Time for All Leafs Fans to Cheer for the Team NOT the Tank
- Thread starter TBLeafer
- Start date
louisstamos
Active member
Gardiner51 said:
Ditto here. Much like last year, I can't actively root for the team to lose, but if they do lose, I know it's for the greater good. If we were going for a playoff spot, a game like last night would have me incredibly frustrated. Instead, I just shrugged my shoulders and said "meh, they're still learning."
Highlander
Active member
Last night was some of the pain that Shanahan and Babcock were talking of. They have to learn to put the foot on the throat when they get a team down that far.
McGarnagle
New member
I'm not sure why the two are mutually exclusive. Based upon the eoy points prediction thread, virtually the entire spread of participants had the leafs safely out of the playoffs, but I see nothing but accolades and excitement in the GDTs.
It's a fun place to be right now, because we're already seeing the rewards that come from tanking in prior seasons.
It's a fun place to be right now, because we're already seeing the rewards that come from tanking in prior seasons.
LuncheonMeat
New member
Nik the Trik said:
Thank you for airing my thoughts so eloquently, but next time get your own!
McGarnagle said:
This thread is essentially addressing a problem that doesn't exist. I've yet to see anybody cheering for losses like we have in the past this season.
louisstamos
Active member
TBLeafer said:
Well, to be fair - cheering for losses and accepting losses as part of the greater good are two very different things.
louisstamos said:
Sure if you still think losing is part of the greater good. I disagree with that notion. We've drafted all the high 1sts we need to build a contender. We don't need anymore for our rebuild to be successful.
We have as many already as teams that developed into Stanley Cup winners and contenders in the cap era. IMO its the wrong kind of greed right now to continue to ask for more.
Its better to be greedy for wins.
louisstamos
Active member
TBLeafer said:
So, you think the team is competing for the cup this year? I mean, I guess it's possible...
Beowulf
New member
CarltonTheBear said:
Agreed, as louis points out there is more an air of acceptance if they do lose. Because it's not realistic to believe that this team is ready to win now. Is it within the realm of possibility? Sure, but I think most realize it's highly unlikely. They're young, they're talented but they're also extremely raw and inexperienced. And while there's certainly depth at forward there are still holes on defense and in goal. It's not like the prospect pool is stacked all around.
But if the team was miraculously able to make the playoffs I don't think anyone would be particularly unhappy. Because it would largely be accomplished on the backs of the young guns and not a bunch of 30+ veterans like teams of years past.
bustaheims
Active member
CarltonTheBear said:
Yup, and, it basically reads as "Leaf fans should not be happy if the team performs at the level most experts and reasonable hockey fans expect them to, nor should we want the team to take advantage of the easiest, cheapest, and most direct way to address one of their most obvious needs."
Kin
New member
It actually seems to me to be a pretty simple calculation. Just about everyone, as McGarnagle pointed out, picked the Leafs to finish with a point total that would leave them short of the playoffs. So realistically, this is about weighing the intangible benefits of a competitive year(or, to be extremely generous, just making the playoffs) vs. the very tangible benefits of having a high draft choice. You can come down wherever you want on that but my guess is not to many people with a vested interest in the Hurricanes or Devils are looking at Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine right now and saying "Boy, I sure do value all of the competitiveness we had last year".
Short of that, I think this thread is really misusing the word "cheer". Emotionally, I'm still reacting to the Leafs the way I always do. I like it when they score, I don't like it when the other team scores. But rationally I know that my emotions don't control the game and ultimately thinking that a high draft pick is what would best serve the team doesn't really affect how I "cheer" on a game to game basis.
If this thread comes down to a basic disagreement over whether it's in the team's interest to draft in the top 5 again vs. those intangible benefits that's a legit disagreement(even if it's been one hashed out by this particular poster ad nauseum with very little in the way of new argument or evidence to support another round) but that makes this thread really boil down to someone saying "Everyone should think the same way I do" and, well, newsflash is they don't.
Short of that, I think this thread is really misusing the word "cheer". Emotionally, I'm still reacting to the Leafs the way I always do. I like it when they score, I don't like it when the other team scores. But rationally I know that my emotions don't control the game and ultimately thinking that a high draft pick is what would best serve the team doesn't really affect how I "cheer" on a game to game basis.
If this thread comes down to a basic disagreement over whether it's in the team's interest to draft in the top 5 again vs. those intangible benefits that's a legit disagreement(even if it's been one hashed out by this particular poster ad nauseum with very little in the way of new argument or evidence to support another round) but that makes this thread really boil down to someone saying "Everyone should think the same way I do" and, well, newsflash is they don't.
Nik the Trik said:
Not when the whole statement is on the same page and can be easily read. So then how does tanking speak to developmental success to speak to the entire post? Learning to be a good sport? How many seasons of tanking with developmental success did Hall actually need to go through? Yak? RNH? Or would their "developmental success" been better served on a more well rounded NHL team and would winning have hurt their "developmental success? I think not.
Frank E
Active member
Since we're starting to see some of these young high-skill picks play meaningful NHL games, I'm enjoying that a lot more.
I'm also not disappointed when they lose since I understand how new these kids are, how they got those players in the first place, and I want them to accumulate more of those kinds of players.
So whatever camp that puts me in.
I'm also not disappointed when they lose since I understand how new these kids are, how they got those players in the first place, and I want them to accumulate more of those kinds of players.
So whatever camp that puts me in.