2008 NBA All-Star Game Toronto bid?

[raptorfreak]

Since I'm a Raptor Season Seat holder, look what I got in the mail. And yes, i'd be damn excited about it!

"Dear Mark Sandico,

The Toronto Raptors, in partnership with the City of Toronto, the Province of Ontario and Tourism Toronto have recently created a committee to bid for the opportunity to host the 2008 NBA All-Star Game. The committee has identified many positive benefits to hosting this type of event, some of which include:

• A $70 million positive economic impact to the city
  International media exposure to over 200 countries and a television audience of over 600 million
  
• A significant influx of tourism that will have a lasting effect on our hotel, restaurant and entertainment business especially following on the heels of SARS, West Nile, etc
  
• A grassroots basketball program that will help grow the sport and leave a positive legacy behind for less fortunate children in our community
  
• An opportunity for the general public to experience the excitement of NBA basketball by participating in the NBA fan-fest known as "Jam Session" (over 100,000 attendees)
  

However, every year in the city where NBA All-Star is held, the NBA controls the majority of the ticket inventory thereby providing only a limited number of tickets for the host clubs to sell. We may only have 3000-4000 tickets to sell to you our valued Season Seat Holder which means that you have approximately a 1-in-3 chance of aquiring tickets.

If we were to move forward with our bid and were successful, we would manage these tickets through a lottery system so that all Season Seat Holders would have an equal chance to purchase tickets.

Obviously, if we don't move forward with a bid, you will not have an opportunity to purchase tickets and the NBA All-Star Game will not be coming to Toronto.

With an understanding of the above, please click here to answer our survey question"

Is that the coolest news I've heard in a while or what?