Only YOU can help send The Raptor to the Hall of Fame

Breaking news today from the Internet, home of such wonderful pastimes as “people doing their own research on vaccines” and “doomscrolling Twitter for six straight hours before downing a bottle of scotch for dinner,” both of which are inextricably linked these days: There is a Mascot Hall of Fame, and The Raptor needs your help to be inducted into it.

As you can see above, you can’t vote — yet. But The Raptor, like any good politician trolling for votes, is getting the word out and campaigning early. And since we love The Raptor — who doesn’t!? — we are here to support this message.

I’ve told this story before, but one of favourite (?) Toronto Raptors memories comes from back when my now-wife and I were first dating and we went to our first Raptors game together. This was in the post-Bosh, pre-Lowry days when things were bad, really bad (you could alternately call them “The Bargnani Days” but that might cause a few too many angsty neck twitches).

I don’t remember who the Raptors were playing, I think the Hawks maybe, and I’m sure they were already losing when The Raptor came out during a second quarter timeout. And I pointed him out to my then-girlfriend and said, “hey, there’s The Raptor” and we watched him do his thing and she said something like “he’s fun to watch” and I joked, “yeah, he’s been the best part of this franchise from day one.”

And then I realized I wasn’t joking.

Things are better now, thankfully, but The Raptor is still chugging along and is still a bright spot for the organization. And (advert your eyes now if you still believe in Santa Claus because I don’t want to take away your innocence) there is a person inside that Raptor suit, and it’s apparently been the same person in the suit from that very first game all the way to today, which is freaking amazing. So for all of that, and all of this…

And this…

And this…

And of course, this…

… and so much more, we all need to do our part and help The Raptor achieve his dreams. So keep your eyes peeled for when voting opens and be sure to do whatever you can to ensure our guy The Raptor makes it into the Mascot Hall of Fame.