How bad have things gotten for Toronto Raptors fans?
Well, when your team has only won eight games at home all season and they’re battling it out for last place in their division with an overall record of 16-34, fans have apparently gotten desperate for something to cheer about.
Late in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s predictable 117-101 loss to the Magic, Toronto Forward Ed Davis drained a seemingly meaningless hook shot with 2.1 seconds remaining. This did little to cut into the Magic’s insurmountable lead, but it did give the Raptors 100 points in the game causing the fans in attendance to erupt in a standing ovation.
“That was the loudest the crowd was all night. They were into that,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said of the cheering fans. “I was like ‘Wow! What happened?’ I thought he had like an 18 point play and tied the game.”
What Van Gundy didn’t realize at the time was that the fans were not cheering for the impact that Davis’ shot had on the game, but instead for the free pizza that they would be enjoying the next day.
Whenever the Raptors score 100 points or more at any home game, fans can redeem their tickets for a free slice of cheese or pepperoni pizza at a traditional Pizza Pizza restaurant as part of a season-long promotion in Toronto.
Van Gundy was amused, but not impressed. “A slice? You have to sit in your seat and clap for a slice. You can’t stand and cheer that; that’s bad etiquette.’’
Raptors fans’ next chance to cheer for pizza comes Wednesday night when Toronto hosts the Denver Nuggets.
