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It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.
That famous lyric from a classic Boyz II Men song has never felt more... untrue. The stunning departure of (now former) Editor-In-Chief, Daniel Reynolds, felt so sudden that reminiscing about his past was all we could talk about — let me tell you, it was not hard re-visiting Daniel’s amazing career at Raptors HQ.
Before Daniel officially stepped away from the site, I had the pleasure of conducting an exit interview of sorts, to pick the brain of the man who somehow wrote 2,000 posts for the site. Enjoy this special episode of That’s A Rap!
In This Episode:
2:30 — End of an era
Re-read the first sentence in the previous paragraph again. Seven years equates to just over 2,500 days. On average, Daniel cobbled together four posts every five days. I’m not sure what the sports equivalent would be, but believe me when I say that is a truly remarkable feat! The symmetry between Daniel’s departure and Kyle Lowry’s seems fitting.
8:00 — James Johnson Watch
Picking a favourite post is like picking a favourite child — maybe you have one in mind, but you sure as hell won’t say it! Unless you’re Daniel and you start referencing posts that included James Johnson and Bebe Nogueira.
16:40 — Life as RapsHQ Editor-in-Chief
What’s it like to run a popular Raptors blog? How do you get content from writers who may not be as motivated because they have day jobs? Who has come through Raptors HQ and propelled their careers to higher heights?
23:30 — Behind the curtains at the NBA Finals
Imagine being one of a handful of recipients for NBA Finals media access. How different was it to be at Scotiabank Arena as a media member during the Finals (vs. any other Raptors game)? How were the pre-game rituals any different during the Finals?
30:00 — Thoughts on the upcoming season
Should Khem Birth, Precious Achiuwa, or Chris Boucher start at centre? Who should start alongside Fred VanVleet in the backcourt? Do Goran Dragic’s age and experience give him a leg up on the starting role? Or does he have one foot out the door, thus, opening a spot for Gary Trent Jr., or Malachi Flynn?