Toronto IAM: Raptors' Winning Streak Stopped by Celtics, Architects Pleas to Save Toronto’s Concrete Heritage

This is a selection of recent popular blog articles from TorontoIAM where you will find the best blogs from Toronto, Ontario as well as video uploads, social networking, rumors, and blog authoring

Boston Game is Season Low for Toronto Raptors

The latest from Raptor’s News, reports on the Raptor’s loss to the Boston Celtics (90-77), who have now “matched their longest winning streak in 14 years,” having won nine games in a row. It was Toronto’s first loss in five games. “Their defense is very aggressive,” said Chris Bosh, who had 17 points and 13 rebounds. “They are very long and athletic and the plays we usually make just weren't there. What we need to take from this game is to see how they play defense.”

Toronto’s 77 points were a season low according to the post. Their “previous low was 84, set in a Dec. 7 loss at Boston.” For Toronto, Jamario Moon had 13 and Kris Humphries had 12. “They played hard and took us out of what we wanted to do,'” Humphries said. “They made it tough for Jose (Calderon) and our guards to get the rhythm they usually get.” The Raptors didn’t get the strong start they knew was necessary and the Celtics “led 27-17 after the first quarter thanks to 10 points from Pierce and poor shooting by the Raptors, who were 4-for-17.” Boston was leading 50-36 at the half.

Toronto’s Heritage Buildings at Risk

Val Dodge at the Torontoist announces a recent book release from Coach House Books entitled Concrete Toronto, focused on the “concrete structures built in and around the city from the 1950s through the 1970s,” which are at risk of being demolished. According to the Star’s Christopher Hume, when buildings are 40–60 years old “their architectural styles are most likely to be out of fashion, and they may start to look run-down or require major repairs.” Buildings such as Robarts and the Sheraton Centre are “on the cusp” of this period and “the half-round building at Riverdale Hospital and the Bata Shoe Headquarters in Don Mills… have been condemned to demolition despite pleas from heritage and architectural groups to save them.”

The post says Concrete Toronto “fires the first salvo in the upcoming war to preserve our recent architectural heritage” and contains essays, exploded diagrams, pictures, “interviews with some of the most influential architects of Toronto's last half-century, and a field guide suitable for personalized walking tours.” The book has a “diverse” group of contributors and is a balance of “explaining the architectural significance of dozens of buildings and examining their cultural importance to the people who use them.”

Coaching Changes Afoot at TFC

A recent post on Toronto FC Blog reveals that there are some coaching changes happening at TFC. There are rumours that head coach Mo Johnston is “looking to assume the position of GM and have someone else take over the coaching gig.” His alleged targets are from the New England Revolution, “as both their current head coach and their assistant coach have been linked with a move to TFC.”

In addition to Mo’s move, Assistant Coach Bob Gansler is leaving the club. Gansler is “widely regarded as a good coach,” our blogger states in his post, and is seeking a bigger role elsewhere. although it appears “as though Mo wasn’t about to hand him the job.”

New Steak Houses Make the Cut

Today in Taste TO, Greg Clow follows Toronto’s steak trend, which picked up in 2007. In the past 12 months, the openings of Prime and Jacobs & Co were well-received; the “moderately priced and tourist-friendly Le Bifteque…transformed into the high-end Steak Restaurant & Bar, and big hunks of beef appear proudly on the menus of newcomers like Cowbell and One.”

But, our blogger warns in his post, “just because a trend is hot doesn’t mean instant success for every restaurant that follows it.” For instance, Lola Steak Bistro, despite their “naughty looking web address (lolastrips.com)” and cheeky slogan, they couldn’t cut it as a “straight on steakhouse.” In response, they’ve cut back the steak and grill menu to a few essentials, and added a bizarre “selection of Thai dishes to the card. Because nothing goes better with a rare and juicy sirloin than some red curry shrimp and spicy eggplant.”



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