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TORONTO - Many wonder why the Raptors would even bother celebrating their modest 20-year history. Its a reasonable thing to ponder. Certainly, there hasnt been much to get excited about after two decades of basketball in Canada. In many ways the manufactured nostalgia has served as a reminder. Paying homage to glorified role players of the past, former staffers, as theyve done and will continue to do throughout their anniversary campaign - the bar has been set low. But to fully appreciate what makes the Raptors existence worth commending consider their most recent opponents, the league-leading Memphis Grizzlies - a franchise that shares an origin story with Toronto, one that barely made it a half decade in Vancouver before relocating to US. And then theres their eldest player, Vince Carter - the single most important figure in Raptors history and one of the primary reasons why Canadas lone basketball club is even around to celebrate its 20th birthday. Midway through Wednesdays first quarter, nearly 10 years after their messy breakup played out, the Raptors took the first step in repairing a fractured relationship with their greatest player, making the controversial decision to publicly express their gratitude on the way to an emotional 96-92 comeback win. Sure enough, most in attendance would follow suit. During the games first timeout, a video tribute with Carters Raptor highlights played on the big screen hanging above centre court at the ACC. Carter had said he learned of the Raptors intentions to honour him the day prior and, like the rest of us, he had no idea what to expect. Im going to enjoy the moment regardless, Carter had said before the game - he had been greeted with boos in each of his first 16 visits to the ACC (including playoffs) since being traded. [Im going to] block that out, because its just a special moment that you probably wont get again. Im going to enjoy it. Moments after the montage began, the sellout crowd - still filing in at the time - rose to their feet. If there were boos they were drowned out by an overwhelmingly positive ovation. Carter stood and watched from the visiting bench. He used his warm-up shirt to wipe the tears running down his face as he pointed to his heart and waved to the fans in appreciation. It was a great feeling, said the 37-year-old, who played in 403 games over six and a half seasons with the Raptors. I couldnt write it any better. Im extremely thankful for it. They asked me earlier how you would feel, how you would react and you cant prepare for that, whether that was a surprise or you knew it was coming. Its just an amazing feeling, amazing just to be in the moment and to see it, and to kind of relive it as it was happening. You see all the stuff and you see all the people that you played with and as each play was happening, I can remember all that stuff as if it was yesterday. It was awesome. Torontos current players were among those standing for Carter. It was dope, DeMar DeRozan said. It was definitely amazing because all of us here watched everything Vince did here in Toronto, especially myself with Vince being one of my favourite players of all-time. He deserved it, the Raptors guard continued. He deserves everything, honestly, because he was the one who I think pioneered the whole thing with the Toronto Raptors. So you have to give him credit for everything he brought to the city. He made me a fan at an early age. DeRozan was not blowing smoke. He, like many of his teammates and the leagues young players - both from Canada and the United States - grew up watching Carter, and by extension, the Raptors. At the most crucial point in their existence, with both Canadian franchises reaching a crossroads, Carter hit the NBA by storm and became the hottest ticket in the association. The Raptors were coming off a 16-win season and, like the team in Vancouver - winners of 19 games that same year - their future was hardly stable. Isiah Thomas, the clubs first general manager and chief ambassador, had left and Damon Stoudamire, their first star, was next out the door. Then Carter was acquired on draft night and their fortunes turned in a hurry. He was as marketable as he was good. The team began to win and suddenly the NBA was paying attention. The Maple Leafs would buy the Raptors and open the Air Canada Centre, their shared home, on Feb. 21, 1999. Theres a banner hanging in the rafters of the building to commemorate that night. Its the first thing Carter looks for as he steps onto the court as a visitor. Its weird, he said Wednesday morning. They move this flag every time, so I struggle finding it. But when I walk in here and see February 20th, 1999 (the night the Leafs opened the building), thats the first thing I think of, is when this building opened. I just remember getting the opportunity to make history, making the first shot. So thats one of the things I think of and you cant take that away. Fittingly, they played the Grizzlies that night. Carter, just eight games into his NBA career, scored 27 points on just 16 shots, grabbing six rebounds and adding five assists with four steals. Toronto won by 15. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies continued to lose. Plagued by poor management, the NBAs restrictive rules for new franchises and, most importantly, the lack of a true star, they played out their final years in Vancouver before leaving for Memphis. If not for Carter, could the Raptors have shared a similar fate? Well never know, hence the cause for celebration. 20 years after entering the league together, both franchises are finally on solid footing, though they have taken different paths to get there. Attendance in Memphis has been rising in recent years as the Grizzlies have qualified for the playoffs in four straight seasons. Theyre off to their best start ever, sitting atop the Western Conference with the leagues best record. On Wednesday, Toronto handed them their second loss of the campaign. With a 9-2 record, the Raptors lead the East and finally, their fans have a semblance of closure. Finally, theres legitimate cause for optimism and excitement in a city that has been haunted by the past. Carter was still booed every time he touched the ball as if to say, well forgive, but we dont forget. But for just a minute, the first since he turned his back on the franchise he once saved, the past didnt seem so bad. Without it, the future wouldnt look so bright. Discount Shoes Online Free Shipping . The 41-year-old Northern Irishman has proved a perfect fit at Liverpool since taking over from Kenny Dalglish in the summer of 2012 and steered the team to an unexpected title challenge in the Premier League last season. Shoes Wholesale China Free Shipping .com) - Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau has been selected as the NHLs Rookie of the Month for December, the league announced Friday. http://www.shoeswholesale.us/ .com) - Carmelo Anthony scored 31 points with eight rebounds to lead the New York Knicks to a 92-80 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Shoes Wholesale Online Store . The Tinkoff-Saxo rider was still dealing with the right shin he broke in a crash which ended his Tour de France on Stage 10. He hoped to defy his doctors and race in the home Grand Tour he won in 2008 and 2012, but he says there have been complications in his recovery. Shoes Discount Sale Online . The right-hander pitched into the seventh inning and boosted Cincinnatis struggling offence by hitting a double and scoring as the Reds ended a seven-game losing streak by beating the Atlanta Braves 1-0 Saturday night.A generation of fans have never seen the Kansas City Royals play a postseason game. Thatll change on Tuesday when the Royals host the Oakland Athletics in the American League wild card game at Kauffman Stadium. There have been 713 playoff games contested in Major League Baseball since Kansas City beat the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 7 of the 1985 World Series. None of those games, though, have involved the Royals, who return to the playoffs for the first time in 29 years. Kansas City ended the year 89-73, just one game back of the American League Central champion Detroit Tigers. The Royals actually had a chance to force a playoff game for a division title with a win and Detroit loss on the final day of the regular season, but the Tigers won their game against Minnesota to lock up the title. When I went into Spring Training, I felt like 90 wins would have a good chance of winning the division and we got 89 and, of course, Detroit got 90 and I was right, Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. (Our players) are still ready for the challenge ahead. There have been teams that have won the World Series from the wild card game and they know that. Thanks to a terrific starting staff and a mighty effort from the bullpen, the 89 victories by the Royals were the most since they won 92 in 1989. Kansas Citys bullpen trio of Greg Holland, Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis is truly a formidable force, having combined for a 1.28 ERA and 258 strikeouts in 205 1/3 innings in the regular season. That makes life a whole lot easier for Tuesday starter James Shields, who certainly earned his Big Game moniker down the stretch, as Kansas City won four of the right-handers five starts in September. Shields also pitched to a 2.31 ERA in the final month, his second-lowest monthly mark behind the 1.60 ERA he posted in April. This is what its all about, said Shields, who ended the year 14-8 with a 3.21 ERA. This is what playoff baseball is all about. Youve got to push aside some of your aches and pains and go after it. Shields is no stranger to the postseason, having appeared in six games for the Tampa Bay Rays and has gone 2-4 with a 4.98 ERA. When I came over here, I knew exactly what was going on, said Shields. I knew that this citys been wanting a championship team for a long time, and a playoff team. Hopefully we did the city proud. Weve got a long way to go still, but were going to keep grinding. Oakland, meanwhile, is very lucky to be in this position, as it was one of the worst teams in baseball after the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline that saw the Athletics acquire left-hander Jon Lester from Boston for slugger Yoenis Cespedes. Starting with a series loss in Kansas City from Aug. 11-14, the As dropped eight of their final 14 series and 30 of their last 46 games. But thanks to a remarkable first half, they ended the year, 88-74 In fact, Oaklands post-All-Star break winning percentage of .433 is the lowest in MLB history for a team that reached the postseason. We went through some real challenges this year, but those things can make you tougher, too, Oakland manager Bob Mellvin said.dddddddddddd Its a relief off everyones shoulders that were here now, took the journey that we did. Were in, and I know Im going to sleep better tonight. While the Royals are appearing in their first postseason game in decades, the As are back in the playoffs for the third straight year and for the 26th time in franchise history. Only the New York Yankees (51), Los Angeles Dodgers (28) and St. Louis Cardinals (27) have been to the postseason more. Ive been saying the last two weeks, if we get in, the last two months would be forgotten. And now I can say that with confidence, said Josh Reddick. All the naysayers and the negative vibes, theyre all gone now. We got in. Ive been saying it for months -- two division titles, out Game 5, get in with the wild card, Win the whole thing. Oaklands struggles may be traced back to the Lester deal, but he certainly cant be blamed. The left-hander is probably the main reason the As were able to hold on, as he went 10-7 after the deal with a 2.52 ERA. We had Jon targeted for this, said Melvin. Thats why you have a guy like that. When he takes the mound, the teams going to feel awfully good about their chances. Plus Lester has owned the Royals over the course of his career, going 9-3 with a 1.84 ERA in 13 career starts against them, including 3-0 with a 2.61 ERA in three outings against them this season. And he no-hit the Royals in 2008. Lester owns one of the most impressive postseason resumes around, going 6-4 with a 2.11 ERA in 11 starts and two relief appearances in October. That includes two starts in the World Series last year in which he allowed one earned run in 15 1/3 innings. Hes the top pitcher in the game right now to have in that spot, Reddick added. Weve all seen what hes done with the Red Sox. Weve got nothing but confidence in him. After 2,001 big league games, Oakland slugger Adam Dunn, who was picked up in an August deal with Chicago, will play in his first postseason game on Tuesday. He had held the distinction of being the active player with the most career games without a postseason appearance. To be honest with you, its what you work for your whole career and I dont know how fair it is that I get there with the fruits of their labor, but beggars cant be choosers, said Dunn, who joined the As on Sept. 1. Im happy. Kansas Citys nearly historic bullpen went 72-1 in the regular season when leading after seven innings and 79-1 when leading after eight. The As, meanwhile, led the majors with 13 wins when trailing after seven and eight wins when trailing after eight. I think its a similar matchup, said As shortstop Jed Lowrie. They have a really strong bullpen, I think we do, too, and its going to be two frontline starters pitching for one big game. It should be a good game. The As and Royals have met once in the playoffs -- in the 1981 AL Division Series, which Oakland swept, 3-0. The Royals, though, won five of the seven regular season matchups this year. Tuesdays winner will face the AL West champion Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the ALDS beginning on Thursday. 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