On Wednesday night, the man who put the Toronto Raptors on the map returns to the Air Canada Centre for what could be the final time. Nike Free Azzurre . Vincent Lamar Carter is no longer the lean, athletic dynamo who dazzled Raptors fans with eye-popping dunks that posterized even the leagues best defenders. Carter is also no longer the petulant man-child who fans feel gave up on his team and his city and forced a move away from the franchise that he legitimized. At almost 37, Vince Carter is an NBA veteran, perhaps not grizzled, but a far cry from the two sides of the one man that Toronto Raptors fans remember with both fondness and disdain. In Torontos case, the latter greatly outweighs the former. Carter first returned to Toronto after his acrimonious exit as a member of the then-New Jersey Nets in April, 2005. To say that the reception he received was unwelcome would be kind. Few things stir up anger in sports fans like being jilted by a player they once idolized. The torrent of abuse directed Carters way didnt seem to faze him as he ended up dropping 39 on his former mates in a Nets win. When Carters Dallas Mavericks take on the Raptors on Wednesday night, Carter is likely to once again be met by vociferous boos as he always has been since the first time he came back to the ACC as a member of the enemy, but, of course, with each subsequent visit, the jeers have gotten quieter. The anger that once consumed Raptors fans just isnt there anymore for the most part. When Vince Carter is booed again tonight, it will be more out of habit than anything else. Much like the case with his cousin, the now-retired Tracy McGrady, the booing is just what you do. All of this, then, begs the question: Should time heal all wounds? In what might be the last time Toronto Raptors fans see Vince Carter at the Air Canada Centre, is it time for Raptors fans to let the good outweigh the bad and welcome the prodigal son back into the fold? Lets not kid ourselves. The break-up was bad and Carter had more than a big hand in it. On the morning of the biggest game in franchise history - Game 7 of the 2001 Eastern Conference Semifinals with the Philadelphia 76ers - Carter decided to fly to Raleigh to collect his degree from the University of North Carolina. Its anybodys guess as to why he chose to go then and not in the summer, but unrelatedly or not, Carter missed the game-winning shot that evening with only two seconds left on the clock. And then there was the meddling with the front office. Obviously, most franchises try to jibe with their best players wishes, but many felt Carter overstepped his bounds. The impetus to bring in a broken-down Hakeem Olajuwon and offer him a pricey extension appeared to come from Carter. It was a spectacular failure. Carter was constantly in managements ear and attempting to mold the club in ways that he wanted. Outside of a brief stint in the Orlando Magic front office as vice-president, Julius Erving had no managerial experience, yet this was the man who Carter championed to almost the point of insistence for the Raptors general manager job in 2004. When the team went with Rob Babcock, Carter took this as an affront. When the situation became untenable that season, Babcocks hands were tied to the point that all he could fetch from the Nets in exchange for Carter were bench pieces Eric Williams and Aaron Williams, a past-his-prime Alonzo Mourning - who never played a game for the team and was almost immediately released, but not before receiving a $9 million buyout package – and a pair of first-round draft picks. The cruelest blow, though, came the month after he was traded when he sat down with legendary Georgetown coach John Thompson, then working as an analyst for TNT, and told him that he had begun to coast in his last years in Toronto. "I was just fortunate enough to have the talent," Carter said. "You know, you get spoiled when youre able to do a lot of things and you see that, and you really dont have to work at it. But now, I think with all the injuries and the things that have gone on, I have to work a little harder and Im a little hungrier. Thats why getting the opportunity to have a fresh start with New Jersey has made me want to attack the basket for a lot of reasons." To hear your franchise player admit to dogging it is beyond the pale and probably reason enough alone for the idea of some sort of reconciliation to be out of the question. Recently, though, Carter has claimed that he never wanted to leave the Raptors and told as much to Babcock, but was informed that a deal had already been agreed upon with the Nets. Former Raptors coach Sam Mitchell corroborated Carters account, but considering this information became public almost 10 years after the fact, it came across as little more than damage control for what is seemingly an irreparable image in this city. Still, as the spectre of Carters exit still casts a shadow over what he did as a Raptor, is it time that the two arent mutually exclusive? It was Carter who led the team to its first ever playoff spot. It was Carter who led the team to its first ever series win. It was Carter who got the Raptors onto national American television broadcasts and into the larger basketball consciousness as something other than just that team that plays in Canada. To say nothing of the fact that Carter remains the franchise leader in points per game and second in total points. Is it time Raptors fans let Carters legacy outshine the acrimony of his exit? Or is the exit his legacy with the Toronto Raptors? As always, its Your! Call. Nike Free 5.0 Nere Uomo . Regardless of who is tabbed to replace Calvillo, or at least get first crack at it, there are big shoes to fill. Calvillo has said hes leaning towards retirement after concussion troubles likely capped a brilliant 20-year career as the leagues all-time leading passer. Nike Free Flyknit Chukka Saldi . In many ways he was a different person with different responsibilities, different motivations. He had a lot to prove but he wasnt fully ready to prove it, not like he is now.Calgary Flames president of hockey operations and acting general manager Brian Burke says he expects a flurry of trade activity around the league prior to next Wednesdays NHL trade deadline. "Absolutely. Theres a lot of chatter," Burke told TSN. "There are a lot of teams that think if they can add that one player it would make a difference for them making the playoffs or winning a round or winning another round, and those are huge financially impacted teams." Burke, who has also been general manager of the Hartford Whalers, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks, and Toronto Maple Leafs, rates the next week as a bit of a waiting game pending the possible movement of a few key players around the league. "Teams are waiting to see where a couple of other players go. I think the (Thomas) Vanek and (Matt) Moulson situations affect when our players come into play, so its been pretty quiet but its picking up now," explained Burke. Burke had no news regarding Mike Cammalleris tenure with the Flames. He confirmed that without a new contract in place the 31-year-old remains a tradable commodity. "There are no new developments. Ive met with Cammalleri and his agent, Ian Pulver. Weve extended a contract offer and weve agreed to keep talking, but as of right now were entertaining offers. Nike Free Shop Online. ." The Flames acting general manager was asked what type of players he would pursue in a trade situation. "We would like to get a player who will help us right away, and if that is not possible then our next choice is a player who is close to playing that we think could make us better next year. And if not, we would look at draft choices," said Burke. Burke discussed the prospect of there being any players in Calgary that he would not be willing to trade. "I think your list of untouchables should be real short when you are where we are in the standings, and it is real short," he explained. "As I say, Wayne Gretzky got traded so Im not sure theres anything as a real untouchable if you got the right offer. "But a couple of guys, starting with Sean Monahan who is the real deal, and our captain (Mark Giordano) have been terrific. Those would probably be the ones." Burke was also asked if there was any chance he will still be general manager of the Flames at the beginning of next season. "Not a chance," he stated. 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