Toronto Maple Leafs are
Posted 3:39 PM ET | Comments 9
If you are a die-hard fan of the storied Toronto Maple Leafs, you have felt many years of disappointment. Every September there is hope that this will be the year "we" will end the 40-year Stanley Cup drought. All signs indicate that this Stanley Cup famine will reach at least 41 years.
As a fan of the blue and white I have to say that the salary-cap system is terrible. Why should the most profitable franchise in the entire hockey world be restricted to spending the same amount on salaries as the hockey mad fans of Phoenix, Arizona? I hope you picked up on my sarcasm. Should the leagues richest team, not to mention the most loyal fans, be treated this poorly? The answer is no. The Maple Leafs have allowed the bottom feeders to survive in the new cap system. While they struggle to reach the floor, Toronto is bashing its head on the cap ceiling. It is no secret that Toronto was
about the only franchise that was ok with continuing with the status quo, and didn't need "cost certainty." Could you imagine the uproar if the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox were restricted to spending Milwaukee Brewers dollars on player salaries?
Leafs nation deserves to have the elite players. If the fans are willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for a seat, they deserve to have the best. Hockey is a religion to us. We are in another universe than Yankee or Red Sox fans. Our next championship will require marshall law in the city of Toronto. So my question is, why not a soft cap system?
I just finished watching the documentary "Sicko." I love our socialized medical care and I encourage the United States to adopt such a system. However, I hate my socialized NHL. No team left behind. This is professional sports, not life. A
soft cap system would allow those with money to spend, while paying a luxury tax to the small market teams.
Am I the only Leafs fan that sees this injustice?
As a fan of the blue and white I have to say that the salary-cap system is terrible. Why should the most profitable franchise in the entire hockey world be restricted to spending the same amount on salaries as the hockey mad fans of Phoenix, Arizona? I hope you picked up on my sarcasm. Should the leagues richest team, not to mention the most loyal fans, be treated this poorly? The answer is no. The Maple Leafs have allowed the bottom feeders to survive in the new cap system. While they struggle to reach the floor, Toronto is bashing its head on the cap ceiling. It is no secret that Toronto was
about the only franchise that was ok with continuing with the status quo, and didn't need "cost certainty." Could you imagine the uproar if the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox were restricted to spending Milwaukee Brewers dollars on player salaries?
Leafs nation deserves to have the elite players. If the fans are willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for a seat, they deserve to have the best. Hockey is a religion to us. We are in another universe than Yankee or Red Sox fans. Our next championship will require marshall law in the city of Toronto. So my question is, why not a soft cap system?
I just finished watching the documentary "Sicko." I love our socialized medical care and I encourage the United States to adopt such a system. However, I hate my socialized NHL. No team left behind. This is professional sports, not life. A
soft cap system would allow those with money to spend, while paying a luxury tax to the small market teams.
Am I the only Leafs fan that sees this injustice?
Lets be serious here for a moment. The Maple Leafs could have elite players if their management didn't tie up enormous amounts of hard cap space in players who are of sub-par calibre. The Sens are able to afford the elite because they spend their money accordingly. The Tampa Bay Lightning have three of the games top players in Richards, St.Louis and Lecavalier because they let guys like Pavel Kubina walk. If you put your money in the right places (i.e. the elite players) then you shouldn't have problems icing a competitive team night in and night out... On a side note, I understand how you feel being a Leafs fan and having to pay the money that you do to see questionable performances from players who are eating up a lot of your cap space, but keep in mind that it is not the fault of the 'hard cap' system itself, but of poor decisions made by those in management.
uhm sure, let's let Toronto and their poor management buy their way to cups
Wow. I know there are leafs fans out there who really can't grasp reality but c'mon. I HATE the Red Sox and Yankees just because of what they do in terms of spending. Its an absolute joke. How about we just let the canadian teams get all the top draft picks every year too. Then we can spot the more popular team in game a goal or two before the game starts so that way we make sure only some teams win because it really isnt fare when teams like Washington beat the Leafs (7-1, i guess that still wouldnt make them win... hmmmm).Or how about this idea: Leafs get some compentant people in their front office and figue out the new NHL. At this point they will stop trading away draft picks and start trading for draft picks and start rebuilding their team that has been mediocre and horrible since the beginning of time (a very storied franchise remember??). Mabye once this happens the leafs will be able to compete in the NHL or mabye we should jsut let them have the pay roll of the Yankees instead.
For the previous 37 years the Leafs could afford to buy and player they could and still couldn't win, so what does the CAP have to do with losing and Toronto.The issue is that they choose to pay mediocre players like elite players such as Blake, McCabe, Kubina, Toskala that is the problem.
Toronto Maple Leafs Fans Are....rediculous. Well not all. But this idea is defnitely embarassing. You are giving Leafs fans a bad name by trying to blame the league rules for your managements failures. Just because you live in Toronto 9I live there as well) and there is more hockey fans, doesnt make you a better fan than those in phoenix, columbus or even new york. In fact Toronto fans are as much to blame for their teams failures for agreeing to pay absurd ticket prices for an embarassing product.
"Leafs nation deserves to have the elite players." You are truly delusional. I could go on and on, but that conceit is making me choke with laughter. Truly delusional.
we dug our own hole... I'll cheer for the jersey though, regardless of elites or not... that said:Big T; I wouldn't say Blake was overspending, I think it's actually a pretty decent deal aside from the length, and he will start to connect on those goals, I'd say even a 65 point season is a decent return from him. Toskala is coming in cheap this year, at 1.35 mil or something, he was not overpaid, and in the end, I doubt he'll turn out to be a bust. McCabe and Kubina I'll agree with you though... it's time to let the youg guns run tthe show with Kabs I think...
good analogy to the red sox and yankees
I think everyone is missing the real point he is making here. What he is saying is that a team that is supported like the Leafs are, is restricted to the same rules as unsupported teams. I can actually see that point. If the Leafs fans are so numerous and foolish as to fill the coffers of MLSE to overflowing, why should they not be allowed to buy a championship. Also, to be fair, which real impact superstar type players have been available since the lockout? Personally, I like the cap. When there is a cap, then the team that wins, wins fair and square. I prefer the level playing field for all teams.