Are Vancouverites excited about the Toronto Raptors?
Posted April 13, 2019 1:24 pm.
Last Updated April 13, 2019 1:25 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Will you be paying attention when the Toronto Raptors start their playoff push tonight?
Maybe not this far west. It’s not an easy sell, says Sportsnet 650’s James Cybulski, who has lived and worked in Toronto.
“Every year, Rogers Arena sells out when the Raptors roll into town so clearly there’s a basketball audience,” he says. “I just think it’s a niche audience here right now.”
So are people looking to buy Raptors merchandise in Vancouver? John Svelka owns Van City Sports.
“A little bit – not much,” he says. “I maybe had a couple people the last two days looking for merchandise. We sell more [Vancouver] Grizzlies merchandise than Raptors merchandise.”
And despite the Raptors’ potential success, he doesn’t expect that to change through the entire playoff run.
“Even all year, there has been very little interest in Raptors gear,” he says. “And we have t-shirts, we have hats, but just don’t get that kind of interest.”
Cybulski agrees Raptors fever hasn’t quite hit the west coast.
“The audience has grown when you look at the national audience over the number of years,” he says. “But from a local standpoint, it still has the Toronto name on it.”
