Hope is a cruel thing for a sports fan: no matter how bleak the situation, as long as there's a straw in sight we'll happily clutch at it. Case in point: Leafs Nation, of which we're proud, occasionally defiant members. We've been flip-flopping over the Leafs all season long. A few weeks ago we'd written them off, then watched as the team put together an impressive run (which included comprehensive victories over the Ottawa......

Gate House goes coed. After a series of puerile, childish, vaguely misogynistic stunts, the infamous all-male U of T residence has been come down upon by that stuffy old dean. Of note is Gate House's claim to be an inspiration for the movie Animal House, just like every other "look at us we're so wild" frat house on every college campus ever, despite the fact that Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis went to McMaster.......

Fresh from this year's successful stab at World's Largest Thriller Dance, Toronto is looking to weasel its way into the Guinness Book yet again. This time, with a big-ass Christmas stocking. To coincide with the third annual Guinness World Records Day, the sock of honour will be stationed in the main lobby of the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts this Thursday afternoon. While it isn't technically part of the record attempt, folks are encouraged......

One month into the new NHL season, and this much is obvious: the Toronto Maple Leafs are a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, dressed in the league’s silly new jerseys. The Leafs are scoring more often than your younger sister, but they’re also leaking goals at a potentially historic rate. They’ve lost two games by 7–1 final scores, but they’ve also got an 8–1 win and consecutive 4–1 road victories against consensus preseason favourites......

Photo by Kurtis Billard on Flickr. Hey, Toronto sports fans, it's time to wake up. The Leafs did not make the playoffs, now take off the black armbands and get over it already. The Blue Jays are dealing with a number of injuries, but even if they weren't, the season's just begun and there are still approximately 800 games left to be played this year. Sadly, Toronto's brand new soccer franchise has been outscored 9–0......

It was one of the wildest final weekends in NHL history. The Toronto Maple Leafs delivered a knockout blow to the Montreal Canadiens in one of the most electric matches in recent memory, only to have the New York Islanders break our hearts and take the final playoff spot in a shootout against the New Jersey Devils the following day. The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin tonight, but for the second consecutive year, the Leafs won't......

On Tuesday, the second-place New Jersey Devils came to play their road game at the Air Canada Centre, clogging up the neutral zone and waiting for the Maple Leafs to make a mistake. Which might have worked, had they been able to take the lead. But the Leafs played patient, capitalized on the power play, and held on for a 2-1 win. It was only after the oft-maligned Nik Antropov scored the Leafs’ second......

New Jersey singer songwriter Pete Yorn is stopping by Toronto on Sunday evening for a show at the Phoenix Concert Theatre, along with opener Moses Mayfield, for a night of making the girls swoon over his pretty face and golden voice. He's touring in support of his latest album Nightcrawler, the final installment of his 'day cycle' trilogy -- Musicforthemorningafter and Day I Forgot being the first two, respectively. You wanna swoon over his pretty......

Austinist gets arty with an interactive guide to SXSW, loved some local art galleries and a new art exhibit and lamented the possible loss of "Friday Night Lights" production to New Mexico. Bostonist was happy they finally found an Anna Nicole Smith connection to their fair city and that an Apple Store was opening up. They were less happy that new rules have been established limiting underage shows and that their Governor is spending a......

Raptors fans have had to suffer a lot of humiliation over the last few years: There was the Vince Carter trade debacle, there was the night that Kobe Bryant dropped 81 points, and there was the 1-15 start last season that had ESPN speculating that the Raptors might be one of the worst teams in NBA history. But, the absolute low-point for the franchise came on the afternoon of October 16, 2005 in a pre-season......

Toronto officials are currently engaged in a last-ditch effort to save the 2015 World's Fair. Is it just me or would the Expo be a colossal mistake? In semi-related news, Christopher Hume doesn't think Toronto is on the road to a better future. With election day fast approaching, David Miller makes his final campaign pledges. A Richmond Hill man, missing for 28 hours, turns up at a police station. I'd been counting down this......

Let's take a look back at a week that raised this Zen koan: if Kevin Federline got into a wrestling ring with a wrestler, who would you root for? Austinist was in an entertainment state of mind as they covered the dickens out of the Austin Film Festival, depicted all the Big 12 football coaches as South Park characters, and interviewed Jose Gonzalez. Chicagoist talked about the passion as they bid adieu to Bell......

On this, the eve of the 2006-07 NHL season, take a moment and consider how unhealthy our relationship with hockey in this town is. Despite the fact you know the Leafs are gonna suck again this year (or at least let you down in the end), if a buddy offered you free greys to watch them play Columbus you'd rearrange your week and snap em up wouldn't you? Wouldn't you!? Well, despite the co-dependent relationship......

The Raptors exploded this weekend, posting back-to-back wins in Atlanta on Friday and New Jersey on Saturday. In doing so, they also moved out of the NBA's basement and improved their season mark to 3-15. And if it couldn't get any better, Big Man Ha-fay-el Ar-RU-joe almost took out Vince Carter. VC left midway through the third with an ankle injury after getting tangled up with the big Brazillian. Although he returned to the game,......

After a busy offseason, Raptor Basketball is back at the Air Canada Centre tonight. With all the second-guessing and criticism following every personell decision this summer, it will be interesting to see how the team responds in 05/06. There is no question that veteran leadership is at a minimum this year, however, if the preseason is any indication, it looks like Rob Babcock made the right moves on draft day. First round selections, Charlie Villanueva......

After six long months, the Toronto Raptors season will finally be laid to rest tonight. Following a 4-1 start that seemed so promising, the boys managed just 29 wins over the next 76 games, leading into tonight's final matchup against Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. With confused fans wondering 'why in the heck?' Torontoist offers not one, but two reasons to take in tonight's game. First off, as with any funeral, loved ones come......

Listening to the Fan590 on the ride home last night, Torontoist was disturbed to hear the words idiots and applause when referring to tonight’s matchup between the Toronto Raptors and the New Jersey Nets. They suggest that it is inappropriate for Vince Carter to be punished for “quitting” the Raptors. Torontoist disagrees. TOist thinks Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment should have recalled all the tickets for tonight’s game and held a contest to find the......

Similar to a child's excitement prior to christmas morning, Torontoist will be tossing and turning in it's bed tonight. The terrible sleep will be credited to the anticipation of Vince Carter's return to the ACC tomorrow evening. With his New Jersey Nets only a game and a half back of the Philadlelpia 76ers for the Eastern Conference's eighth and final playoff spot, Vince's long awaited return to Toronto could be the game that decides his......

For those of you still in mourning over the lost hockey season, Torontoist says “Get a Life Loser”. Both this Friday and next will offer Toronto sports fans something they have been waiting for since the Argo’s Grey Cup win… Excitement! The abysmal basketball season will be pushed aside tonight as baseball returns to the newly revamped Rogers Centre, with the Blue Jays taking the field against the World Champion Boston Red Sox. The 2-1......

Raptor Coach Sam Mitchell had some strong words prior to Wednesday’s 110-107 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. In clarifying Tuesday’s night’s rumored altercation with point guard Rafer Alston, Mitchell called out the Gund Arena cleaning crew for keeping a messy house. "I laugh at the fact that it went from shouting to I was actually rolling around on the floor with my nice suit on," said Mitchell. "I don't do that anymore. I'm a little......

With Vince Carter merely an unfortunate memory to our fine city, another Toronto Raptor is filling the void left behind. Point guard Rafer Alston has disrupted the team once again this week, with rumors claiming that he started a fistfight with coach Sam Mitchell during halftime on Tuesday evening. And, in plain view of all the Cleveland fans, Alston appeared to leave the court in tears. Tears! There's no crying in basketball. In post VC......

Don’t look now, but the Toronto Raptors are only 2 games out of third place in the Eastern Conference. Currently sitting 10th, and three and a half games back of the streaking Chicago Bulls for the final playoff spot, the Raps can thank the NBA playoff structure and their abysmal Atlantic division for their opportunity at a home court playoff series. Despite how poor a record, the division leader is guaranteed a top-three seed. With......

Time and time again, Torontoist allegations against Vince Carter seemed too far-fetched to be true, even made up. Some columnists went as far as to praise Vince for his time spent in Toronto and sympathized with the Mama’s Boy for the media torment which he was constantly faced with. Torontoist, however, stood firm. Now, following his move to New Jersey and once again finding his high-flying ways, Vince has put to rest any doubts we......

With the year coming to an end, Torontoist takes a look back at the sporting highs and lows of the past 12 months. Here's the best, the worst, and of course, Vince Carter at his wimpiest in 2004. 1. Argos Win the Grey Cup What else can we say about Mike Clemons’ pinballs? With no hockey and a worthless NBA team, the CFL gave Toronto something to cheer about. 2. Ron Artest & the Indiana......

There was a fair share of drama in the sporting world yesterday: The Philadelphia Eagles announced that Superstar Wide Receiver Terrell Owens is likely out for the season with a fractured fibula - drastically altering many prognosticators playoff expectations. Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming combined for 74 points to spoil the Williams’ Toronto Raptor debuts. Vince Carter spoke out about his trade to New Jersey, his time spent in Toronto, and the what-ifs during that......

Vince Carter’s career continues to become increasingly similar to a soap opera, as a disturbing story has just surfaced that will forever vilify the New Jersey forward to Raptor fans. It appears that Tracy McGrady has given an early Christmas gift to cousin Vince Carter this year as T-Mac has handed over the reigns as the Air Canada Centre’s Public Enemy Number One to his former teammate. A story published in a Seattle area paper......

There's cause for celebration tonight: As you read this, the NBA is approving a proposed trade between the Toronto Raptors and the New Jersey Nets that would see the Vince Carter in a different uniform. A Raptor team that has struggled on and off the court this year is having it’s biggest tumor removed as General Manager Rob Babcock worked out a deal that will finally send Vinsanity packing. Raptor fans have consoled themselves with......

Bramptonite and ex-NHLer forward Mike Danton was sentenced yesterday to a seven and a half year prison sentence for a bizarre murder-for-hire plot in East St. Louis. And by the by, the word 'bizarre' is not our word, but a term used by U.S. District Judge William Stiehl, when he said, "I do not believe in over 18 years on the bench I have been faced with a case as bizarre as this one." The......