My goal this week is to pack up all my ish, and head back to Toronto. Spending as much time as I have been at my parents’ house has some terrible disadvantages for a hockey addict like moi. For starters, they don’t even have Center Ice, and it’s a miracle if I can steal the remote for a little TSN time when Ghost Hunters reruns are on (and, by the way, that show is on ALL THE TIME). Last night, I hoarded the remote so I could watch Off The Record for the first time in forever. I seriously had to hold the thing clenched between both hands so no one would take it! It was hard to hear all that Michael Landsberg and his guests had to say amongst the complaints, “Whyyyy areeee weee waaatching THIIIIS!?’ But one thing that the panel said did manage to make me roll my eyes in disgust.
The panel used that magic phrase and cliché, “In a town like Toronto…” to defend the “fans” alleged anger towards Brian Burke for “misleading” them into thinking that the Buds were going to make the post season this year. Burke claims that the playoffs were his goal and not his guarantee, but, apparently, “In a town like Toronto,” you don’t make the mistake of uttering the P-word without causing some sort of irrational frenzy.
Really?
Now, maybe you’re of the attitude that he shouldn’t have hinted at such promises. Maybe you were one of those radicals that went out and made a couple hundred “Leafs 2010 Stanley Cup Champs” shirts, which will now collect dust in your basement, and you’re really pissed off about it. But I really have to ask, are we, in a town like Toronto, that delusional that this non-isssue would become such a huge deal? Are you going to begrudge the man his ambitions and his goals? You don’t enter a marathon not hoping to cross the finish line. Of course, playoffs were his goal. It’s the goal of every team – duh!
In a town like Toronto, the fans really are some of the most elite in the League. They have come through the high times and slumps, and lived to tell the tale; and not with some tri-coloured jersey on their back either, but, rather, with an ever expanding collection of blue and white sweaters. They still have one of the highest game day attendance percentages in the NHL – hey, it’s not our fault some rinks were built to a 22K capacity and ours wasn’t, but even still, the Leafs could play out of the SkyDome (Rogers Centre), and fans would still probably be hard pressed to find a ticket. The fans are loyal as Hell, and it’s not because they are pipe dreamers, or stupid; it’s because hockey is just so damn important to the city, and the country, that we’ll stick it out through the bad times because we just can’t live without it.
This is why I find it hard to believe that any true blue Leafs fan, in a town like Toronto, would really be disgruntled by this alleged promise. A hardcore fan would be more than aware of the situation in the Leafs camp, and would know that some things are hard to fix when you don’t have the tools to fix them. A real Leafs fan would know that the team is attempting to get off the ground on the star power of merely four players alone. They’d know that, not too long ago, the Leafs were ruled by an evil regime that traded away all of our picks and prospects so that some big name, wash up, charity cases could get their wish to retire in Toronto. How many times, during this era, did some of the most talented names in the game use the Leafs as a bargaining chip to get more money from other organizations? Not to mention that we had some of the worst scouting in the League. How often were Leafs draftees not traded away or rotting away in St. John’s or at Ricoh Coliseum?
The point is that everyone can see that the Leafs are in a tough spot. They have few upcoming draft picks to their name, and very little in terms of trading assets. Putting the onus on one player isn’t going to magically turn things around for the club, and you know that, you’ve seen this all before. Now I’m not saying a miracle can’t happen, like, I don’t know, Kaberle waiving his No Trade Clause, and some monster forwards coming in his stead, and I’m definitely not saying you should give up on your 2010 playoff dreams, however fleeting they may seem. All I’m saying is that, in a place like Toronto, let’s make sure that we keep our heads held high, and represent the REAL Hockeytown like only the best fans in the game can. Oh, and maybe make some noise at a couple games, too. Thanks, that’d be great.
P.S. I say “we” a lot in this entry…hmm… Back to my Chicago recap next!
P.P.S. I’m the blonde one in the pic!
