From Toronto

[Mike Dynon <mdynon@ix.netcom.com>]

This was in a column of today's Toronto Globe and Mail.  It was just a
year ago that we were on the other side of the fence.  It's great to be
going in the right direction, and to know that others see it, too.
***********

"The reality is, of course, that coaches kid themselves if they think
they enjoy that kind of deniability for a bad season. They, not
the players, not the big boss, are always the ones to go, unless there
are exceptional circumstances.

"Circumstances like the ones enjoyed by the dapper fellow standing at
the opposite end of the court from Walker and his Raptors last night.
There Rick Pitino, super coach, plied his trade, earning his $7-million
annual salary. As his own major domo, he has complete control of the
team on the court: He picks them, he plays them, he'll take the heat or
take the credit.

"And perhaps that's why last night, in the hours before the game, he was
in the Celtics' dressing room, scrawling notes on a blackboard himself
for the pre-game chalk talk. That's why one of his assistants was
setting up the equipment for a tape review of each of the Raptors
players -- even though Boston has played and beaten Toronto twice
already this year.

"Pitino arrived in Boston this season, blew up the team completely and
started from scratch, building around a core group of his old Kentucky
players. If the Celtics had been 2-21 heading into last night, it
wouldn't have been entirely shocking, and of course Pitino's program
would still enjoy the benefit of the doubt because of his own
reputation.

"But they were 10-12, better than anyone would have imagined, a young
team that makes mistakes but that clearly believes in itself, believes
in Pitino's system, and sure looks as if it can only improve.

"In short, everything the Raptors wish they were and are not under
Darrell Walker.

"Pitino survived last night without confrontation, without excuses,
without a tie loosened or a hair out of place. He knows where
he's going to be tomorrow. He knows what he's doing is going to work. He
knows his players are paying attention.

Not every coach in the building had that luxury."