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Hockeytown0001

Do Maple Leaf fans deserve better?

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Reading through a thread at HF Boards, I got to thinking - do Leaf fans, as fans of a proud Original 6 Franchise, deserve better than what they've been getting? Horrible management, mediocre at best teams, horrible trades/signings and MLSE's only motivation being for profit hasn't stopped the fans from coming to games or buying merchandise. Of course, fans are enjoying watching their failures, many Wings fans among them.

I don't like the Leafs as much as the next guy, but I can't help but feel the smallest portion of pity for what their fans endure compared to Detroit fans. I sure don't feel bad for the team, but to the Leaf fans who are starving for a winner (not the cocky, entitled fans), I do to a certain extent.

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Absolutely they deserve better. A long-standing, once proud franchise is in the pits of despair with no discernible way out. Much like the Hawks, once they regain some of their former glory it's back on the Public Enemy list, but for now they deserve our compassion.

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They live and die with their team. They definitely deserve better. The Leafs fans that I know are fiercely loyal, but unfortunately accept the fact that they're a mediocre team.

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Yep.

Pretty much the same as, do Lions fans deserve better? I believe so.

This. How can I not say they deserve better when I know for a fact that I deserve better as a Lions fan.

Edited by Broken 16

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I feel bad for the fans.

They continue to support that franchise in ways unimaginable* to me.

I do not understand how the franchise has been able to string together so many bad choices for leadership on and off the ice.

I'm not a huge fan of Burke, but for the fan's sake... I wish him all the luck.

I think he did the franchise and the fans a disservice by trying to make the team better NOW with the Kessel trade.

*Note: I did start following the Wings during the "Dead Wings" era, but Yzerman was playing and that was enough for me. The Leafs don't have that.

EDIT: Not a Lion's fan. Matt Millen lasted two or three seasons longer than I could stand to continue watching them.

Edited by e_prime

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The funny thing is, perhaps it's the blind loyalty that is keeping the leafs down. If these people wouldn't be so ready to still pay big money for tickets and everything else despite chronically being known as "Loserville," perhaps the financial pressure might force some changes to be made. To me, it's dumb to want to pay for an inferior product year after year. So no, maybe Leafs fans don't deserve better.

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The funny thing is, perhaps it's the blind loyalty that is keeping the leafs down. If these people wouldn't be so ready to still pay big money for tickets and everything else despite chronically being known as "Loserville," perhaps the financial pressure might force some changes to be made. To me, it's dumb to want to pay for an inferior product year after year. So no, maybe Leafs fans don't deserve better.

This times 1,967

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The funny thing is, perhaps it's the blind loyalty that is keeping the leafs down. If these people wouldn't be so ready to still pay big money for tickets and everything else despite chronically being known as "Loserville," perhaps the financial pressure might force some changes to be made. To me, it's dumb to want to pay for an inferior product year after year. So no, maybe Leafs fans don't deserve better.

So what you are saying is they love their hockey and their team so much it in fact makes them stupid? They happen to be that much more passionate than you, so they deserve to lose? That makes tons of sense.

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Feel bad for Leafs fans but not for Burke. He was so arrogant after winning the cup and was routinely mocking Kevin Lowe for running his team into the ground.

Burke is an idiot. Phaneuf, Giguere, and Lebda. Absolutely horrible contracts/trades.

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The funny thing is, perhaps it's the blind loyalty that is keeping the leafs down. If these people wouldn't be so ready to still pay big money for tickets and everything else despite chronically being known as "Loserville," perhaps the financial pressure might force some changes to be made. To me, it's dumb to want to pay for an inferior product year after year. So no, maybe Leafs fans don't deserve better.

Reminds me of the Knicks. A sports radio guy on once had a great quote about them saying: "they are the greatest franchise in sports because year in and year out they get their fans excited believing they have a shot, even just a little chance, when they really don't."

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So what you are saying is they love their hockey and their team so much it in fact makes them stupid? They happen to be that much more passionate than you, so they deserve to lose? That makes tons of sense.

I think fans should make the team accountable to them. If they don't win, they shouldn't go, I think it's that simple. Teams in the same city should be in a position where they are competing against each other for the fans, and being on the front page of the paper.

Unfortunately for Toronto, I think they have two major problems they can't get out of. 1) they haven't had a winner since the Blue Jays in 1993, and 2) there's to much corporate money in Toronto, and it's the corporations they buy all the Leaf tickets.

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That being said, Habs fans nearly burned the city to the ground after they won one playoff series.

Imagine what Leaf fans would do to Toronto if the Leafs won the Cup.

That would be what is known as a win/win situation; Leafs win the Cup - *poof* no more Leafs fans. :)

The funny thing is, perhaps it's the blind loyalty that is keeping the leafs down. If these people wouldn't be so ready to still pay big money for tickets and everything else despite chronically being known as "Loserville," perhaps the financial pressure might force some changes to be made. To me, it's dumb to want to pay for an inferior product year after year. So no, maybe Leafs fans don't deserve better.

Yeah, that really worked for Chicago, didn't it? <_<

Times didn't get better until there was a change in ownership.

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They deserve nothing.

I spent my entire childhood rooting for the "Dead Wings" only to have my heart ripped out in '95.

That only made the victory in 97 so much the sweeter.

If it happens for the Leafs, great. If not, thats too bad, but you wont see me crying a tear for them.

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The funny thing is, perhaps it's the blind loyalty that is keeping the leafs down. If these people wouldn't be so ready to still pay big money for tickets and everything else despite chronically being known as "Loserville," perhaps the financial pressure might force some changes to be made. To me, it's dumb to want to pay for an inferior product year after year. So no, maybe Leafs fans don't deserve better.

This is exactly the problem. You pay for the inferior product and the product WON'T get better. The people who make the money don't care about winning or losing. They care about money. Look at the Chicago Cubs. 102 Years since they won, and they make money, so they don't care to get better.

So what you are saying is they love their hockey and their team so much it in fact makes them stupid? They happen to be that much more passionate than you, so they deserve to lose? That makes tons of sense.

That's not what he was saying at all. Maybe if you READ the post, and actually understand it, you wouldn't respond with such a snide comment. The problem is, that their blind loyalty to a poor quality tells the ownership that they don't have to improve. When a team is bad, the fans SHOULD stop paying money, otherwise, the team won't bother to get better. If Detroit was a last place team, I'd still watch on TV or my Computer, but I would not buy tickets or any other memorabilia. The fact that they sell out every game only encourages their ownership to put a s***ty product on the ice. It has nothing to do with their passion making them deserve to lose. It's that they continue to pump money into the pockets of people who ONLY care about money. A winning team is only as good as the money it makes.

That being said, Habs fans nearly burned the city to the ground after they won one playoff series.

Imagine what Leaf fans would do to Toronto if the Leafs won the Cup.

To compare Montreal residents to Toronto residents is ridiculous. Yes, both teams have hardcore fans. Have you ever BEEN to Montreal? The people there are crazy. ALWAYS. It's just a psycho city. Beautiful, and a lot of fun... but crazy.

Toronto is a lot more business oriented, and so people are a lot more reserved. Try comparing New York to Miami. Miami is a party city, and is completely crazy, but New York is a work city and a lot more reserved.

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That being said, Habs fans nearly burned the city to the ground after they won one playoff series.

Imagine what Leaf fans would do to Toronto if the Leafs won the Cup.

Closest the Leafs will get to the cup is if Burkie books them a team field trip to the Hockey Hall of Fame !

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