For obvious reasons, I woke up Friday morning with “Auld Lang Syne” in my head. As is my wont, I started to sing the song out loud, subbing in lyrics about my dog for the real ones, which, it occurred to me, I did not know.
“Does anyone know all of the lyrics?” my wife asked me. So, I looked them up, and I’ve got to tell you — they don’t make much sense in either 2021 or 2022.
For auld lang syne, my dear For auld lang syne We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet For days of auld lang syne
Of course.
Upon further research, “auld lang syne” roughly translates to “for old time’s sake,” hence the whole bit about remembering old acquaintances. That, of course, made me think of the returning Serge Ibaka, making his first appearance in Toronto since before the 2019-20 season hiatus. Bad timing: On Thursday, the Ontario government announced indoor venues would be hard capped at 1,000 people, with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment deciding to limit the attendees to family, friends, staff and the fourth estate. No rousing ovation for a beloved former Raptor.
What should we make of 2021, as acquaintances go, though? Not a great time for the Raptors, this year, having gone 40-59, splitting their time between Tampa and Toronto. Save for draft lottery night and draft night, not a lot you’d want to actively remember. The first Raptors home game of the year happened in Florida, with 3,740 fans mostly cheering for the “visiting” Celtics.
