These are my Toronto Raptors Linkage links for February 2nd from 01:28 to 20:12:

• Smith Won’t Back Down – Says He Spoke To Colangelo – On ESPN's dinner-hour Sportscentre, Smith said he stands by his remarks and is not backing down, telling viewers he did speak with Colangelo. That being said, it is still a wait-and-see proposition on how it all concludes.
• Chris Bosh: Ignore Stephen A. Smith – If a rumor doesn't make sense and it comes from one of these fellows, it's probably not true. It's a bit depressing, actually, to waste our time on it. There are plenty of real talks going on out there — in Chicago and Miami and even in Toronto, with regard to other players. These wastes of time are the reason some hoops heads hate the rumor game so much. And really, it's hard to blame them.
• Bynum, Bosh and All-Star Rosters – So no matter how bad things are going north of the border, it appears that Bosh and the Raptors will be sticking with each other, at least for now. These rumors wouldn’t be flying if the team were winning, though. Get on that, guys.
• Are Raptors Fans Booing or Are They Saying "Boo-osh"? – Raptors fans at the Air Canada Centre have understandably been pretty unhappy lately about the apparent lack of effort and losing results delivered by the team lately. Inevitably, reporters are going to ask players what they think about being booed — and a reporter can only hope that the team's star player gives a snarky response similar to what Bosh said: "I don't boo. If you have a bad fiscal year, how about I boo you?"
• Food For Thought On Bosh – Call me crazy, but if a 4-time All Star and one of the best big men in the league has told his team that he’s not going to re-sign with them – essentially saying, “I’m outta here” – would that not be the LEAD story? Is that not more important than the Knicks schedule this week?

  Plus, would ESPN not have a written piece on this story on the NBA page on ESPN.com? Ya know, amongst their game recaps and top stories, etc. – on the right side of the page?

  Based on how little pub this is getting (and it came out almost 24 hours ago) on ESPN and based on how it was almost an after-thought in the original segment itself, I have my doubts as to the validity of the story.

• Chris Bosh Will Break Our Hearts – Chris Bosh…is 16 months away from breaking our hearts. And it hurts already.

  We should see this coming by now. I listen to enough punk-bordering-emo music to know that you don’t get the girl in the end. I listen to enough R&B music to know that there’s always another man waiting. We’ve bore witness to this same situation elsewhere in sports, in life. We see it coming, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it.

• Smoke Is About To Become Fire In Toronto – Think about it. Why would Bosh, a four-time All-Star, want to stay in Toronto?

  The team lacks young talent with any considerable upside and Jermaine O'Neal, when he is actually on the floor, has proven to be a bad fit. Meanwhile, Bosh has steadfastly refused to talk about his future with the Raptors or anyone else for that matter.

  Shooting down the rumor was the right move for Colangelo, who needs to keep Bosh's trade value as high as possible. But, that doesn't mean Smith's report doesn't have legs.

  In fact, common sense says that it does.

  The smoke is about to become fire in Toronto.

• Bosh, Colagelo deny trade demand rumours – "There's no truth to the rumour or the speculation that he said anything to any of us in the organization that he's going to be leaving," Colangelo said at the start of a lengthy myth-debunking session with the media. "There's no truth to the fact that he's on the trading block or being shopped in any regard. It has already created a flood from the media this morning and maybe even one or two teams that would probably be interested in doing something if I were to throw it out there.

  "Chris, as has been the case since I've been here, is the cornerstone of this franchise."

• Raptors Drama Is Starting To Get Serious – I think it was about a week ago when I said if Bosh leaves I am done cheering for players on this team. I mean it as well. I am going to treat the Toronto Raptors as I would my Michigan Wolverines or some other college programs that I support. It is not a statement by me saying the Raptors are playing to a level of a college team. I mean they are playing bad but I don't think it is to the level of an NCAA team being able to beat the Raptors or anything.
• It is time to fire up the Chris Bosh trade machine – After a game like yesterday where Chris Bosh looked pretty useless against the Orlando Magic, you had to know that today would bring a lot of wild trade ideas in the forums. Especially when you add it with the reports that CB4 has told BC he won’t resign in 2010. So whether you want to believe a rumour or not, it is out there and unless Bosh says otherwise, you have to figure there is some truth to it.
• Tip In, Toronto Raptors’ Post Game: Out of Position – When it comes down to it, I don't see why we should have expectations about this team anymore. In fact, I wonder if the team itself has any expectations of making the playoffs anymore.
• No Bosh? No Biggie. Here’s why. – The O’Neal for Marion and Banks deal doesn’t work with Bosh in JO’s place; too much salary is being moved. And while Marion for Bosh does work, the Raptors aren’t getting close to equal value. I kind of like adding Udonis Haslem to Toronto (6 million contract expiring in 2010) and Kopono to Miami to the deal, which still works. Overall though, I’m not too keen on trading with Miami.
• To get fans back onside, Raps need to play harder – Toronto fans love a Charles Oakley, an Antonio Davis (until he opens his mouth) a JYD, a Popeye Jones, etc. They only ask for an honest effort. They don't want to cheer on a listless, jump shooting, defenceless outfit. A squad that doesn't seem interested in giving the output it takes to compete, whether that's on the boards, keeping a man in front or in deciding to drive to the hole.
• Magic tricks – Given that Mickael Pietrus was on the short list of players the Raptors were considering two summer ago when they used $24-million to sign Jason Kapono, it was hard not to take note when Pietrus went to dunk the ball and nearly took Kapono with him at one point.
• DALLAS MAVERICKS Blog – Chris Bosh – Guess who Smith mentioned first as a possible trade destination for Dallas native Bosh? Yep, Mark Cuban's Mavs.
• Chris Bosh Fades Away – Trading Vince Carter was great for this franchise. He was clearly a player who had reached his limit, and it was time for him to move on. The fact that Toronto received what amounted to Joey Graham (and some cap space) in return for the former All-Star clearly wasn’t the best course of action.
• Colangelo dismisses Bosh rumours – Toronto Raptors president Bryan Colengelo dismissed any rumours that Chris Bosh has told him that he won't re-sign with the NBA team after this current contract expires.

  “It isn't true,” said Colangelo. “It's a complete fabrication.”

• Raptors GM Colangelo denies Bosh wants out – Toronto Raptors star Chris Bosh has not informed Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo that he will not re-sign with the team in 2010, according to Colangelo.

  "It's pure imagination," said Colangelo. "It never happened. Chris is not on the trade market, he is not being talked about in discussions with anybody, and it's a non-story. This is obviously not the easiest time for this basketball team, and one result is people writing or saying things that are designed to stir things up."

• Bosh denies reports that he wants out of Toronto – Bosh downplayed the reports at practice on Monday, telling reporters that he hasn't spoken to General Manager Bryan Colangelo and that the reports are not true.

  ESPN's Stephen A. Smith had thrown fuel on the fire Sunday when he claimed Bosh had expressed his wishes to leave the franchise.

• Bosh shoots down trade tale – "No. No. No, I haven't told him that," Bosh said today after practice.

  And just to add another layer of denial, he was asked whether his agent could have made the statement.

  "No," he said.

• Colangelo dismisses Bosh rumours –
• The Post Up: Magical Sunday – The final quarter was just a formality as the Magic continued to roll to their 18th road win of the season (18-6) and the Raptors again, were booed loudly off of the court. Orlando finished the game connecting on 13 three-pointers as compared to only two makes for the Raptors in a game that never saw Toronto hold a lead.
• Create energy: Bosh – Chris Bosh says it's time the Raptors stopped paying so much attention to their not-so-supportive fans.

  Once again the boos were in abundance as the Raptors failed to put up much resistance against an arguably solid Orlando Magic team yesterday.

  But what Bosh says he's seeing too often is the lack of energy in the building having a detrimental effect on the team.

  "The energy in the building isn't good," Bosh said.

  "We get down a little bit and everybody is like: 'Oh my God, everything is in a shambles' and I think we feed off of that too much. We can't pay attention to that. We have to keep it right there no matter what happens and play hard."

• No magic for struggling Bosh – "Yeah, yeah, I think so," Bosh said when asked if he was pressing too much in Toronto's latest loss, a 113-90 pasting at the hands of the impressive Orlando Magic yesterday at the Air Canada Centre. "Me, individually. It's not the team. I'm there, the play's drawn up for me, I had the ball in my hands, I had a pull-up jump shot, I lose the ball; I lose the ball out of bounds, Jose's (Calderon) thinking he made a bad pass but that's on me.

  "I've really been struggling with the ball the last two games."

• No heart, soul or wins for Raptors – But it's only lately, in two straight home losses, that you've been able to say this: They quit. There wasn't more than a fleeting moment in yesterday's unconscionable blowout at the hands of the Orlando Magic and Friday's dismal walk-around against the Milwaukee Bucks when you could say, with any honesty, that the Raptors looked like they had the desire to win. And there certainly wasn't a single moment when they looked like they had a chance to win.
• Raptors still not doing it: Bosh – Chris Bosh, angry at himself for fumbling a routine pass, walked out of a second-quarter timeout stone-faced as could be.

  Bosh sprinkled talcum powder onto the courtside scoring table, as is his habit. And instead of rubbing his hands in the sticky stuff, the Toronto Raptors star simply slammed the table, openhanded, as hard as he could. The impact briefly disconnected the feed of a courtside television, and it left half a palm print that lingered well after Toronto's 113-90 loss to the Orlando Magic.

• Game 49: Raps vs. Magic – Post-game – Well, I guess you can say that I cursed Chris Bosh. Just as I started talking about him having great games against the Magic, he comes out and lays a stinker out there for us all to witness. He wasn’t the only reason for the Raptors loss today, but I just thought that if I have any sort of cosmic powers or the ability to put a hex on somebody, then I should at least step up and admit some of my responsibility for the loss.
• Superman Super on Superbowl Sunday – Dwight Howard just had a dunk contest on the Raps. Superman had 29 points on 11/19 shooting, 14 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block and a bajillion dunks on the Raptors.

  The Magic just got it going, when you have a big man down low, a bunch of shooters on the outside and then have the Raps not play any D? Of course, it's going to lead to a Magic win.

• Orlando Magic 113, Toronto Raptors 90 – Toronto was paced by Jose Calderon's 16 points and 6 assists, but was doomed by a poor showing from franchise forward Chris Bosh. The All-Star and Olympic gold-medalist managed only 11 points (4-of-11 shooting) and 9 rebounds while turning the ball over a game-high 4 times, leading some Raptors fans in attendance to boo him. I question the wisdom of booing an elite player who can walk away in free agency in 2010, especially when he did nothing to warrant the rough treatment.
• Quicktake on Magic 113, Raptors 90: Possible turning point in Howard’s free-throw game by – “I think before the game I talked to [Toronto point guard] Jose Calderon and I touched his right hand and some of his free-throw touch got onto my hand,” said Howard, referring to Calderon's recent free-throw streak, which ended at 87.

  “I am trying to start my own streak and I have to start small … so four in a row and I will go from there.”

• Nelson, Howard propel Magic to another road win, 113-90 over the Raptors – When 5-foot-10 Jameer Nelson falls two rebounds short of his first career triple-double and 6-11 Dwight Howard sets a franchise free-throw record — yes, for free throws made — you sort of know how the game turned out.
• Magic 113, Raptors 90 – Game Flow –
• Magic 113, Raptors 90 – Box Score –

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