Vinay Menon: Here´s why Raptors announcer Jack Armstrong deserves an Order of Canada
(The Star Toronto Raptors)

If Jack Armstrong gets tired of working as a Raptors announcer, he could make a fortune as a motivational speaker, a pitchman, a life coach or even a hypnotist.As a general rule, I try to avoid gushing praise in this space. Does anyone really want to read 800 words on my undying love for Lana Del Ray or why the Keg is the greatest restaurant in history? No way. But in advance of Thursday’s Game 6, I must break this general rule to specifically salute Mr. Armstrong.One of the things diehard fans overlook when a city – or in this case, a country – climbs aboard the bandwagon during an epochal playoff run is that we newbies are in a strange land dictated by a language and customs that can be puzzling.During the first few Raptors games I watched with my family this spring, it felt like we were lost inside an experimental French film without the benefit of subtitles. In the paint? On the glass? In the cylinder? From the field? Do you kids see this field they speak of? All I see is a wooden floor.In addition to Jurassic Park for the diehards, there should also be a Cretaceous Square for the johnny-come-latelies to go ask questions: “Yes, I was wondering, why are free throws sometimes one, two or three? What’s a trey? An Alley-oop? Could you please tell me what is meant by, ‘The Board Man Gets Paid?’�And is this Board Man also the Fun Guy?I’m not kidding, it took at least three games before I noticed the shot clock.But during this flashpoint of hoops hoopla, TSN’s Armstrong has emerged as a beloved tour guide on the Raps bandwagon. His analysis feels like a Rosetta Stone that is helping me learn the game in a way I never could on my own. His insights are front-loaded with the folksy charms of an everyman and, yet, the insights of “The Coach,� his past vocation and current nickname. Then there is his bonkers enthusiasm, which is more contagious than cholera and more joyous than Christmas morning. Wh ...