Raptors add maple leaf to jersey
WebPosted Tue Sep 9 09:23:10 2003
CBC SPORTS ONLINE - The Maple Leaf will find a new home on a pro sports jersey, after all. After being dumped from next year's Toronto Blue Jays uniform, the Toronto Raptors are saying that their new road uniforms will sport the logo.

Team officials, speaking in Tuesday's Globe and Mail, say the move is completely unrelated to the Blue Jays' makeover.

The Major League Baseball team announced last week that for the 2004 season they were dropping the maple leaf and the colour red in favour of a sterner-looking Blue Jay and more black and metallic colours. The redesign has garnered mixed reviews at best and complaints that the move was unpatriotic for a Canadian team.

The Raptors will be sporting two looks on the road next season. A new second jersey will be primarily red, white and black, with the maple leaf prominently displayed on the shorts. The lettering will say "Raptors" instead of "Toronto". Team president Richard Peddie says the makeover reflects the desire to represent all of Canada now that it's the only NBA team based north of the border.

The new jerseys will be unveiled in a couple of weeks and will debut at the Raptors home opener Oct. 29.

www.cbc.ca/pcgi-bin/templ...rsey030909