November 5, 2009.
I completely agree with what Tim has said in his post 'Unrequited Love - The Leafs and Their Fans', however I believe there is more of the story to be told.
The management of the team - more so the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan - is definitely at fault here. However the fans themselves are not completely guilt free.
It is the fans fault that regardless of the calibre of product on the ice they still flock like herded sheep to fill the seats at the Air Canada Center. Fans are giving the franchise the right to field an inferior team because ownership knows they will still sell out home games regardless of who's actually on the ice.
Over the years Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) has slowly brain washed the fans of Toronto into believing that they actually care about winning a Stanley Cup. They even have us believe that they are doing everything possible in their power to win one.
It's no coincidence that Leafs most competitive era fell during a time when the majority owner was Steve Stavro. After Harold Ballard passed, Stavro became Chairman of the Board of Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd and Governor of the Maple Leafs in October of 1991. Later that year he worked out a deal to purchase shares from Ballards estate. Molson also agreed to sell him the remainder of their stake in Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd, which would ultimately see him become majority owner by 1994. Read more.....
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