TML...Toronto Makes me Laugh

Today's Topic: Why you shouldn't be a Leaf Fan

Before you start throwing stones, at least give me a chance to explain my reasoning behind such a statement. Yes, I am die hard Montreal Canadiens fan, so you might consider this post to a bias one. However, the evidence just stacks up on why Leaf fans are so miserable, so blind and in denial. If you truly consider yourself a fan of the sport and you appreciate hockey as much as I do, you will at least take this into consideration. This is my attempt at explaining why you shouldn't support a losing franchise the way you do. It's okay to still be a fan, but please, don't gloat. Your team has little to show for itself in the last 30+ years.

Before I get into the bad and the ugly, I'm going to start off with the good things Leafs nation has done in the past few years. You got rid of John Ferguson Jr. That was an excellent call. In his place, you went out and got Brian Burke, a man at the top who has brought Stanley Cups to franchises in the National Hockey League. This was an excellent call. You went out and got a coach who knows how to coach with Ron Wilson. That was another excellent call. So you were set, new coach, new GM, new philosophy but still, you were producing the same mistakes, same mental errors and the same poor effort. I realize that the leafs are young and growing. But how long do you keep using that excuse? So what exactly happened?

I blame the lockout on the Leafs stumble to failure. Before the NHL lockout, the Leafs had made the playoffs for six consecutive seasons. Since the lock out, they have missed the playoffs for five straight seasons. Now being one of the biggest cities in the world, one of the most expensive and "elite" franchises in the NHL, why can't they even pull it together for one playoff run? I'll tell you what it's NOT. It's NOT the coaching, Ron Wilson had great success with the San Jose Sharks with a much less talented team. It's NOT the GM, Burke has a proven track record. It's NOT the players, they have many promising prospects. I blame it on two things: 1. John Ferguson Jr. and 2. Fan Morale.

John Jr.; The man would struggle running the popcorn machine at games, let alone manage a professional hockey team. His mistakes, his unthinkable acquisitions, his head scratching tactics, his lack of knowledge about the sport and the team, his in ability to draft players, his little hope in turning anything around...his mistakes set the leafs nation back at least ten years. It all starts at the top and it trickles down from there. The question I have though is that if the Leafs were losing for so long while he was the GM, WHY didn't they get rid of him sooner?? If you are that bad at your job, don't you usually get fired? I don't even want to remark at the bonehead moves he has made, but John Ferguson Jr. should be a curse word to any devoted leafs fan. He is one of the single reasons why you are in the shape you are. You should tie him up in front of the ACC and declare a public stoning.

Next, fan morale. Year after year, you lose. Yet, year after year, you still buy tickets. The most expensive tickets in the NHL. Not only do you buy tickets, you support an enormous condominium building being built right in front of your arena. So that's great, you can't even park in front of the stadium anymore unless you are a VIP. So you go and pay AT LEAST $20 to PARK you vehicle, if you are thirsty at the game, you pay $6 for a drink or $9 for ONE beer, and you pay at least $5 for cold popcorn. Why? Please tell me that I am wrong with what I'm staying. STOP THE MADNESS. You're supporting a team that hasn't even made the playoffs for the past five years. If anything, the worse the Leafs get, the more expensive the tickets, the concessions, the souvenirs and the parking becomes! You are all loyal despite being treated poorly. That is retarded. It doesn't make sense to me.

In a 2008, ESPN The Magazine took a survey on sports teams rewarding fans. Teams were graded by stadium experience, ownership, player quality, ticket affordability, championships won and "bang for the buck"; The Leafs were ranked 121st out of the 122 professional teams in the Big Four Leagues (major professional sports teams in the United States and Canada). In particular, the Leafs came last in ticket affordability. This was not that long away. Nothing has changed. How about not buying tickets? Maybe boycott it? Won't that drop the price? Without fans, there is no game. Keep that in mind.

At the start of the season, I made a statement on Facebook that said: "The leafs win four games and all of a sudden every fan crawls out of their hole they have been in hiding in for the last five years while they stunk up the league. Wake up. You have 78 games left." A bunch of people agreed with me. Some didn't. Some used the excuse "You're just jealous the Leafs beat your Canadiens this year." No, MY Canadiens have treated me great as a fan, we almost went to the Stanley Cup Final last year. Since the lockout, we have only missed the playoffs once. I support a winning franchise. You should too. The Leafs fired out of the cannon this season with a 5-0 start and first place in the Eastern Conference. All hail the great and powerful Leafs. Now, they are 5-5-3, good for 11th in the Eastern Conference. Don't worry, I won't say I told you so.

I hope things only get better for the Leafs Nation. After all, they are a Canadian team and hockey really is a Canadian sport. I will admit, they show promise but until your team actually, performs, I stand by my reasoning. Don't support a bunch of losers. Support something that rewards you. Otherwise, you'll always be depressed and you'll just keep getting let down year after year. That's my evidence, but of course since I am a Habs fan, you better take it with a grain of salt.

The one great thing about being a Leafs fan though; if you ever want to see the Stanley Cup, it's right down the street from your arena. Some fans wait decades to see it in person. It's in Leafs fans backyard...curse? On the other hand, Leafs fans, you might want to go take a visit because trust me, it won't be in your arena anytime soon.