Just Can't Pick on the Leafs Anymore
Posted 7:20 PM ET | Comments 6
I have been a man of allegiances for many years now. I cheer for Vancouver, Bosaton and Dallas. There are other teams I root for when the playoffs get going, but I have always cheered for those three teams.
I have always had a healthy hatred for the Red Wings and the Maple Leafs. I live. I breathe. I hate the Maple Leafs.
Something has happened to me this year. Amidst me laughing when the Leafs get slaughtered, I have started to fell bad for them. The Leafs are the cat in the rain, the unfed and poor cat who needs a good meal. This week has been another gong show. MLSE is responsible for this. JFJ was a lame duck GM before the season started and that is a horrible position to be in.
During the summer, I predicted that the Leafs would be where they are right now, close to but not in the playoffs. Somewhere along the way I started cheering for them to turn it around. Maybe it's the part of me that cheers for the underdog, but I feel for the team.
The tricky thing for the Leafs is deciding which route to follow. Can they beef up and make a run this year? That's unlikely, but that's what they try to do every trade deadline. The best thing to do is blow it up. In the new NHL, a 3-4 year cycle isn't necessary. If they ditch some of their high priced guys and the new GM signs the right people to replcae them and drafts well, things could be a lot brighter than they are right now.
Maybe after 15 years of mocking the Leafs, I finally feel sorry for them. As a Canucks fan who remembers the teams we had in the 80s, I can totally relate.
Oh well, at least I still hate the Wings.
I have always had a healthy hatred for the Red Wings and the Maple Leafs. I live. I breathe. I hate the Maple Leafs.
Something has happened to me this year. Amidst me laughing when the Leafs get slaughtered, I have started to fell bad for them. The Leafs are the cat in the rain, the unfed and poor cat who needs a good meal. This week has been another gong show. MLSE is responsible for this. JFJ was a lame duck GM before the season started and that is a horrible position to be in.
During the summer, I predicted that the Leafs would be where they are right now, close to but not in the playoffs. Somewhere along the way I started cheering for them to turn it around. Maybe it's the part of me that cheers for the underdog, but I feel for the team.
The tricky thing for the Leafs is deciding which route to follow. Can they beef up and make a run this year? That's unlikely, but that's what they try to do every trade deadline. The best thing to do is blow it up. In the new NHL, a 3-4 year cycle isn't necessary. If they ditch some of their high priced guys and the new GM signs the right people to replcae them and drafts well, things could be a lot brighter than they are right now.
Maybe after 15 years of mocking the Leafs, I finally feel sorry for them. As a Canucks fan who remembers the teams we had in the 80s, I can totally relate.
Oh well, at least I still hate the Wings.
I'm sorry, no matter how bad the Maple Leafs franchise gets I will always despise them and will never feel sorry for them. They've run themselves into the ground, what's to feel sorry about? The fans maybe, but I do like to tell people that if you cheer for the Maple Leafs you don't get to eat dinner in our house. It's just tradition dating back to when my dad immigrated to Alberta from Quebec. Otherwise I might feel sorry for the fans.
Dont feel bad Kaspar, we actaully eat Flames fans here. True story. We cook em and eat em. MMmmm
I don't feel bad. I'm going to be honest, Leafs fans, I'm polite on this board because there are so many Leafs fans on HB. (Also, because flaming another team beyond general ribbing is bannable). I don't care if you hate the Flames. I come here for friendly hockey talk and rumors.
I don't feel sorry for us Leafs fans. Changes are inevitable and are finally happening. It's quite fun watching Sundin work his magic night in and night out. It's fun watching Toskala steal games for the Buds. It's fun watching the development of Stralman. It's fun watching the Leafs win their last four out of five games. Don't feel sorry for the Leafs or their fans, their future looks bright with changes on the horizon.
You aren't in much position to feel sorry for anyone as a Canuck fan.
Honestly there isn't anything I'd call hate with many teams including the Flames. Just falls under a "I don't care" kind of thing. There are a lot of things to hate concerning the Leafs certainly. Mostly surrounding an ownership group that should be stuffed into a space shuttle and shot into the sun. Only thing to feel bad for is if the team gets stuck close to the playoffs but not quite there. Be a lot better to just lose and lose until they get a good pick. Move out what bodies you can and just start putting this thing together the right way.