What kind of Leafs fan are you?

[L K]

Personally for me there are two sides of the Leafs.

On one hand I watch the games and take the emotional ride of good calls/bad calls/wins/losses/etc.  On the other, I like the simulation/stats/what if side of the game.  I like the advanced stats stuff.  I like looking at why the team is doing well/not doing well.  That has changed the kind of fan I am.  When I was younger I just watched the games and idolized Sundin/Gilmour/Berezin/Kaberle/Antropov type players.  Now I like Kessel, JVR, Lupul, etc. I think that's a natural change for many people. 

 

[Kin]

I think there are two sides to my fandom these days. On the one hand there's my deep innate desire to see them win which is borne not only out of my 25 or so years as a fan of the team and the important part of my childhood that the team was. That's still there but increasingly, as I get less naive(or more cynical), that has very little to do with any romantic notions about history or affection for the players and more just that I want Maple Leafs fans, and the city as a whole, to get to experience winning a Cup. From an outsider's perspective, it looks like a lot of fun.

On the other, though, is the intellectual which has become more compelling in recent years. The Maple Leafs are really interesting to me and their futility despite the advantages they have is a compelling subject matter. The process of how winning teams are built, and what makes for a winning team in the first place, is something I remain captivated by and like that my emotional attachment to the team has served as a springboard for a richer experience as I get old and crotchety(or crotchety-er, anyways).

I get that a lot of people still want to make heroes out of guys because they're really good at a sport and that that sort of mythmaking provides for a compelling experience but I just find it unnecessary now. The team wants to make money first, the players are at it as a profession first and not a passion and that's all fine with me. Just like when I studied political science at University the actions of talented jerks can make for exciting narrative.

 

[moon111]

Now there's been NHL lock-outs, greed, etc.  There is no longer that player I can identify as someone who bleeds the Blue and White.  Think that is why Wendel Clark was so important to the team.  Besides the losing, it's all about Capgeek.  The innocence has been lost.  I weigh player values based on a spreadsheet now.

Part of this might be the game changing, another part of it might be you no longer being a child in Thunder Bay, you know?

Seriously. Greed didn't come to the game in 1994.

There was a time I would be interested in the NHL, their farm teams, and potential prospects around the world.  Now I have a hard time remembering who won the last Stanley Cup.  The lock-outs, to me, are like injuries I'll never get over.  And personally, I hate the fact I'm judging players based on their cap hit.

 

[mr grieves]

Now there's been NHL lock-outs, greed, etc.  There is no longer that player I can identify as someone who bleeds the Blue and White.  Think that is why Wendel Clark was so important to the team.  Besides the losing, it's all about Capgeek.  The innocence has been lost.  I weigh player values based on a spreadsheet now.

Part of this might be the game changing, another part of it might be you no longer being a child in Thunder Bay, you know?

Seriously. Greed didn't come to the game in 1994.

There was a time I would be interested in the NHL, their farm teams, and potential prospects around the world.  Now I have a hard time remembering who won the last Stanley Cup.  The lock-outs, to me, are like injuries I'll never get over.  And personally, I hate the fact I'm judging players based on their cap hit.

You sure you never said anything unpleasant about Robert Reichel and his pre-cap $4m contract?

 

[Kin]

There was a time I would be interested in the NHL, their farm teams, and potential prospects around the world.  Now I have a hard time remembering who won the last Stanley Cup.  The lock-outs, to me, are like injuries I'll never get over.  And personally, I hate the fact I'm judging players based on their cap hit.

I dislike the cap too but players were always judged relatively to their salaries. Heck, look at the Blue Jays for evidence of that.

 

[moon111]

There was a time I would be interested in the NHL, their farm teams, and potential prospects around the world.  Now I have a hard time remembering who won the last Stanley Cup.  The lock-outs, to me, are like injuries I'll never get over.  And personally, I hate the fact I'm judging players based on their cap hit.

I dislike the cap too but players were always judged relatively to their salaries. Heck, look at the Blue Jays for evidence of that.

I'm not from Toronto and don't follow baseball at all.  When asked what my favorite team is, I usually reply Yankees.

 

[Syntax McLawdog]

Somewhere between die hard fanatic and this team can kiss my ass. Often both.

I remember thinking the following things: we have a chance to draft Crosby, how did the Sharks turn our 1st and 2nd into Logan Couture, Curtis Joseph is not someone to base your goaltending philosophy on, my house just nearly fell to the ground because of Gretzky cheating, and why is this old man in the bar always laughing at my optimism. 

 

[maplesyrup]

  Welcome aboard!

 

[Syntax McLawdog]

Well thank you. I guess you're always welcome on a losing team.

Tell me that's not funny.

 

[2badknees]

Diehard.

I think its the diehard fans that really support a complete teardown and rebuild, and have the stomach to watch and support a few years of some bad hockey in the hope that a team truly capable of challenging for a stanley cup for 5 of so years is created.

Apart from Reilly, there should be no untouchables. I honestly don't think there's enough top 6 core players on the current team that have the attitude that it takes to win. Kadri, JVR, Gardner, Kessel - great talent, but these aren't guys that will do what it takes to even battle in a tough regular season game, let alone win a championship.

Move 'em out, get some top 5 draft picks, and start building from the defence on out. Real fans will stick it out, and if there's one market in the entire league of which there's no risk of losing sellouts regardless of quality of team, its Toronto.

 

[L K]

Disgruntled

 

[freer]

As I stated before I am a die hard blue and white fan. I scream and yell and swear at my TV every game. Tonight I watch the Toronto Raptors game, and wow are the fans there insanely loud chatting, cheering and erupting when TO scores. We need fans like that in the gold seats during leafs games. Thoughts?