Give Me a Reason to Cheer

so theres been plenty of discussion about the appropriate/inappropriate use of boo's by fans towards the Raptors and Chris Bosh. as shown through my headline, i'm taking a different approach. speaking not only for those who boo, but also for those who remain silent, i'm asking the Raptors to give myself and fans reasons to cheer.

until then, i can't cheer so long as...
. teammates can't call out their leader
. defensive intensity is lack-luster
. players keep falling for the pump-fake
. players keep falling for the pump-fake around the 3-pt line
. wing productivity is constantly inconsistent
. the team can't play a full 48 minutes
. players don't box out
. the team blows comfortable leads
. help defense is equated with no defense or unnecessary fouls
. the team settles for jumpshots
. players stand and watch opponents get into the paint
. players watch other teammates fight for rebounds
. the team relies on their offense to win games
. offensive intensity dictates defensive intensity
. players stand around on offense
. people can't even get a damn hand up
. players don't rotate quickly enough (if at all)
. CB4 curls into a fetal position against opponents who actually challenge his game
. Andrea Bargnani gets pushed around three different positions
. the Raptors bench doesn't cheer for their own teammates (lets admit - even Voskuhl isn't his cheerleading self as of late)
. the team doesn't show any desperation/nitty gritty fighting in regards to extending their season beyond April (in actuality, the way the Raptors play games is the way they're approaching the season and making the playoffs - good start, inconsistent middle, and a hard push at the end that usually falters and comes up short. if that's the case, let's get these team scouts on the grind.)
. the team expects themselves to crumble once their shots aren't falling
. the team doesn't show consistent effort

it's not as though i don't want to cheer. of course i do. but i'm a Torontonian. and apparently, as a Torontonian, we can be tough fans. so again i say, give me a reason to cheer. and i will.

I Promise.