Midolo

Hello everyone, this is my first post here and I just want to say that I'm a HUGE Leafs fan. With that being said, I just wanted to clear out a few misconceptions that are in this thread. - First off, when it comes to calling most Leafs fans ignorant and blindly cheering for the Leafs is largely incorrect. I don't disagree that many Leafs fans out there are ignorant, but I really believe that the majority of them are actually knowledgable hockey fans. I mean they may not know everything there is to know about hockey or the team they're cheering for, but most fans know enough that the Leafs haven't been that good for a long time. When you watch TV and see thousands of Leafs fans celebrating after a playoff series win and chanting 'We're #1 baby!' and 'The Leafs are going to win the cup this year!! This year is the year!' etc etc etc. Its not because they're necessarily stupid fools. But really what else do you expect fans to say after winning a series and are in the heat of the moment? 'Our team is going against the Sens next series and I have no faith that they're going to beat them'? Of course they're going to say the Leafs are going to the SCFs. They did that in Edmonton last year and they did that in Calgary the year before that. - There are tonnes of Leafs fans who are VERY knowledgable in hockey and the Leafs. Just look at HFboards and other Leafs forums and you'll see that many Leafs fans are very dissatisfied with the Leafs and how they're run by management. Myself, even though I love the Leafs, I'm probably one of the harshest critics of them and am an eternal pessimest. - I don't know where some of you guys live that have Leafs fans that believe they have a team that are true cup contenders, but pretty much everyone I've talked to here in Toronto and have seen on TV and on the internet have never said that the Leafs have a real chance at making the Cup finals. Most fans are just hoping they make it into the playoffs most years. Also with regards to why the Leafs are so hated, here's the main reasons why: - As pointed out, alot of people believe almost every Leafs fan is blind and ignorant when it comes to cheering for the Leafs. Even though this isn't true, because the Leafs have such a huge fanbase in Canada and even decently in the US (many transplanted Canadians and some Americans) and around the world, there are bound to be a decent number that are indeed ignorant. I mean 1% of stupid fans from tens of millions of Leafs fans is bound to be more than 1% of say a couple million Sens fans right? - Leafs fans are passionate to a fault for the Leafs and support them no matter how bad they're doing. Yeah that's kinda dumb in some ways, but Leafs fans simply LOVE their Leafs and I don't know why people don't rag on Cubs fans for supporting a team that hasn't a World Series Championship in like a thousand years? - There is a ton of jealously among fans of other Canadian teams that despite the continued losing, the Leafs still get top billing in Canada and get the most TV and media coverage. I mean I can't remember how many times I've seen a Sens/Habs/Canucks/Oiler/Flames fan complain about the Leafs being on TV and talked about constantly. 'Why is CBC showing the f**king Leafs when they always suck? Why not show a rising team like the Sens or have more coverage for western teams?' etc etc etc. Heck living in Toronto, I've even seen alot of Toronto Raptor fans hating the Leafs with a passion because the Leafs are always on TV while the Raptors can barely get a 5 minute segment on Sportscentre everynight. And usually that's buried about 10-15 minutes into the show. By Raps fans logic, the worse the Leafs do, the more exposure their basketball team will get and hopefully the larger the fanbase they will eventually build - hopefully at the expense of the Leafs fanbase. But of course that's just wishful thinking. - Most of Canada hates Ontario and specifically seriously hates Toronto and Torontonians, because they believe they're the centre of the universe (Which of course we are ). So by extension, the Leafs being the team from Toronto, they in turn hate them too. If it was the Toronto Flames, Toronto Oilers etc, they would be the most hate team in Canada. But since its the Leafs and they're in Toronto, then let's all hate the Leafs they say, because Toronto sucks, therefore the Leafs suckass by default. - Lastly, alot of hockey fans in Canada are sick of being surrounded by Leafs fans everywhere. They must feel like its the Alamo for them alot of the time. No matter where you go, whatever arena you go to, there is an infestation of Leafs fans that you can't erraticate. It must suck to be a Sens fan playing at home only to hear a quarter of the crowd yelling 'Alfie SUCKS!' and booing him everytime he touches the puck. I'm sure every team would kill to have fans as loyal and passionate and as plentiful as Leafs fans are. But since most Canadian teams don't have this, they choose to bash instead. Oh well. So yeah, in many ways the Leafs are like the Yankees......except without the winning. But hopefully things will turn around this year. PS: Love this forum, even though I don't really like the Deadthangs Also, even though the Leafs have won jacksquat, I'll always have the memories of 'He shooots, he SCORREEEESSS!!! NIKOLAI BORCHEVSKY!!!!!!'