Have you ever wanted something so bad that you’ll do anything to make it happen, only no matter what you do, it won’t come true? We’ve all been there, and it’s the most frustrating thing in the world.
And it’s exactly how Matt Bonner must feel about becoming a Canadian. From the Toronto Sun:
The fact Bonner, a former member of the Toronto Raptors and current forward with the San Antonio Spurs, has been unsuccessful in procuring his Canadian citizenship, despite getting the ball rolling back in 2008, upsets Rautins to no end.
“It’s very frustrating,” the head coach said on Tuesday, after a Team Canada practice at Ryerson University. “I see a lot of Canadians who are less Canadian than Matt Bonner. His daughter’s Canadian. His wife’s Canadian. His grandfather’s Canadian. He’s got a home here. When he’s not playing for the San Antonio Spurs, he’s here (in Toronto).”
“More Canadian than a lot of Canadians” seems like a pretty good description for Matt Bonner. In fact, I’d bet that between the beard and his stint with the Raptors, at least 50 percent of casual basketball fans assume Bonner is Canadian. That should count for something.
But, as I have recently found out, becoming Canadian is not as easy as going to the border, telling the authorities that you like that their Taco Bells serve supreme fries and being allowed to enter the country with full Canadian rights. It is way more complicated than that, even if all you want to do is become Canadian so that you can play for the national basketball team or write for the best blog in the world, according to Time Magazine.
And really, doesn’t it seem like adding Bonner to the Canadian team is a good enough reason to push his citizenship through? They haven’t medaled in international competition since 2001′s FIBA Americas Championship, so they need the help. And it’s not like there are a bunch of 6-foot-10 sharpshooters wandering undiscovered through the Yukon Territory, because if there were, Mantracker surely would have found them. That guy doesn’t miss a trick.
(via Dan Devine)
Canada is like the Jewish people; proud of who they are but they don’t need you to join to feel good about themselves.
We in America have a bit more of a brittle self-esteem, if everyone else doesn’t agree we are the greatest force for good since basic santiation we get real upset & sulk for years
How sad is Leo Rautins life? The guy is sulking every other day about Canadian basketball. Canada will medal at the FIBA’s once he’s old and gone. I know Dalembert is with me.
Also, that was a lame Taco Bell joke. If you eat Taco Bell, you might as well be eating cockroaches and worms in a roti. Come on Trey, you’re American and you’ve crossed the border like twice, conjure up better situations than that. But you’re cake was better than Bosh’s so +1 to that.
@ Mark: did you steal that from some amateur stand-up comedy bit? Worse yet, I think you are trying to be some amateur stand-up comedian. If so, continue with your dream because it just adds to the stereotype that amateur comedians suck and are a dime a dozen.
If Matt Boner was a great hockey player that wanted to represent Canada he would get citizenship in two weeks.
I have been to Canada like 10 times, and the most amazing thing I’ve seen is Taco Bells with fries.
Taco Bell has nothing to do with this….If he said he wanted to hit up Tim Hortons for a double double he would be converted overnight….
He would make a definite impact…Im just dreaming of a starting 5 that looks like this:
PG-NASH/Backup Cory Joseph
PF-Tristan Thompson
SG-Andy Rautins
C-Joel Anthony/Dalembert -I would have them both on the floor!
SF-Matt Bonner
This will never happppppeeennnnn……
@ Trey Kerby
Apparently you didn’t see enough of Canada if that was the “most amazing thing” you saw!
As far as Matt Bonner’s citizenship, I can’t quite understand why this is such a big deal, ESPECIALLY because he is married to a Canadian. Maybe we just need to get Matt back on the Raps and then he would get his card no problem!
I can dream, can’t i?
:)
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