BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Champions Tour players put on long-sleeved pullovers and tried to figure out which way the wind was swirling from hole to hole. They left Shoal Creek with little separation at the top. Jay Haas, Mark Calcavecchia, Olin Browne and Chien Soon Lu shared the first-round lead at 3-under 69 on Thursday in the Regions Tradition, the first of the 50-and-over tours five majors. Nine others were within two strokes of the lead. With windy, unseasonably cool conditions, it was the highest score for first-round leaders at the Tradition since three players tied at 3-under in 1990 at Desert Mountain Club in Arizona. The course absorbed more than an inch of rain heading into Thursday and the players were allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls. The Tradition hasnt been so tightly bunched in the top spot after the first round since a seven-way tie in 2008 and the average score was about two strokes higher than last years first round. "The winds were very tricky," the 60-year-old Haas said. "I kind of had a handle on it, I thought, on the front nine. And then by the time we got to about 13, 14, 15, I had no idea which way the wind was blowing. "With all the trees and the valley and everything, you get a lot of swirling winds and you just have to be extra careful and think it out and then hit the shot that youre planning to hit, which I did most of the time." Calcavecchia birdied three of the final nine holes and came within a whisker of a fourth and the solo lead on No. 18. "When it was about 10 feet short, I didnt think it could miss," he said. "It was just dead centre the whole way and the last couple of feet, it was still in the middle of the hole and it just dribbled just a shade to the right and singed the right lip. "That would have been nice to walk that one in to end the day. Those are the ones that make the rest of the day go by a little bit better, dinner taste a little better." Haas capped a run of three straight birdies with a 50-foot putt on the 12th hole to move to 5 under. He finished with six birdies and had bogeys on three holes, including two of the next four after the long putt. The sun actually shone much of the day but the wind and wet course did make for some challenges. "There was no roll in the fairways," Calcavecchia said. "We had to play lift and place. The ball was just caked with mud every time you picked it up in the fairway. The wind was very tricky." Lu did manage to birdie the final hole and two of the last three to grab a share of the lead The native of Taiwan has two second-places in the Tradition, 2010 in Oregon and 2012 at Shoal Creek. Calcavecchias history at the scenic course has been up and down, though he says its his favourite stop on the Champions Tour. He lost a six-shot lead in 2011, including a pair of weekend double bogeys on No. 12. This time he avoided a bogey on his most troublesome hole but tweaked a rib on a shot from the fairway bunker. "The 12th hole is not my favourite out here, Ill tell you that right now," Calcavecchia said. Brownes only win on the 50-and-over circuit came in the 2011 U.S. Senior Open Championship. He missed five months of last season with a stress fracture in his back, playing only 14 events. Browne, who tied for second at the ACE Group Classic in February, had a bogey-free round with his final birdie on No. 17. "It was blustery and it was difficult to gauge, but my caddie and I did a decent job," Browne said. Steve Elkington, Willie Wood and Corey Pavin were one stroke off the lead at 70 and six players were two shots back. DIVOTS: Defending champion David Frost had a 72. ... Tom Lehman, the 2011 and 2012 winner, opened with a 73. ... Fred Couples shot 74. ... Bart Bryant withdrew after a death in the family while Craig Stadler and D.A. Weibring dropped out because of back problems. Stadler played nine holes before withdrawing. Rick Fehr replaced Bryant, and Doug Garwood filled Weibrings spot. Akiem Hicks Youth Jersey . -- Albert Pujols is thrilled to have a reason to forget about his first two disappointing seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. Chicago Bears Jerseys . Sources tell TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger that the team is quietly gauging interest on the Senators captain, though Spezza has a limited no-trade clause and carries a large contract. https://www.bearssportsgoods.com/Womens-...nverted-Jersey/. Vonn had another scary moment at Saturdays World Cup downhill in Val dIsere, ending up clutching her knee in pain after losing her balance and missing a gate. But she gave a reassuring answer shortly afterward, saying no new damage had been done to the surgically repaired knee, and that her plans for the Sochi Olympics were still intact. William Perry Bears Jersey . -- Slugger Jose Abreu, All-Star left-hander Chris Sale and closer Matt Lindstrom are on the disabled list. Walter Payton Bears Jersey . Footballs governing body said Tuesday that of the 2,577,662 tickets allocated for this years tournament, 1,041,418 have gone to people in Brazil. The U.We wanted to present to you our version of the best all-time Raptors team and we expect debate and look forward to your suggestions of where we went wrong. Below you will also find some reasoning why we picked the team we went with. So, here it is: our ALL-TIME RAPTORS TEAM. The All-Raptors Team The Toronto Raptors are, without question, Canadas NBA team and as their 20th season approaches, we thought that it would be interesting to put together the all-time best Raptors team or the All-Raptors Team. The teams entrants are based mostly on statistical achievements and league honours, but can also factor in that players impact on the team. Despite having not won an NBA Championship or frankly come close, hopes are high for this years Raptors team as they enter into the NBA Playoffs with the most wins in regular season franchise history, the third seed in the Eastern Conference and their second Atlantic Division championship. All-Raptors First Team Centre: Antonio Davis – 42.6 FG%, 77.0 FT%, 12.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 1.3 bpg, 1x NBA All-Star appearance (2001) An easy choice as Davis is the only centre in the history of the franchise to earn an NBA All-Star berth. Davis was the defensive anchor of the Raptors when they earned three straight NBA Playoffs berths and in the most successful incarnation of the team which made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals. Here are highlights from the only NBA All-Star Game that featured two starters from the Raptors: Power Forward: Chris Bosh – 49.2 FG%, 79.6 FT%, 20.2 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 1.2 bpg, 5x NBA All-Star, 03-04 NBA All-Rookie First Team, 06-07 NBA All-League 2nd Team Back when he was known as CB4, Bosh was the future star of the Raptors. Compared to Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett when he entered the storied 2003 NBA Draft, he fell into the Raptors lap when they selected fourth and has had a fantastic career since. Despite his decision to leave the Raptors for the Miami Heat, he had a great run in Toronto, leading the team to two NBA Playoffs berths and earning five All-Star appearances in seven seasons. One of which he earned using this clever video: Small Forward: Vince Carter – 44.6 FG%, 78.3 FT%, 23.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.9 apg, 5x NBA All-Star, 98-99 NBA Rookie of the Year, 98-99 NBA All-Rookie Team, 99-00 NBA All-League 3rd Team, 00-01 NBA All-League 2nd Team The only other Raptors player to earn more than a single All-Star Game berth while with the team is Vince Carter, AKA Vinsanity, AKA Air Canada, AKA Half Man Half Amazing. Carter deserves credit for putting the Raptors on the map as the leagues most exciting player. The Raptors started appearing in nationally-televised games in the U.S. and he was the face of Nike for a time. That time came to an end when he stopped dunking the ball in protest and demanded a trade. The Raptors obliged by trading Carter to the New Jersey Nets in the most lopsided trade in franchise history. Here is TNTs John Thompson interviewing Vince Carter after being traded and the Inside the NBA panel weighing in on it: Shooting Guard: DeMar DeRozan – 44.7 FG%, 81.5 FT%, 16.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1x NBA All-Star DeRozan earned his first NBA All-Star berth this past season and played a huge role in the most successful Raptors regular season of all-time. The improvement of DeRozan over the years has been pronounced and he will be a major player in the teams future outlook. DeRozan is the first All-Star in the post-Bosh era of the Raptors. Here is “Chocolate Thunder” Darryl Dawkins giving DeMar DeRozan instruction in preparation for the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest. Point Guard: Jose Calderon – 48.1 FG%, 87.7 FT%, 10.0 ppg, 7.2 apg, 2.5 rpg, 1.1 spg During his time with the Raptors and beyond, Calderon has been one of the most efficient offensive point guards in the NBA. Calderon has shone with his high shooting percentages, his near-automatic free throw shooting and his incredibly low assist-to-turnover ratio. Because of these attributes, he was narrowly selected for the All-Raptors First Team. Heres Calderon talking smack to Kevin Garnett: All-Raptors Second Team C: Marcus Camby – 44.8 FG%, 65.4 FT%, 15.7 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 3.3 bpg, 1.2 spg, 96-97 NBA All-Rookie Team Marcus Camby played two seasons with the Raptors after being drafted second overall in the 1996 NBA Draft. The Raptors actually won the draft lottery, landing them the top pick in a draft with Allen Iverson at the top, but had to move down a spot due to their expansion agreement with the league (in hindsight, one of the worst moments in franchise history). Cambys two seasons showed off his incredible defensive prowess, which would ultimately lead him to winning the NBAs Defensive Player of the Year Award as a member of the Denver Nuggets in 2006-07. Camby was traded to the New York Knicks after the 97-98 season in exchange for Charles Oakley, who would provide the Raptors with veteran leadership after drafting Vince Carter. Eventually, Camby was traded back to the Raptors as part of the Andrea Bargnani trade before this season, but he asked for his release so that he could go to a contender. Thanks for the vote of confidence Marcus. Hows that four-seed treating ya? Here is a young Marcus Camby talking about overcoming adversity for the Raptors: PF: Amir Johnson – 57.2 FG%, 70.3 FT%, 8.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.1 bpg When “The Junkyard Dog” Jerome Williams left the Raptors, they lost a player who has embraced the city of Toronto and been an advocate for it. Amir Johnson has filled those shoes. Johnson has been a great defensive presence and efficient offensive player who has improved dramatically each season since being acquired from the Bucks in a deal that brought him and Sonny Weems to Torontofor Carlos Delfino and Roko Ukic. Johnson also has an interesting piece of trivia attached to him, being the last high school player to be selected in an NBA Draft. Heres Amir Johnson at his first Leafs game: SF: Jalen Rose – 43.1 FG%, 82.2 FT%, 16.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 0.7 spg The point-forward position was made popular last decade by players like Rose, Lamar Odom and Antoine Walker. Rose was brought in via trade for Antonio Davis after Davis complained about his children having tto learn French in public school.dddddddddddd The expectation was that Rose would be able to find openings for Vince Carter and he did for a season until Carter was shipped off. Rose, ironically, was traded along with a first round pick in exchange for Antonio Davis expiring contract. Davis would start eight more games with the Raptors at age 37 and then retire. Heres Rose giving his account of the legendary behind-the-scenes altercation between now-TSN NBA analyst Sam Mitchell and Vince Carter. SG: Doug Christie – 41.4 FG%, 81.7 FT%, 14.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2.1 spg During his tenure in Toronto, Christie was known more for the relationship he had with his possessive wife Jackie than his defensive prowess. Christie was a jack-of-all-trades, but was primarily lauded for his ability to steal the ball and get the offence moving in transition. Christie went on to play an instrumental role on the Sacramento Kings during their years of title contention after the Raptors traded him there for Corliss Williamson. Heres Christie and Reggie Slater in a Toronto Maple Leafs Nike commercial: PG: Damon Stoudamire – 41.5 FG%, 82.0 FT%, 19.6 ppg, 8.8 apg, 4.1 rpg, 1.1 spg, 95-96 NBA Rookie of the Year, 95-96 NBA All-Rookie First Team “Mighty Mouse” was the original face of the Raptors and won the Rookie of the Year Award after the Raptors inaugural season despite getting booed by fans at the 1995 NBA Draft, which took place in Toronto. Raptors fans wanted the team to draft Ed OBannon. Stoudamire was a great floor general with a pass-first mentality, but also with great offensive prowess. Here is Stoudamires classic Nike commercial: All-Raptors Third Team C: Keon Clark – 50.0 FG%, 64.5 FT%, 15.2 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 1.4 apg, 2.1 bpg Clark was a really good player with a very sad story. Clark was an alcoholic and in a court hearing admitted to drinking a half-pint to full-pint of gin per day throughout his entire career. Despite his alcoholism, Clark was a tremendous talent, who was very efficient offensively and possessed great defensive prowess, especially when it came to shot blocking due to his incredible length. Clark retired young and told The Toronto Stars Dave Feschuk, "Anybody could use a guy like me when it comes down to basketball. I do know how to play it. But I dont know how to play those other games that go along with the NBA. Im non-conformist." Clark is currently serving an eight-year prison sentence in Vermilion County jail after pleading guilty to both a weapons charge and a drinking under the influence charge. Here is Marv Albert calling Clarks monster dunk on 76” Shawn Bradley: PF: Donyell Marshall – 45.7 FG%, 75.9 FT%, 13.8 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.1 bpg This was likely the toughest spot to fill as Marshall gets the nod over Andrea Bargnani, Jerome Williams and Charles Oakley for the final power forward spot on the All-Raptors Team. Why Marshall? Simply put, he was the consummate role player who did everything well. He had tremendous range for a big man, was a plus rebounder and defender. Marshall had one of the best statistical seasons for a Raptors player, averaging 16.2 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 1.2 spg and 1.6 bpg, while shooting 46.7 FG%, 40.3 3P% and 74.1 FT%. Here is Marshall sinking 12 three-pointers in a single game, an NBA record that he shares with Kobe Bryant to this day: SF: Tracy McGrady – 44.8 FG%, 71.2 FT%, 11.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.4 bpg Another event in Raptors franchise history that can be filed under “one of the worst things to happen” was Tracy McGrady leaving the Raptors in free agency for the Orlando Magic. McGrady was coming off of a 15.4 ppg and 6.3 rpg career year as a 20-year-old before the days of restricted free agency and bolted for warmer pastures. McGrady would go on to win the Most Improved Player award, make seven all-star appearances, finish top-five in Most Valuable Player voting twice, make two All-NBA First Team appearances and average over 30 points-per-game in a season. His versatility was amazing and he was considered a top-10 player for nearly a decade after leaving the Raptors. Had he stayed in Toronto with his cousin Vince Carter, who knows if there would have been a championship banner or at least an Eastern Conference championship banner hanging in the rafters at the Air Canada Centre at this moment. Here are Carter, McGrady and Oakley discussing what could have been on TSNs Off the Record: SG: Morris Peterson – 42.1 FG%, 78.2 FT%, 12.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.0 spg, 00-01 NBA All-Rookie First Team When it came to valuable role players, few were as good as Morris Peterson, who was one of the best sixth men in the league. Peterson always provided a spark off the bench and embraced that role during his seven seasons with the Raptors. Here is Peterson hitting the most clutch shot in Raptors history while Chuck Swirsky goes bananas and Wizards coach Eddie Jordan shakes his head in disbelief: PG: Kyle Lowry – 41.4 FG%, 80.7 FT%, 14.9 ppg, 7.0 apg, 4.7 rpg, 1.5 spg When the Raptors traded a barely-protected first round selection to the Rockets for Kyle Lowry, fans were flabbergasted. After all, Lowry had the reputation of being a coach killer and a curmudgeon. Since then, Lowry has made those fans feel great shame, playing up to his potential and nearly earning his first All-Star Game berth this past season. Yahoo! Sports columnist Adrian Wojnarowski wrote a great piece about Lowrys miraculous transformation into a leader and one of the leagues best point guards. Lowrys future after this season is up in the air as he will be a restricted free agent, but given his chemistry with his teammates and his relationship with Raptors coach Dwane Casey, many would be surprised to see him leave a situation in which he has thrived. Here is Lowry throwing his shoes to a Raptors fan in Chicago, only to have them intercepted by a Bulls fan: We want to know who YOU would have picked. Vote for your team by Tweeting us @BarDown (using the hashtag #BarDownRaps) or emailing us at bardown@bellmedia.ca or just post your team in the comments. We will follow up with results as well as get some pics from other famous Raptors fans. ' ' '
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