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Dear Season Seat Holder: It is with great joy I extend a sincere letter of "thank you" to our season seat holder family. Indeed, you are "family." Whether you have been a charter member of the Raptors body since 1995 or joined the excitement this season in year two of the "Colangelo Era", your commitment to the Raptors and our entire organization is appreciated. I can speak first hand what it means to have a passionate fan base as our key staple to our foundation for greatness. Our fans, our family, are with us through the thrill of victory to the challenges that professional sport brings. Quite frankly, without you, our management team, coaching staff and corporate department can't execute in an efficient manner. Our season seat holders are fantastic ambassadors for the game of basketball in Canada and throughout the NBA. NBA Commissioner David Stern loves the city and views bringing basketball to Toronto as one of his finest moments in his twenty six year history as head of the NBA. I'll share a true story that describes how "insiders" view our city and fans. On a recent road trip, an opposing broadcaster told me, "It's amazing how your (Toronto) fans have hung in with your team. Win or lose you can always count on Toronto. We (team) love coming to Toronto." I never get tired of hearing that story as it resonate in my basketball soul...When the crowd at Air Canada Centre is going crazy and I can hardly hear myself think, let alone speak, it sends chills down my spine. It's a fantastic atmosphere. Broadcasting my tenth season of Raptors basketball is a privilege and a pleasure. It's not a job. It's not an appointment. It's passion. It's heart. It's soul. It's 24-7. It's Toronto Raptors basketball. I love our fans. I love interacting with our fans before, after and yes, sometimes even during games at the ACC. The in game preparation, professionalism and entertainment value is consistent and high quality. The on court product is captivating and electrifying. From day one President-General Manager Bryan Colangelo stressed the importance of building a team with character players who are winners. There are no short cuts in the NBA. This is a highly competitive business. Let me say this: The Raptors are not here just to compete That is expected...Toronto is here to win a championship. Colangelo is the best executive in the NBA. That's a fact. As a season seat holder you have seen first hand the remarkable change as Colangelo's mandate to redefine the culture of our team has seen significant growth. The desire/quest to win the Larry O'Brien trophy is a daily goal of all of ours at MLSE. We understand your interest. We understand how involved you are. We understand how emotional this game can be. We love it. On behalf of our ownership and all the outstanding employees of MLSE thank you for your heart, spirit and dedication. If there is anything I can do to make your family experience that much more pleasurable please contact me or any one of our great employees with the Raptors. Sincerely,  Chuck Swirsky |
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