Please Help Find A Cure for the Leafs Empty Trophy Case
I traveled to Houston, Texas a few years ago on business. When introducing myself, I was proud to announce I was from Toronto, Canada. “Oh, you must be a big hockey fan,” a local gentleman suggested with a warm, hospitable smile. “Yes, I am,” I proudly blurted again. Then I quickly added, “but I’m not a Leafs fan.” It didn’t matter to me that I may have sounded rebellious or maybe even confusing to my hosts. I just wanted it to be clear that although I was from Toronto and a big hockey fan, I most definitely was not a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. You never know, someone down there might actually know a thing or two about hockey.
As you read this, please be aware that I’m crying out for help. Extend your hand or pity to me, please. First of all, wherever you live, please accept that there are two very distinctly different denominations on this planet: Torontonians and Leaf fans. Torontonians are forced geographically to live with the Leafs and their fans, but some of us would really prefer if you didn’t automatically assume that we all willingly embrace perpetual losing.
The average Torontonian is not as egocentrically arrogant as has been rumored for a long time. Furthermore, like everyone else in North America, us pleasant, common Toronto folks use professional sports as a diversion from the usual stresses of everyday life. Hockey is our preferred sport of choice. And we are not all Leaf fans.
Of course most Torontonians are indeed Leaf fans. The Leafs are the home team, and many feel obliged to root root root for the home team. Not me. I like to think that in my years of living, reading and appreciating hockey history, I have concluded correctly and without doubt: The Leafs stink. I like winners and am not particularly loyal to one team. “May the best team win,” I always say. It’s never the Leafs.
The reasons for the Leafs’ stinkiness have been well documented. The shelves of bookstores in Toronto are stacked with bestsellers that clearly illustrate the dreadful post-1967 history of this disastrous enterprise. No Stanley Cups, Hart trophies, Vezina trophies, Calder trophies, Norris trophies or Art Ross trophies since the “Original Six.” Not even a single appearance in a Stanley Cup final series. After 43 years of endless managerial and coaching changes, very few really good players and lots of stupid hockey decisions, one can draw conclusion that the only reason this comparably horrid hockey organization remains viable is due to the unwavering loyalty of the sub-species known as Leaf fans. Loyal to a fault they are, but very stinky as well.
Don’t get me wrong. The average Leaf fan is as knowledgeable a hockey fan as you will find anywhere. They’re as astutely analytical of our game as anyone and as fervently passionate as any fan of any team in any sport. You have to assume that they would prefer winning like anybody else, but that’s not always evident. You see, Leaf fans are a bit shortsighted and dumb in a way. For the most part, they ignore statistical and factual history. They forgivingly allow the same mistakes to occur over and over again, like the trading away of future hope (draft picks) for quick and easy fixes. And this is where I’m crying out for your help.
Can you please help me to find a cure for Leafism? Oh, by the way, don’t try to tell Leaf fans they should try to stay away for awhile and hurt ownership in the pocketbook where it hurts the most. That’s already been tried repeatedly and fruitlessly over the greater part of the lives of most Leaf fans. Like the cat that always came back, Leaf fans always return to the barn to be milked each season. Don’t bother suggesting we need to apply for another NHL team in southern Ontario for the sake of introducing some healthy competition. Many Torontonians are begging for one, but Gary Bettman would sooner put a team in the Antarctic before another one in Canada. I give up.
Sadly, things seem to be getting worse. This season the Leafs don’t only have the worst penalty-killing record in the league, they’re on the verge of setting an all-time record of futility in this category. YIKES! Meanwhile, they linger among the bottom feeders of the NHL again in the standings. They’ve allowed more goals than all other teams. They go down 2-0 in half their games like no other team ever before. The gruesome stats go on and on. They will probably miss the playoffs for a fifth straight year. Four consecutive playoff-less seasons was already a record for this franchise.
I live in Toronto and by geographical association with the Leafs, I’m a loser. Ouch. But Toronto itself is a nice place. Honestly. HELP!
Posted by Mike Moore
on Jan 11 2010. Filed under Featured Articles, Hockey History, Humor, Toronto Maple Leafs.
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Hey Mike,
I guess the simple answer is the ownership structure. The Leafs went from being owned by a bumbling idiot to a committee that only cares about profits not hardware. As long as the Leafs turn a profit – the on ice performance is secondary.
The won’t win until they get bought by 1 guy that desperately needs to win. A big ego with a huge competitive urge the puts winning first.
Imagine a great pirate ship – it has 1 captain that never settles for anything less than total conquest. Even great Empires are headed by Strong Leaders.
The Leafs need a Caesar – the committee will never do the job.
So being a fan of one single team and being loyal is a bad thing and we should all strive to simply bandwagon on the best team like yourself. What a novel idea. I hope it spreads to every sport.
Bruce – What do you think would get MLSE the biggest amount of profits? What would get bandwagoners like Mike to spend cash on Leafs merchandise since he’s not really the fan of any team?
Winning.
MLSE wants to win. They, up to this point, just have been terrible at achieving that ultimate goal despite getting close twice (99, 02)
Also, here’s a history lesson Bruce:
The won’t win until they get bought by 1 guy that desperately needs to win. A big ego with a huge competitive urge the puts winning first.
You just described Harold Ballard and he’s the reason for the majority of the Stanley Cup drought. You’ve also described Eugene Melnyk who has done nothing but destabilise the senators. The Leafs have had a Caesar and other teams have won by committee. There’s no hard and fast rule about what kind of owner you need to succeed in sports.
Ballard and Melnyk are hardly Caesars. Just because an owner is a Tyrant or rich doesn’t mean he’s good at his job. I’m well aware of Leafs history and have been following them pretty closely since the early seventies.
When I said a Caesar I meant somebody that excelled at his job, like a Steve Jobs or Jack Welch. Ballard was an oaf that nobody would follow into battle.
Of course there are always exceptions. It’s just my opinion that a stronger individual is what TO needs to shake things up. Any committee (or individual) that hires a Ferguson (or a Houle in Mtl) obviously doesn’t know what they’re doing and should be replaced.
Pension – Do you like the ownership setup or would you prefer a change ?
Pension – I don’t see where he says that, quite the opposite, he seems to be a loyal But Frustrated fan.
How about some answers to his question. Is there anything a fan can do to help a club improve or is it All on the owners?
Bruce
Ummm did you read the post?
When introducing myself, I was proud to announce I was from Toronto, Canada. “Oh, you must be a big hockey fan,” a local gentleman suggested with a warm, hospitable smile. “Yes, I am,” I proudly blurted again. Then I quickly added, “but I’m not a Leafs fan.”
As for the question, the Maple Leafs’ fanbase numbers in the millions just in Toronto and the club makes over a third of its revenue from non-gameday activities. Organising a boycott is a non-starter because for every disgruntled fan there will be a handful that don’t care enough to drop off the map. Give up season tickets? Good luck. The Leafs have been terrible for five years and people still hold on to them because if they turned them in they’d get snapped up in a second. That’s the reality of having 19K seats for such a massive fanbase.
Furthermore, it’s not the fans that have been making the bad trades, draft picks, or investments in player development. It’s on the ownership and management. MLSE spent in the top 5 pre-lockout and had some success but never reached the pinnacle.
Actually – I did miss that line!!!
TO fans are great – many are friends of mine. I just think they’re stuck in a tough spot. It’s hard to see things turning around there.
Bruce
The problem is that you never know what you are getting with an owner. You think that you are getting a Caesar like Melnyk seemed to be but you can end up with a Caligula.
The ownership structure isn’t as important as the recognition that they are not hockey men. Not to mention that it’s not as easy as seeing a successful owner and bringing him in. Mike Illitch would be a great owner for the Leafs but how would you get him for the Leafs?
As for the stronger individual, the Leafs have him in Brian Burke. Let’s see how that works out but at least the MLSE board realised that Toronto cannot have a GM learning on the job.
Burke certainly is experienced – but there are a lot of mixed reviews on his past performances. Some say he inherited good teams while others say he’s a great builder. One thing that’s certain, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen the Leafs with so much young talent and getting Monster was a nice move.
If you want to stay current on the mood on Torontonians, read this freshly written article in today’s Toronto Star. More importantly, read the comments of Torontonians that follow.
http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/nhl/mapleleafs/article/748984–leafs-losing-young-fans-to-video-games#article
Bruce
The jury is definitely out on whether he will succeed in Toronto. The argument that he inherited his team is a common one used to undermine his achievements.
Mike
The article just highlights how the Leafs are dealing with an issue that is affecting all of the major sports. As for the comments being a barometer of how Torontonians it just proves my point. Most of them have quit being fans but do you notice their absence? Not one bit.
One last note –
I want to thank you for taking the time to have a conversation on this.
I wish more of our readers were as engaging as you. Your comments are greatly appreciated and for those of you that don’t already know PPP has a great Leafs blog over at: http://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/
The problem I have as a Leaf fan is being lumped into the category of “Leaf Fan”. The stereotypical Leaf fan overvalues marginal players in Leaf jerseys and as the writer said is usually unaware of statistical and factual history. I take exception to that.
I am a Leaf fan and I have been since I was a toddler in the eighties. I remember how good the team was when they made four conference finals from 1993 – 2002. I also remember when it all started to go sideways when Peddie foolishly hired a rookie GM to manage a heavily scrutinized franchise under immense pressure to win a Cup. But unlike the writer I didn’t simply hop off the bandwagon and pick a winner. I can’t even imagine how anybody could just support a team with no emotional investment whatsoever. It might work for some but the concept is just weird to me as I’m sure it’s weird to die hard Habs fans, Flames fans etc.
I do think that as much as there are delusional Leaf Fans who are ignorant to facts, history etc. big time Leaf detractors certainly suffer from the same disease so to speak. Insinuating that Leaf fans need to boycott or that the organization doesn’t care about winning undermines any sound economic reasoning. I’ve done a godo amount of research on this topic and I invite you to check my numbers but here are the facts I found:
Firstly, ticket sales account for 1/3 of Leafs revenue and merchandise etc counts for 2/3 of sales. The Leafs can only spend a finite amount of money on players and already spend the maximum possible on player personell. After the season ends the players don’t get paid so any playoff game is nearly pure profit for the organization. The Leafs rake in between 1 and 3 million dollars PER home game plus merchandise sold during a playoff run. The argument that the team doesn’t care about winning subscribes to the belief that the Leafs would choose to spend the maximum amount of money on bad players to make x amount of dollars profit when they can spend exactly the same amount on ‘good’ players and make x amount of dollars plus an extra 10 -30 million dollars with a good playoff run.
Some might say “So What? They still make a profit” From an economic standpoint profits aren’t necessarily how corporations are judged in terms of success. While being in the black is always a positive the goal of any corporation including MSLE is to increase value of its assets. For example if the Leafs make a 30 million dollar profit this year but made a 50 million dollar profit five years ago the value of the franchise decreases. If, however, the Leafs make the playoffs and increase their profits to 70 million the value of the asset increases. In terms of trade on the market, this is what the performace of a corporation is based on.
The last point I’ll make has to do with supply and demand. While the Leafs can increase ticket sales (which they have done and I find appaling) ticket sales are a limited supply and therefore a limited profit. ie) Only x amount can be made on tickets. If the Leafs aren’t winning do you really feel like going out and buying a Jersey? If the Leafs get nothing but bad players are you going to get a poster for your kid? Well this is the 2/3 of revenue that REALLY matter to the Leafs because the supply is limited only by the demand. So if the Leafs are winning and have star power, people will buy as many jerseys, posters , t-shirts etc as can be supplied and the influx of cash to MSLE will destroy the numbers they are getting now. Think of when the Blue Jays won the World Series (if you lived in Toronto). How many of you had a World Series Champion shirt or hat? Almost everybody did. Now imagine if the Leafs made a playoff run or GASP won a Stanley Cup. The profits would skyrocket and the value of the franchise would as well. Leaf fans treat Doug Gilmour like he was a Conn Smythe winner on a Championship Leaf team when all he really did was put in two good playoff performances that resulted in a conference final loss in two consecutive years. Leaf fans talk about the 93 team like they are this dynasty when they didn’t win a thing. Imagine how much Leaf fans would milk a Stanley Cup Champion.
Leaf ownership wants to win; they just don’t know how. Hiring Burke is a good start as like him or hate him, he knows more about building a hockey team than Richard Peddie or John Ferguson Jr. Burke isn’t finished with this team; he’s barely started. Time will tell if Burke’s additions (and subtractions) will turn this team into a winner but insinuating that management doesn’t want to win and that Burke is somehow supposed to have taken a very bad team with very bad contracts and turn them into a winner within one year of inheriting them is very unreasonable. In Anaheim he inherited a team with less points than Toronto last year. He didn’t build them from scratch but he didn’t build them with high draft picks either. Getzlaf and Perry were late 1st rounders drafted by Murray who were good pieces. Giguere and role players like Kunitz, Pahlson, and MacDonald were brought in by Coates (all undrafted like Hanson/Bozak btw). What Burke did was take them from a bad team with a few good prospects and add their top four defencemen (Pronger, Niedermeyer, Beauchemin and O’Donnell), their leading scorer (Selanne) their top faceoff man (Marchant) and tough players like Peros and Thornton. While Burke had more to work with in Anaheim than he does in Toronto, he certainly did not inherit a team that would have won a championship any time soon with Ruslan Salei as their top defender and Sergei Federov as their top scorer. Without Burke, the Ducks don’t win the Cup but that doesn’t mean that the same template will work in Toronto. What it does mean is that if Burke does succeed here it’s going to take more than the year he has been here; if it took him three seasons with Anaheim it will definitely take more than that with Toronto.
Soon the children at Sick Kids are going going to start visiting the Leafs.