, places, and characters—good and bad—that have shaped Toronto into the city we know today. Ed Sadowski invites fans to opening night for the Toronto Huskies and the BAA. Source: The Toronto Star, October 31, 1946. Given that basketball was invented by a native of the [...]

Many of you have sat behind, beside, adjacent to, or perhaps even in front of (on a particularly unlucky day) that one doofus at the ball game who will not shut up, constantly exhorting his precious “team” to “win the game.” He is only able to continue this abominable behaviour due to a combination of [...]

It’s snowing again! This gives Torontoist yet another opportunity to bust out a pretty picture of streets clogged with snow, and it gives the rest of Canada the opportunity to go, “Hey, how come those Toronto folks can’t deal with a little snow ha ha ha don’t they have plows?” Then we say, “No, we [...]

The Raptors have reached the halfway point of the season, and almost every news outlet in town has been engaged in the mid-season ritual of handing out report cards. Jose Calderon gets top marks across the board, and deservedly so. His name is even being mentioned as a potential reserve selection for the All-Star Team. [...]