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Post by Habit on Dec 1, 2005 4:36:16 GMT -5
This guy is now my favorite writer: www.tampatrib.com/Sports/MGBD8VM5NGE.htmlArrogance Wears Maple Leaf Blue MARTIN FENNELLY Published: Nov 30, 2005 The Leafs are in town! We hear the cry from fans whenever the hockey team from Toronto graces us with its presence. Hold all genuflections. Why should the Toronto Maple Leafs create more buzz here than, say, the Atlanta Thrashers? What have they really done? Sure, there will be Leafs fans in those glorious jerseys. Their sweaters will be all over the Forum tonight as the Leafs play the Lightning. They'll also be in the Leafs' hotel lobby. Anything for a glimpse of their hockey gods. Maybe while they're here, their hockey gods can stop by the Lightning locker room to see recent photos of the Stanley Cup. Part Yankees, But More Cubs I've never understood Leafs mystique. Forget the Red Sox and even the Cubs. The Maple Leafs are the most overrated, overhyped, overwrought "elite" franchise in sports. They're treated like royalty, but the emperors have no clothes. They're Yankees aura with Cubs success. They're Leafy vegetables at crunch time. The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the Stanley Cup 11 times, second only to Canada's second-favorite team, the Canadiens. But they last won it in: 1967. Lightning captain Dave Andreychuk, a former Leaf, was 4. The Canadiens have won the Cup 10 times since 1967. And the Lightning have won it once. Why, the Leafs haven't even made the finals since 1967, remarkably pathetic for a franchise -- and city -- that acts like the center of the hockey universe. Just imagine the revulsion when those scuttling crabs from Tampa hoisted the Stanley Cup. Teams from Florida, Texas and California and North Carolina have made the finals. The Mighty Ducks are mightier at making the finals than the Leafs. Toronto fans recently have been reduced to dancing in the streets when the boys beat Ottawa in a conference quarterfinal. The center of the hockey universe? Small galaxy. Now Playing: Leafs TV You wouldn't know it by fans' devotion. Leafs tickets are passed down like Packers tickets. Toronto is fishbowl and gossip central, home to Canada's English-speaking national sports networks. Translation: Every player on the trading block in NHL history has been rumored to be heading to the Leafs. Add an air of superiority, like after the NHL lockout, when a Leafs' poobah proclaimed, "Well, you know, we are the No. 1 franchise in the NHL ..." Then there's Leafs TV, a 24-hour network devoted to all Leafy things. Insanity, anyone? "Our scrimmages get televised," Leafs coach Pat Quinn said. Quinn and his boys have put together good seasons, but, really, has there ever been more love -- or hate -- showered on a franchise as bone dry of real success? Pat Quinn wore the Maple Leaf as a player, too. Right over his heart. Life as a Leaf. "There's a lot of scrutiny. But there's always hope in there." Quinn became a national hero after coaching the Canadian Olympic team to a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics, Canada's first hockey gold in 50 years. Fifty years? What is it with those guys up there? Anyway, there'll be more national heroes if the Maple Leafs ever win the Stanley Cup again. Ever. Check Leafs TV for local times and listings. |
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Post by jkr on Dec 1, 2005 6:57:29 GMT -5
I saw this on TSN. It was funny, watching them in full denial.
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Dec 1, 2005 8:08:08 GMT -5
I like the the fact that the reporter got the number of Leafs' Cup wins right—11, not the often attributed padded total of 13.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Dec 1, 2005 12:31:00 GMT -5
I like the the fact that the reporter got the number of Leafs' Cup wins right—11, not the often attributed padded total of 13. They use the loose leaf record book. Have to admit that not even making the finals since 1967 is a dismal record. In the loose leaf record book it states the Leafs haven't lost a NHL Stanley Cup Final in 39 years. |
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Post by Andrew on Dec 1, 2005 12:40:17 GMT -5
Thank you for posting that. It made my morning.
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Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on Dec 1, 2005 12:42:38 GMT -5
I like the the fact that the reporter got the number of Leafs' Cup wins right—11, not the often attributed padded total of 13. They use the loose leaf record book. Have to admit that not even making the finals since 1967 is a dismal record. In the loose leaf record book it states the Leafs haven't lost a NHL Stanley Cup Final in 39 years. But they've had parades in a few of those 39 years. |
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Post by CentreHice on Dec 1, 2005 13:38:25 GMT -5
Thanks for that post. I drive an hour to work in that city nearly every day.....and what jams up the traffic more than anything is driving through all that Maple syrup.
Does Goodyear make waffle-tread tires?
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Dec 1, 2005 15:47:36 GMT -5
They use the loose leaf record book. Have to admit that not even making the finals since 1967 is a dismal record. In the loose leaf record book it states the Leafs haven't lost a NHL Stanley Cup Final in 39 years. But they've had parades in a few of those 39 years. That's why they make banners for divisional winners, good effort, participation, better luck next year and good sport. People in Montreal may not realize that other cities have mediocrity banners because all of ours are for the real thing. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2005 15:06:47 GMT -5
Heh.
Nobody's beating the Sens this year. So they can forget about it.
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Post by CentreHice on Dec 2, 2005 18:06:53 GMT -5
But they've had parades in a few of those 39 years. That's why they make banners for divisional winners, good effort, participation, better luck next year and good sport. People in Montreal may not realize that other cities have mediocrity banners because all of ours are for the real thing. And the two sweetest for me.....86 and 93....unexpected, yet fantastic stories both of them. 93 being the sweetest...as the Leafs were supposed to be in the Finals, according to their fans, because of Fraser not calling Gretzky's high stick that cut Gilmour. The Leafs would have had a PP in OT....instead Gretzky scored to force Game 7. Then Gretzky played what he called his greatest game ever....a hattrick to put them against the Habs. Bill Watters on Leafs Lunch has said many times that if the Leafs had gone to the Finals, there's no way Pat Burns would have lost to Jacques Demers. I remember thinking, "Dude! What are you talking about? Pat Burns lost to Barry Melrose!" |
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Post by jkr on Dec 2, 2005 18:35:55 GMT -5
That's why they make banners for divisional winners, good effort, participation, better luck next year and good sport. People in Montreal may not realize that other cities have mediocrity banners because all of ours are for the real thing. And the two sweetest for me.....86 and 93....unexpected, yet fantastic stories both of them. 93 being the sweetest...as the Leafs were supposed to be in the Finals, according to their fans, because of Fraser not calling Gretzky's high stick that cut Gilmour. The Leafs would have had a PP in OT....instead Gretzky scored to force Game 7. Then Gretzky played what he called his greatest game ever....a hattrick to put them against the Habs. Bill Watters on Leafs Lunch has said many times that if the Leafs had gone to the Finals, there's no way Pat Burns would have lost to Jacques Demers. I remember thinking, "Dude! What are you talking about? Pat Burns lost to Barry Melrose!" What does Watters have to say about Potvin vs. Roy? |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2005 18:36:38 GMT -5
That's why they make banners for divisional winners, good effort, participation, better luck next year and good sport. People in Montreal may not realize that other cities have mediocrity banners because all of ours are for the real thing. And the two sweetest for me.....86 and 93....unexpected, yet fantastic stories both of them. 93 being the sweetest...as the Leafs were supposed to be in the Finals, according to their fans, because of Fraser not calling Gretzky's high stick that cut Gilmour. The Leafs would have had a PP in OT....instead Gretzky scored to force Game 7. Then Gretzky played what he called his greatest game ever....a hattrick to put them against the Habs. Bill Watters on Leafs Lunch has said many times that if the Leafs had gone to the Finals, there's no way Pat Burns would have lost to Jacques Demers. I remember thinking, "Dude! What are you talking about? Pat Burns lost to Barry Melrose!" And I remember saying that there's no way that Patrick Roy would lose to a rookie goaltender in Felix Potvin. That high-sticking penalty should have been called, though. But whaddaya gonna do. |
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Post by CentreHice on Dec 4, 2005 16:04:19 GMT -5
Quoted from the Toronto Sun, after the Leafs lost to the Sharks on Saturday, Dec. 4..... Ron Wilson couldn't help but take a few jabs at an old buddy on his way out of the Air Canada Centre last night. The San Jose Sharks coach, who was an assistant coach under Pat Quinn in the early 1990s with the Vancouver Canucks, paid Quinn a couple of weird compliments. Wilson figured Quinn got a few favours from referees Dan Marouelli and Dean Warren. "Pat Quinn is like an old lounge singer who works the room, and he does a masterful job here," Wilson said. "I have worked with Pat and I know how he gets on some guys and it is kind of strange. Anyway, we won the game." full article: www.torontosun.com/Sports/Hockey/2005/12/04/1336925-sun.html...an old lounge singer who works the room...." funny |
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Post by CentreHice on Dec 4, 2005 16:14:31 GMT -5
And the two sweetest for me.....86 and 93....unexpected, yet fantastic stories both of them. 93 being the sweetest...as the Leafs were supposed to be in the Finals, according to their fans, because of Fraser not calling Gretzky's high stick that cut Gilmour. The Leafs would have had a PP in OT....instead Gretzky scored to force Game 7. Then Gretzky played what he called his greatest game ever....a hattrick to put them against the Habs. Bill Watters on Leafs Lunch has said many times that if the Leafs had gone to the Finals, there's no way Pat Burns would have lost to Jacques Demers. I remember thinking, "Dude! What are you talking about? Pat Burns lost to Barry Melrose!" What does Watters have to say about Potvin vs. Roy? He never mentioned that....just the Burns > Demers rhetoric and that Gilmour, Clark and company were on a terrific roll, like a team possessed. Again, what did he think the Habs were? They lost their first two games of the playoffs to the Nords...then went 16-2 to win it all....never losing in 10 OTs. The Leafs may have been possessed, but the Habs possessed the Cup. |
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Post by Skilly on Dec 4, 2005 22:33:17 GMT -5
And the two sweetest for me.....86 and 93....unexpected, yet fantastic stories both of them. 93 being the sweetest...as the Leafs were supposed to be in the Finals, according to their fans, because of Fraser not calling Gretzky's high stick that cut Gilmour. The Leafs would have had a PP in OT....instead Gretzky scored to force Game 7. Then Gretzky played what he called his greatest game ever....a hattrick to put them against the Habs. Bill Watters on Leafs Lunch has said many times that if the Leafs had gone to the Finals, there's no way Pat Burns would have lost to Jacques Demers. I remember thinking, "Dude! What are you talking about? Pat Burns lost to Barry Melrose!" What does Watters have to say about Potvin vs. Roy? Huh? The Kings netminder in 93 was Kelly Hrudey. Bandanna wearing freak .... wish HNIC would boot him. |
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Post by Skilly on Dec 4, 2005 22:36:18 GMT -5
I like the the fact that the reporter got the number of Leafs' Cup wins right—11, not the often attributed padded total of 13. Actually the padded total is 14. They won 11 as the Toronto Maple Leafs, one as the Toronto St. Pat's, one as the Toronto Arenas, and one as the Toronto Blueshirts |
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Post by jkr on Dec 5, 2005 13:45:29 GMT -5
What does Watters have to say about Potvin vs. Roy? Huh? The Kings netminder in 93 was Kelly Hrudey. Bandanna wearing freak .... wish HNIC would boot him. Watters was talking Demers vs. Burns and I was also talking Toronto vs. Montreal in the finals as leaf fans do. |
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Post by MC Habber on Dec 5, 2005 22:42:23 GMT -5
I like the the fact that the reporter got the number of Leafs' Cup wins right—11, not the often attributed padded total of 13. Actually the padded total is 14. They won 11 as the Toronto Maple Leafs, one as the Toronto St. Pat's, one as the Toronto Arenas, and one as the Toronto Blueshirts Except that the Leafs were originally the Arenas and then the St. Pats. The Blueshirts were a separate organization. |
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Post by CentreHice on Dec 8, 2005 22:57:56 GMT -5
Spoke with a Leaf fan tonight. He snidely asked how Montreal was doing.
I said, "Better than the Leafs".
His reply, "Not when you play us."
I then went on to explain that even though the Habs are 1-1-2 against the Leafs, they have outplayed Toronto in most of the games. A fluke goal by Allison in Montreal, and a ridiculous penalty on Rivet as time expired was the difference in the other one.
He reluctantly agreed, saying that the Leafs are thin ice most nights, and if not for their PP...they'd be near the bottom.
Then it struck me. If this was a playoff series....the Leafs would be up 3-1.
Considering how these games have played out...luck, bad calls....I can't imagine the frustration on this board if that were to transpire in April against any team....but most of all vs. the Leafs.
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