Why do people care so much about the Toronto Hockey franchise called Leafs?

[Don Draper]

I was out having dinner and drinks tonight with some friends. As often is the case, Sports becomes a topic of conversation. One of my friends starts in on how this year is a turning point for the Toronto hockey franchise called 'Leafs'. The table goes silent and he goes: 'what'?

So I say this to him: "Suppose your son meets a girl and he takes a liking to her. She puts out once and knows she has him by the balls. So she sucks him dry for all his money, her rent, clothes and everything she can get out of him with the hollow promise that she'll put out again 'soon'. She has no intention of doing so. Her situation suits her just fine. Since he laps up her bullshit, he keeps spending on her foolishly and constantly and clings to the false hope of a future that is not real. You can see right through her and know she's a lying weasel. What would you tell your son?"

This is a classic dysfunctional, abusive, destructive relationship.

The friend had no response. He continued eating his meal in angry silence and then got up to leave. As he was leaving, I said: "Pretty good analogy, isn't it? You know I'm right."

"So what if you are." was his answer.

What amazes and perplexes me to no end is that he's a grown, intelligent man and he knows I'm correct but won't admit it.

I guess he'd rather get raped by a lying, manipulative organization rather than face facts. He'll never see a championship of any sort so long as he maintains this denial.

Lucky for me, it's not my problem but where does this pitiful, catholic-like dependency come from and why don't these 'fans' do anything about it?

They could easily change the future of this franchise if they just opened their eyes.

No one likes being lied to and deceived.

So why does this pathology go on in this city?

 

[raptorman]

It's just a side-effect of a media driven campaign for protectionism of hockey in general in this country. There is a hugely vested interest in hockey from the affluent society in this country that they are concerned whether the strength of the sport will diminish as our population becomes more and more foreign born. The puckhead media pundits propagates so much hockey drivel to the masses in this country, that we have people like your friend who blindly supports the sport no matter how shitty the team is. While I feel that is hockey is still the most popular sport in this city, I find that it is vastly overstated by the media. Toronto is a city where so much of the population are from other countries where hockey is not even relevent. People that move here from other countries have absolutely no idea what hockey is and more inclined to be attracted to soccer or basketball due to the familiarity with those sports and with Toronto being such a diverse city you would think you would see other sports competing with hockey on a popularity level but this is where the media comes into play. Unlike the rogers owned sportsnet which promotes baseball due to its vested interest, the sport media in this country overwhelmingly focuses on hockey. I could not believe that during the NHL strike that there was a 20 strike minute update every day on sportscentre when there were other more important sporting events taking place in North America. I found this as a tipping point as to how disturbing the media's obsession with the sport is...it almost seemed that they did not want any other sport to get some attention, notably the NBA, to get much exposure while there was no hockey. Today on the fan 590, Brett Lawrie (native Canadian Jays player) was on talking about the new Jays uniforms and he was asked when (not if) was the last time he played hockey and he said no and the panelists heads were about to blow up as they couldn't understand how a Canadian didn't play hockey. I find it disturbing that they have this mindset that if you aren't in to hockey, something is wrong with you. The oldschool media experts are failing to keep up with the changing demographics, especially in Toronto, where young diverse people are simply not attracted to hockey. Even if they wanted to get into hockey, there is a lack of accessibility to the sport. Tickets to most of the urban population is very difficult to acquire, the sport is expensive to play and often ethnic players are ridiculed with racist remarks. That is why you see a much different racial make-up at a white-washed Leafs game compared to a Raptors game, TFC or even a Jays game. The Raptors have one of the biggest internet fan bases in north america as their fans find the discussion forums as great outlet for anti-basketball rhetoric that Raptor fans always have to deal with from hockey writers. If you ever go to the these forums such as realgm, you will see a significantly strong anti-hockey attitude from a large segment of the Raptor fanbase because of the way they feel their favorite sport/team is portrayed by the media. Now I also realize that the media has to focus on Canada rather than just on Toronto hence the focus on hockey, but even some of our local writers on the sun/star such as Damien Cox and Al Strachan just can't seem to figure out why people would not be attracted to hockey....they are such promoters of the sport, that it has totally blinded their opinions.

In the end, this is not a anti-hockey issue, it's about making all sports get their fair share of the media spotlight. It's important that we are not considered a one-sport country and that all of our sports gets fair exposure and represents the passion of the people. I would love to see Canada become a major player on the world sports spotlight, but if we continue to focus on hockey we will never get there as the majority of the world simply does not care for the sport.

 

[mur11]

It's not your fault Don Draper that you can't understand that the plebes in this city may devote themselves to other hobbies than attempting to get two Taiwanese girls who can't speak a word of English to blow a 50-year old penis
Let it go
We can't all sip rich brandy and revel in the majesty, the heart-stopping excitement that is a zero-zero score between Micronesia and Zambia

 

[Manji]

Your friend ate his meal in "angry silence" because he realized that his so called friend is a Pompous Douchebag....

 

[good to go]

The Leaf fans were fans since they were boys and have been making excuses for them not winning jack shit since they were boys. They just cannot admit that they have little boy syndrome.

 

[shack]

The Leaf fans were fans since they were boys and have been making excuses for them not winning jack shit since they were boys.

Agree. We should be real fans and only root for them when they do well.

That begs the question, while we're abandoning our team since boyhood, who should we cheer for until they do badly or the Leafs start doing well again because I guess that's what fans are supposed to do?

 

[dj1470]

Why do people care so much about the Toronto Hockey franchise called Leafs?

Leaf fans are delusional and quite insane.

'nuf

 

[shack]

Leaf fans are delusional and quite insane.

Damn Tourette Syndrome. 'Nuf.

 

[bigshot]

Your friend ate his meal in "angry silence" because he realized that his so called friend is a Pompous Douchebag....

Gotta' say Draper that this was one pompous diatribe. Your "friend" is in a social environment and making some attempt at social dialogue, and all you do is run him down for not being smart enough (as you most certainly are) to have a hate for the local team, and then you continue to remind him that you're right, even though he can't admit it.

I think you need a time out...

 

[Rockslinger]

Much of it has to do with history. Ever try to get Leaf's season tickets? Impossible, eh? They are handed down from grandfather, to father to son.

 

[GPIDEAL]

I don't think Don Draper's analogy works with the Leafs. I doubt that they are losing or mismanaging the club intentionally. However, maybe the owners don't try hard enough to improve or win because it's a money making machine regardless of performance. That's not necessarily due to misguided fan loyalty but to demand exceeding supply within the corporate community's entertainment budgets.

 

[GPIDEAL]

Much of it has to do with history. Ever try to get Leaf's season tickets? Impossible, eh? They are handed down from grandfather, to father to son.

I'm not sure if subscriptions are transferrable between non-corporate subscribers.

 

[dj1470]

Damn Tourette Syndrome. 'Nuf.

Just keep continuing to prove my point.
Moron.

 

[The Fruity Hare]

I'm not sure if subscriptions are transferrable between non-corporate subscribers.

There are a number of sites that have licences for sale.

I don't know the number off hand myself, could someone tell me the cap limit on the NHL, and also let me know how close Toronto is to the limit? I believe they are pretty close if not at the limit most years, if so that would negate the analogy in the original post.

 

[GPIDEAL]

There are a number of sites that have licences for sale.

I don't know the number off hand myself, could someone tell me the cap limit on the NHL, and also let me know how close Toronto is to the limit? I believe they are pretty close if not at the limit most years, if so that would negate the analogy in the original post.

I'm aware of Platinum Club licences but the average Joe who owns reds or blues doesn't own a licence to his seats, so after he passes on, I'm not sure if there's a right of survivorship to his subscription by his heirs. Corporate subscriptions survive (and not all of them include a licence which can be sold at a profit) for as long as the corporation endures, regardless of the life of a shareholder.

 

[The Fruity Hare]

I'm aware of Platinum Club licences but the average Joe who owns reds or blues doesn't own a licence to his seats, so after he passes on, I'm not sure if there's a right of survivorship to his subscription by his heirs. Corporate subscriptions survive (and not all of them include a licence which can be sold at a profit) for as long as the corporation endures, regardless of the life of a shareholder.

This link has various seats available, from Platinum to Green:

http://www.langeshow.com/leafLicenses/

I don't recall the details, but when they moved from MLG, I believe the seat licences may have been optional for the upper bowl. Now there are Platinum licences selling for $5, 999 and Greens selling for over $40, 000. Where's the sense in that?

 

[Don Draper]

I don't think Don Draper's analogy works with the Leafs. I doubt that they are losing or mismanaging the club intentionally. However, maybe the owners don't try hard enough to improve or win because it's a money making machine regardless of performance. That's not necessarily due to misguided fan loyalty but to demand exceeding supply within the corporate community's entertainment budgets.

This team supplies its fan base with continuous losing seasons and then RAISE ticket prices which still get bought!

If that's not disgraceful, slap-in-the-face management, then I don't know what is. The fans went ahead and payed for this raise in prices so what does that tell you? The Board of Directors runs the team as a business instead of genuinely wanting to win so they make very sly, calculated moves to deceive their fans into the illusion that they're wheeling and dealing when in fact its nothing at all except the protection of their precious bottom line. It's a great business model but a disgraceful sports franchise example.

The festering is truly epic starting with the intellect of 95% of their fans.

Also:

- trading away first round picks like they grow on trees,

- the greed of MLSE

- they have no idea how to rebuild

- they get way too much attention for a team that has done nothing in half a century

- Leafs TV

- the teachers pension plan

Delusional fans will fight and argue EVERY SINGLE ONE of the above points and all the others. This is EXACTLY what MLSE is counting on:

Denial and Sheep like obedience to deceit, bullshit and lies.

The day fans open their eyes is the day things will change for them.

Until then, bend over and keep spreading those ass cheeks. Leaf fans seem to like it good and deep.

 

[dj1470]

Give it up Don
Leaf fans are like a cult and it's impossible to argue intelligently with them as a group.

 

[Pastor Tricky]

Give it up Don
Leaf fans are like a cult and it's impossible to argue intelligently with them as a group.

Something that you are completely incapable of on pretty much any topic.

 

[dj1470]

Something that you are completely incapable of on pretty much any topic.

Just because YOU don't understand doesn't make someone else incapable.
Grow up.