What Is Up With Team Canada?

As you hopefully read about right here in the Dino Nation Blog, Team Canada pulled out a win today that was really an unreal comeback. They now move forward to play Croatia on Friday. Roko Ukic who will be coming to the Raptors will be on display and that should be interesting for Raptor fans and myself to see if Roko is going to be good. At least see him in a game that is not an exhibition game as the one was last year in the Euro Live tour vs the Raptors. But that is a story for another day.

What I want to talk about is what is going on with team Canada. I have done my best to keep people informed on the national team. I even took the time and money to go see them in Hamilton when they were here preparing for this basketball tournament. I happened to have the chance to chat with Sam Dalembert who is now so it seems not part of Team Canada any longer. Based on the conversation we had I really am even more confused by these events. It wasn’t an interview it was just talking but I felt confident based on it that Sam was happy to be part of team Canada. This is just the latest in a number of moves that have puzzled me. A while back I wrote about how I think Steve Nash should have been on this team. That blog is read by new people every day. Even though I wrote it along time ago. Nash is at the start of this whole thing for me. So that is where I am going to get started.

Steve Nash has many reasons that he has decided not to play for team Canada. The one that is talked about the least by all sides is that when Jay Triano(Member of Raptors Coaching Staff) was released as coach of team Canada, many feel that Steve Nash was not happy with this move. Leo Rautins would take over in the role of head coach of the National Senior Men’s team. Nash has always been an issue since day one for Rautins like it or not. He has always taken the high road and not said anything bad about Nash and shown him all the respect in the world. But I think we all know that Leo would love to have Steve Nash and if he picked up the phone and said I am taking a plane to Greece to play on Friday. Leo would be at the airport to pick him up. The fact is that Leo has always had to deal with the Nash question and really has never been successful in changing his mind to play for Canada. He always leaves the door open but Nash has never walked through it.

Speed ahead to trainning camp and Denham Brown is a no show for the camp. Leo says he has not been given any explanation for why Brown is not there. Still to the best of my knowledge Denham Brown has yet to tell anyone in the media an official reason for this. He was one of the players that helped Canada get to this tournament in Greece last summer in Las Vegas. But less then one year later he is a no-show with no real explanation to be found.

Juan Mendez was also a part of that team in Vegas. He also did his part to help Canada secure this chance to get to the Olympics in China. He is all of the sudden cut loose prior to an exhibition game in Toronto. Rautins said on this that it was a coaching move and nothing more. He picked Rans Brempong over Mendez as he felt that Brempong would add more of what they were looking for. All I am going to say is based on what I have seen Brempong  do to much that makes me think this move had to be made. Juan was an excellent player in his time at Niagira and lead the Purple Eagles to the NCAA tournament. Great news for Jack Armstrong and all those that cheer for that program. I think he is a talented player and can bring a lot to the table. Maybe he wasn’t having a good camp or reaching the levels people had hoped. But I think he is a guy that when it meant the most would come through.

Now the news of Sam Dalembert today. I heard Leo on the Fan 590 talking about this. He said the people that are here want to be here and want to play for this team. But it seems to me that there are a growing number of talented guys that don’t and I want to know WHY? I am personally a huge supporter of the national program as a fan. I also am a fan of them in my work here. I don’t know if I am exactly the media but I do have the training and have been educated in broadcast journalism. I have done my best in whatever I am to get people to CARE about Canada Basketball and develop some of the passion and fire that I have. The Raptors who are the primary focus of this blog have many fans that have lots of passion and I wanted to try to get them to have that same passion for Team Canada.

But if this was the Raptors we were talking about how would fans feel about 4 players that all have been contributors to the team (some more than others) being gone. What would fans say about Sam Mitchell if he was inserted for the name Leo Rautins. I think we all know the answer. People would be going loco and nuts about it. Some would be calling for him to be fired and others would take his side. A real debate would break out and answers would be demanded from management. I doubt any of that will happen here.

I am not saying that Leo should be fired or lose his job. But what I am saying is that there is a problem here and something needs to be done to address it. Team Canada wants people to support them. It was no doubt a bit of a disappointment at the turn out for the games in Hamilton and Toronto leading up to this tournament. But if you want people to come they need reason to do so. Juan Mendez, Sam Dalembert, Denham Brown and yes Steve Nash are all names that your average baskeball fan would know. It does no good to have these players not part of the program. Was there issues with them? I am sure there was. But these things need to be worked out so that you can have names that people know and guys that they can support. I am not trying to knock the guys that are there in Greece playing. The comeback they made was truly one of the best things I have seen basketball wise in a long time on any level. But if you want to sell this program you need names people know and you need to make it work so that fans can start to cheer for them. Joel Anthony is a guy that I have gotten to know watching this team and catching him in NBA on the Heat. I do not want to hear about him some day not being part of this team. He has a bright future and should be part of this program for a long time. The fact I feel uneasy about if he will should concern the folks at Canada Basketball. After all I am someone that supports their product. What about the average guy that doesn’t when he sees all this what does he think? Canada Basketball needs to do a couple things to get people into what they are selling:

1. Build Stars don’t turn away the ones you have
2. WIN.

These two things should work together. I have always not been a fan of Jamal Maglorie based on the way he treated the national program. I am not saying that has changed at all but I do wonder why he never wore a Canada Jersey. Does any of what has been going on give him a case to say that is why? Again I am not sure.

So at the end of the day I am frustrated and really conflicted. I mean there is no one that wants to see Canada be a success more than me. At least in my mind. But at the same time I look at all I have seen and remain frustrated and confused. I wonder if this is what it feels like to be a Toronto Maple Leafs Fan? I will never know that one. Hockey is not high on my priority list and the Leafs are even lower on that list. What is high on my list is basketball and that is why I sit here typing away everyday. Hoping to entertain and engage other people that love the game like me. That is what Canada Basketball must find a way to do. They did it on the floor today in that second half. But off the floor they are not getting it done to the level I would like to see. It may not matter what I personally think as one person. But I do try to take into account what readers think. Speaking of that. Two things. First I really want to hear from you the readers on this. Second it has been crazy busy for me lately with all that is going on. But the Mail Room is always open for NATION SPEAKS are new feature where you have your say. So send your questions and comments there as well @ dinonationblogger@hotmail.com

So with that I will be cheering Friday for Canada vs Croatia despite all of the concerns I have. I encourage you to do the same because the guys on this team that are there DESERVE YOUR SUPPORT. SO GO CANADA GO.

Update July 17th:

Eric Smith(Fan 590) has some more info on the Dalembert issue in his blog the “Rap”. Here is the link:

The RAP on Dalembert

From what I read I still think this was an issue that could have been solved and should have been. We do not know as Eric says the exact circumstances of all of this but it seems like an issue that could have been worked through to me.

Tags: Denham Brown, Eric Smith, Fan 590, Jamal Maglorie, Jay Triano, Joel Anthony, Juan Mendez, Leo Rautins, Steve Nash, Team Canada, The Rap