Dinara Mikhailovna Safina born April 27, 1986 in Moscow) is a Russian professional tennis player. Currently Safina is ranked world number 2.
She has been the runner-up in three Grand Slam singles tournaments and won the women's doubles title at the 2007 US Open with Nathalie Dechy. She also won the Olympic silver medal in women's singles at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Her most recent achievement is runner-up in the 2009 French Open.
She is the younger sister of former World No. 1 men's player Marat Safin. She and her brother are the first brother-sister tandem in tennis history to both achieve 1 rankings.
You guys feel that in the air? That - ladies and gentlemen - is the electric atmosphere that is packaged with every exciting NBA All-Star Weekend. Or it could be the odd snow falling in Dallas right now...
Regardless of that, you guys know what this is - another edition of With A Side Of Red! Your stop for your daily dose of random Raptors related news.
First off the menu, according to basketball-reference.com, the Toronto Raptors have the 3rd most loyal fanbase in the entire Association. They take into account a team's actual attendance and what their fans expect of them. Here's the top 5:
1. Chicago Bulls (Makes sense considering their Jordan years) 2. Utah Jazz (Not surprised when you consider how awesome their home games are) 3. Toronto Raptors (The best in my eyes) 4. Dallas Mavericks (Multi-billionaire owner always willing to spend for a good team) 5. San Antonio Spurs (That's what happens when you assemble a dynasty)
Next up, TMZ is apparently reporting that our very own rookie DeMar DeRozan will be utilizing "Thriller" elements in the dunk off as a tribute to Michael Jackson. Honestly, I can do without the gimmicks, and would actually prefer straight up dunking. But that's just me. And yes, I understand, these days the gimmicks are just as important as the dunks. Oh well, call me old school, but I miss the days where dunk contests just had exactly that..dunking.
Regardless of that, I think it's smart on DeMar's part. If he plays it right, it could work in his advantage. Check out the article here:
The third course of the day is my favorite, and really doesn't have anything to do with the Raptors surprisingly. If you've been a follower of my blog, you might have read my little rant about the media and how they never mention anything good about the Raptors. Sure, that might have worked last year, but surely you can say something nice about the Raps this season...something...ANYTHING! On top of that, the American media always come out with the wildest reports of Bosh leaving Toronto. 100% this. 100% that.
And though the Raptors still don't really get the love they deserve, at least now it's not just the Raps' situation with Bosh they're sabotaging:
With the official word that Allen Iverson would not be able to play in last night's game between the Raptors and the Sixers, a portion of the excitement seemed to have died out. Even in the twilight of his career, the infamous point guard still draws a respectable amount of "Iverson" jerseys or "AI" apparel wherever he goes. And yet when all was said and done after a well earned 104-93 win, the locker room was still buzzing because of one particular player.
Cue Reggie Evans and his "Five minutes of fury"!
Having missed the first 51 games of the season, Reggie Evans could not wait to get onto the court. Yet after 5 minutes, he couldn't wait to get off it.
"He only knows how to play one speed." Chris Bosh often tells the media.
Yes, the Raps continued their winning ways.
Yes, they just put the finishing touches on a season high 8 game home winning streak.
And yes, the Raptors managed to pull within 5 games of taking the division lead.
But perhaps the most exciting part about last night was witnessing Reggie Evans play his heart out for those five minutes. In the short period of time he was on the court, he totaled 2 points, 3 rebounds, a steal, and one drawn charge. After his five minute sequence, Reggie just laid there on the court, exhausted beyond belief.
Compared to the Chris Boshes and Tim Duncans of the world, Reggie isn't exactly the most talented of bigmen. But what he lacks in All-Star talent, he surely makes up for it in hustle and heart. Note to the NBA: That's all it takes.
That's how players like Bonner, Pops, and the famous JYD managed to leave a lasting imprint on Raptors fans everywhere. Toronto sports fans have always been criticized of being too critical, too bipolar, too fickle. But there is one thing we can definitely be proud of, and that's our ability to spot hard work. In a city that isn't used to seeing winning teams, that's an impressive thing to hang our hats on.
"These fans work hard to see a game...so I work hard when I'm out there..."
Reggie's got it figured out. And that's why Raptors fans will always be there to cheer him on.
Nelson Piquet Souto Maior (born August 17, 1952), known as Nelson Piquet, is a Brazilian former racing driver who was Formula One world champion in 1981, 1983 and 1987. He is one of eight drivers to win three or more world championships, the others being Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna (3 each), Alain Prost, Juan Manuel Fangio, and Michael Schumacher.
Sebastian Vettel (born July 3, 1987 in Heppenheim, West Germany) is a German race car driver, and the 2009 Formula One World Drivers' Championship Runner-up. He drives for Red Bull Racing.
As of the end of 2009, Vettel holds numerous Formula One records, mostly for being the youngest driver to achieve a certain feat. By taking part in Friday practice for the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix, Vettel became the youngest Formula One driver to drive at a Grand Prix meeting, at 19 years and 53 days. He went on to become the sixth youngest driver to start a Grand Prix and the youngest driver to score points in a Grand Prix. On Sunday September 30, 2007, during the Japanese Grand Prix Vettel became the youngest driver to lead a Formula One race. During qualifying for the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, Vettel became the youngest Formula One driver to secure pole position.[1] He went on to win the race, making him the youngest F1 race winner by nearly a year. Vettel is also the youngest driver to achieve maiden victories for two different teams, and became the youngest Formula One World Drivers' Championship Runner-up in history.
Here's the GamePointBlog busting out another edition of WSR. As always, we recommend you sit back, drink that coffee, and enjoy our serving of Raptors news With A Side Of Red.
First on the docket. What's this we hear? New Jersey Nets rookie Terrence Williams could possibly be in the dunk contest? Well according to DIME, that's the word on the streets.
This is a prime example of why this entire "Dunk-In" was a horrible idea to begin with. Look, I have no problem with Williams being included into the actual contest; in fact he was one of my original picks to be in it. The dude is ridiculously athletic, and can dunk with the best of them. And have you tried him out yet in NBA2k10? Him and DeRozan are hands down the two players that are slept on the most in league fantasy drafts. Unstoppable!
My problem however lies with the possible free pass Twill may get that would ultimately land him directly into the dunk contest. Why does DeRozan and Gordon have to duke it out and use up two of their dunks during the dunk-in, while Twill sits and wait until Saturday.
They shouldn't have created this gimmick, and should just scrap the dunk-in entirely. People always talk about how great the dunk contest was with Vince Carter; well that had more than the usual 4 contestants we see these days.
Solution: Just put all of them in the dunk contest and let them put on a good show
In other news, it seems as though it has become official - Reggie Evans will play tomorrow against his former team. Reggie will not be the piece that puts over the top, but he'll be able to provide this team with all the energy, hustle, and leadership in the world.
For those that were lucky enough to see the Raptors play in pre-season, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. He became an instant fan favorite. In 17 preseason minutes, Reggie put up an average of 7.2 pts, 4.8 reb (2+ offensive), and 1.8 steals. In spot minutes this year, you can bet that Reggie will leave his mark night in and out.
I'm excited to see the team at real full strength. Let's finish strong boys.
Whatever it is you're doing, hopefully you enjoyed it With A Side Of Red.
What's up Raptors fans, here's your post-Superbowl edition of "With A Side Of Red". So whether you're just in coming in from school, or find yourself in an afternoon class with your least favorite prof, bust out the headphones, the snacks, and enjoy the best side-dish any Raptors fan could want.
On a schooling note, let's bust out some definitions.
Home - dwelling: housing that someone is living in
Dominance - the state that exists when one person or group has power over another
Raptors Home Dominance - Winning 7 straight in the confines of the ACC; making it a total of 19 wins and 6 losses in the season.
Catch the latest successful defense of home court in the Raptors 115-104 win over the Kings. All in six minutes!
As during every Monday of the NBA season, the latest "Power Rankings" come out. Here are are three sets.
NBA.Com [Raptors #11]
"Their defense provided a November flashback in a 130-115 loss in Indiana, but the Raptors have won seven of their last eight, shooting 51 percent in that stretch. With the teams behind them faltering, they have a strong hold on that fifth spot in the East."
ESPN [Raptors #8]
"Since that 146-115 humbling in Atlanta on Dec. 2 and the team meeting that followed, Toronto is 21-10. Which almost -- almost -- atones for the 130 points allowed to Indy after we moved the Raps all the way to No. 7."
SI.Com [Raptors #11]
"Chris Bosh gets the headlines, but you can't overlook Andrea Bargnani's impact this season. The Raptors' fourth-year center is averaging career highs in points (17.7), rebounds (6.2), field-goal percentage (47.8) and minutes (34.4)."
Alright folks, that's it from the GamePointBlog for today. Remember, make sure to occasionally look up so that your Professor thinks you're paying attention - if not to just notice the increase of Raptors apparel your classmates are sporting.
Whatever it is you're doing, hopefully you enjoyed it With A Side Of Red.
Dinara Safina 
