What pisses you off the most about our team?
- Thread starter Chief Leaf
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There have been multiple articles from people within the organization who have spoken to Marner’s level of care for winning in this market. He cares too much to the point he’s gotten so emotional after playoff losses they’ve had to work with him to stop internalizing the losses so much. There is no doubt in my mind Marner cares about winning here badly. Hopefully he can channel it the right way.
Tavares came here as a UFA to sign with his hometown team. In a situation that never happens, he cares about being here.
Rielly has always been open in the media about how much being a Maple Leaf means to him. His family are huge leafs fans and he took a discount to stay.
Those 3 we know for sure care, you can put Bunting in there too.
I’m sure other guys really care as well but these three are the most expressive about it and it’s not even close.
Being more expressive does not measure how much people care. That is just their personality trait.
Matthews has never given any indication he is about building his brand and if you take what he says seriously he has indicated over and over again that he wants nothing more than to win here.
I doubt he would say anything else, but I have zero reason to doubt him
Again I think he cares! But I think it’s a different level for Marner, Tavares and Rielly who have an emotional connection to the team beyond just playing for them. They grew up loving the leafs so it’s a bit different. That being said I do think Matthews cares and would love to win here.
Entering yet another year with an undersized forward group that will get blown the f*** out in the post season. Its obvious that "success" for Dubas is just passing the first round so he can get an extension. Any dreams of competing for a cup are long gone.
Tak7
Registered User
There's been articles from people talking about Matthews desire to win in Toronto. He too has spoken about it multiple times as well.
Absolutely nothing to suggest that he cares about winning any less, or more, than the rest lol.
your initial post was about players never caring about the team as much as fans. I said your wrong, there are guys on the team who were/still are die-hard leafs fans. So they care just as much, perhaps even more than fans because they are the ones living the dream out.
My response to you isn't that Matthews doesn't care, but more-so, the level of care some of the guys born and raised in Toronto/Scarborough/GTA have for the team is a bit higher, they live in the city during the off-season, they wear the failure more than other guys like Matthews or Nylander who leave in the off-season and get to escape. I'm sure Matthews cares and wants to win, but he didn't grow up a leafs fan or loving the leafs. It's just a different passion for the players born and raised here. You see many former GTA born leafs talk about it.
Tak7
Registered User
Your favorite player does not care more about winning than you do. The sooner you accept that, the easier your hockey viewing experience will be.
LOL yes they do, my viewing experience is amazing because I literally don't give a shit. I don't get worked up about the leafs at all. I've got a great life and I try and enjoy it to the fullest everyday, hockey doesn't consume me which is why I'm able to enjoy the leafs whether they win or lose in the playoffs. It's no sweat off my back at all.
additionally why do you think so many former leafs from the GTA cover the team? They have loved the leafs since they were kids, they got the opportunity to play for their childhood team and they still love the team. If you think current/former players don't care about the teams success just as much as fans you're dead wrong.
MAB1
Registered User
- Jul 18, 2022
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Just because Marner or Tavares or Rielly openly express something doesn't make them more passionate about the city than Matthews. It just gets people like you to gush over them because they did say something.
Marner being sad over a playoff loss? "If I act emotional/sad the media and fans will lay off me"
Tavares came here for $11 million and is the least efficient producer of the big 3 contracts. He barely improved his production coming here from NYI if at all. Ruin the cap structure of one of the best young cores in hockey all for "coming home". I sure as shit hope you act like you wanna be here.
Rielly has been a lifer. He proved that since day 1.
Tavares didn’t ruin the cap structure, f***ing Dubas did. How can anyone in their right mind blame players for the cap. Players have no control over the cap. That’s the GM’s job, use your head. Dubas completely botched it thinking the cap was going to jump and it never did. That has nothing to do with Tavares or Marner.
Also people act like they weren’t excited for Tavares to come here. There was maybe 5% of people who have been consistently against it. 95% of this fan base was happy as shit when he signed. The Tavares contract just looks worse because Dubas got f***ed in the post ELC contracts. Which has put a hyper focus on the Tavares contract. Tavares was a UFA; he was getting paid regardless. So I don’t really have a problem with the Tavares contract. They overpaid Matthews and Marner when they had control over them. But again that’s on the GM not the players. Get that through your head.
It’s always the people who have probably no experience being an athlete at a high level who have the most to say while sitting on their couch. Coming up with conspiracies that players fake being upset after losing. Clearly you’ve never been there.
Tak7
Registered User
If they cared as much about winning as you and I, they would all take team friendly contracts to prioritize winning compared to personal gain.
They cover the team because they are the biggest team in the country, with the largest audience - as Burkie once said, it's the Vatican of Hockey. If you write news articles, you don't aspire to write for the village birdfeeder, but for the national newspaper. Covering the team has nothing to do with their desire to see them win lol. Especially in this town.
Carlo and O Dog aren’t covering the team just because it’s the biggest team in the country lol. Come on man. Maybe that applies to Mike Johnson. But that’s about it and even Mike Johnson doesn’t really cover the leafs.
Tak7
Registered User
Carlo and O'Dog aren't covering the team just because they want them to win, either. In Carlo's case it often sounds like the opposite.
They are covering the team because Sportsnet & TSN's target audience are Leafs fans, and are former Leafs who started on Leafs-focused shows.
lol, you obviously do not listen to them. Both talk about their love for the leafs daily man. The reason they are even on TSN radio is because of their leafs fandom really. (Also they didn’t start leafs focused shows, both shows they are on were started well before they got there btw)
That’s why they are so critical because they have been in the room and they know the roster as constructed probably won’t win a championship
Tak7
Registered User
They love the Leafs, sure. I'm not denying that. But they are not anywhere close to the best radio talent on their network - their value to the network is that they are former Leafs, who were targeting Leafs fans.
But what the hell does former Leafs working for local radio for Leafs-specific shows have to do with players wanting to win more than fans do lol?
My point is, I’ve always found the notion that fans want it more than players to be comical. Those two in specific are covering the leafs because of their love for the leafs. It helps them stay connected to the team. They didn’t go to broadcast school, hell they’ve both been open about not loving working lol.
I’ve never played pro hockey, but I’ve been fortunate enough to play a few years pro in another sport before retiring and also play 4 years of USports and on the junior national team. Now I coach in the sport organization and enjoying a lot of success thankfully. But this notion that athletes only care about money and don’t care as much as fans is bullshit all around. Most fans have no idea what it’s like to play at the highest level and what’s required to perform at that level. It’s why I’m usually pro player because I’ve been able to experience being a pro athlete myself (albeit a short period of time).
Players care more than you think, they sacrifice more than you think.
Tak7
Registered User
You find the truth comical, then.
If players loved winning in Toronto as much/more than fans want to win in Toronto , what should be more important to them:
1 - Staying in Toronto to win?
or
2 - Getting paid?
Dude Dubas handed them the contracts. They were RFA’s if someone puts a contract in front of you with life changing money you’re not gonna say “no, hold on let me take a little less.” That NEVER happens in pro sports.
Even Rantanen and Aho ect. They didn’t take less. Their teams had a threshold they weren’t willing to go over. So they took the deal available to them.
For whatever reason Dubas and the Leafs had a higher threshold for their RFA’s. That’s on Dubas not the players. He had all the leverage. If he wanted Marner to make 9 and Matthews to make less than 10 he could have. He (Dubas) CHOSE not to go that route.
Tak7
Registered User
Right - the players will always choose the money, and not winning for your favorite team.
The Leafs offered Marner a deal in the 9s. He held out for more. But keep thinking he wants to win as much as people here who have been fans of this team their entire life, instead of maximizing their ~10-15 year career earnings as priority.
If players actually wanted to win for their fav team as much as the fans do, why don't see a mad rush of the hundreds of Ontario-born Leafs fan players across the league trying to sign in Toronto for league minimum? (HINT - because it's not true).
ACC1224
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Tak7
Registered User
Point is - they only have access to life altering earnings for, maybe, 10-12 years of their life? Probably 2 or 3 really good contracts, maximum?
No player in their early 20s is going to prioritize their team winning over their own limited earnings window. This idea that players will care more about the health & success of the team, MORE than fans, is ridiculous within that context.
It was the leafs who REJECTED the 9x7 that the Marner camp originally wanted. They felt that was an over pay at the time.
Also we have in recent years seen a bunch of GTA players sign in Toronto for league minimum. You’re also not accounting for the salary cap. Pre-Salary cap the leafs always got local guys to come back. Roster limits and the cap plays a huge role in why they can’t just bring over a bunch of Ontario guys. But we’ve seen a ton sign with the leafs in the last 5 years for league minimum.
