Why do you watch the Leafs?

[slozo]

I picked the simple one - favourite sport, favourite team.

It's my fave sport to watch on televised although there are others; and the Leafs are my team.
I would have thought the majority of people from our Toronto thread would choose this, but alas you've put too many options down so it's diluted to a large extent.

But to put it into context:
of all the NHL hockey I watch (I watch a heck of a lot of live minor hockey with my son playing, lol) I would say it's 80% Leaf games, 20% other teams, the vast majority being Edmonton because . . . McDavid, and the only other ones being Colorado because . . . Makar and MacKinnon.

 

[TheVision]

I've bled blue since Rick Vaive was scoring 50 goals; not going to stop now. Love the game of hockey and have never truly understood the tribalism of sports to the extent it goes. The team I LOVE the most, can also be the team I hate most. More about individual players. Will always bleed blue!

 

[meefer]

Ward Cornell and Foster Hewitt on an 11" black and white screen, snowy at that.

 

[Hellcat]

All jokes aside though, There have been so many times in my 32 years of life where I or my wife has questioned myself, why do you do this to yourself? Why do you cheer for this team that constantly disappoints???

I genuinely don't know why, all I know is that I'll never cheer for another team. It may not make sense to anyone other then fellow Leaf fans.

Although, I can tell my wife is starting to cheer for the buds now. Which was a tough sell job to a Vancouverite. I guess if she was dumb enough to marry me she is clearly dumb enough to cheer for the Leafs as well...

If she married a Leaf fan, she's punching our of her weight class, which is what I tell my wife as often as I can .. He dad was Canadiens fan, her mom a Detroit fan and her brother a Flames fan... coming for them roots I have my work cut out for me

 

[Cams]

Now that more options exist I changed my vote to favourite sport/favourite team because this sums it up best. But really....my original post sums it up. My Dad is a fan, played hockey, coached me as a kid, so it's part of who I am. Keep in mind, they are not really considered my local team either being in Windsor. Windsor is unique in that the Leafs are a big part of the fan base here (Jays too), but with Detroit across the river there is by geographic location, a lot of Detroit sports team fans here too. Interestingly, I know people who are Leafs/Jays fans, Wings/Tigers fans, and even Wings/Jays fans and Leafs/Tigers (usually older people who were fans before the Jays entered MLB). It's an interesting sports landscape here for sure, and suprisingly the Lions I would say are not the majority of NFL fans in Windsor.

When they get knocked out of the playoffs I seldom watch the rest of the playoffs especially since I got married. By that time also, baseball season is going so I watch the Jays.

I just can't spend every evening at home watching sports, it's not fair to my wife/family as well as not fair to myself. My wife actually used to be quite a Leafs fan, but she hasn't watched a game in probably 10 years now.

Last year I said to myself and my wife that there is no way I can sit there and watch all 162, well I pretty much did just that.

 

[GojuLeaf]

I don't watch other teams... Just the leafs. Maybe will watch a game 7 in the final round but nothing other than that.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

Stockholm syndrome is a proposed condition in which hostages develop a psychological bond with their captors. It is supposed to result from a rather specific set of circumstances, namely the power imbalances contained in hostage-taking, kidnapping, and abusive relationships.

 

[Smif]

I don't watch other teams... Just the leafs. Maybe will watch a game 7 in the final round but nothing other than that.

Same, sometimes I'll catch the first period of a Western Canadian team that's on after a Leaf game, other than that just highlight reel stuff the next morning and stats / standings watching. Add to that a couple Hamilton Bulldogs games and Caledonia Corvairs games a year, my sons U15 team and myself playing ballhockey 1-2 times a week and that's a full hockey schedule.

 

[Wiseguys]

Ward Cornell and Foster Hewitt on an 11" black and white screen, snowy at that.

Yes the black and white screen with the antenna's. Brings back memories. I was my Dad's remote control. "Go change the channel to 6 CBC, the hockey game is on son"
" Now stand there and move the antennas and I'll tell you when to stop" To get the best reception.

 

[HockeyVirus]

I watch hockey every day. Sometimes all day long when games are on all day. Last weekend I watched hockey from noon until 11PM which was 3 games in full plus random snippets of other teams when those games were in intermission.

My life is scheduled around Leaf games. I don't need to watch any hockey game every day but it has to be a pretty damn good reason for me to miss a Leaf game. My wife knows to leave me alone when the Leafs are on.

Why am I like this? IDK. I find entertainment in the storylines throughout the year. This current era is easy to watch the Leafs like I am because I remember how bad we were before this. In a few years it might be hard to watch every game when we are mediocre and/or rebuilding but with that said I watched almost every game in that Matthews tanking season.

My opinion is people who refused to watch the Leafs all year because "playoffs" aren't real fans. You are missing the primes of arguably some franchise GOAT players and why would you want to do that IDK. But these same fans will be back pretending they weren't boycotting and being salty once the Leafs are on a run this spring!

 

[Notsince67]

If she married a Leaf fan, she's punching our of her weight class, which is what I tell my wife as often as I can .. He dad was Canadiens fan, he mom a Detroit fan and her brother a Flames fan... coming for them roots

My better half was a self described Habs fan. She still stubbornly claims this but she watches most of the leafs games with me and now only watches the habs when they are playing the leafs. She cheers and jeers with me. She has effectively been converted to a leaf fan in that she watches over 90% of all the games
Yes I am a holy saint from God and have likely secured a place in heaven for this act alone.

 

[Hellcat]

My better half was a self described Habs fan. She still stubbornly claims this but she watches most of the leafs games with me and now only watches the habs when they are playing the leafs. She cheers and jeers with me. She has effectively been converted to a leaf fan in that she watches over 90% of all the games
Yes I am a holy saint from God and have likely secured a place in heaven for this act alone.

You sir are Saint Notsince67 ...

Yes the black and white screen with the antenna's. Brings back memories. I was my Dad's remote control. "Go change the channel to 6 CBC, the hockey game is on son"
" Now stand there and move the antennas and I'll tell you when to stop" To get the best reception.

There is a good portion of the fans on this forum that have no clue what you are talking about. Our first remote controlled TV had a 40 foot cord that attached the remote to the TV. We were the first family in our neighborhood to get cable, all 13 channels...

 

[Hellcat]

LOL, "I'm a Masochist" is 3rd in voting.

 

[Notsince67]

You sir are Saint Notsince67 ...



There is a good portion of the fans on this forum that have no clue what you are talking about. Our first remote controlled TV had a 40 foot cord that attached the remote to the TV. We were the first family in our neighborhood to get cable, all 13 channels...

Brown thing with tan buttons?

 

[keonsbitterness]

Brown thing with tan buttons?

Yeah. I think we called it a converter instead of a remote back then.

 

[Notsince67]

Yeah. I think we called it a converter instead of a remote back then.

Hated when the buttons stopped locking

 

[meefer]

Yes the black and white screen with the antenna's. Brings back memories. I was my Dad's remote control. "Go change the channel to 6 CBC, the hockey game is on son"
" Now stand there and move the antennas and I'll tell you when to stop" To get the best reception.

Hahahaha, you too? Great times, I miss the ol' man every day.

 

[Racer88]

You sir are Saint Notsince67 ...



There is a good portion of the fans on this forum that have no clue what you are talking about. Our first remote controlled TV had a 40 foot cord that attached the remote to the TV. We were the first family in our neighborhood to get cable, all 13 channels...

I had one of those back in the day. One night my ex wife’s cat chewed thru the cord and the TV came on a blasting in the middle of the night. I flew out of bed looking for my baseball bat

 

[Burnie97]

Not to get to into it but apparently my Grandpa had season tickets around war time.

Served in the second world war and came back. He was there for some cup wins from what I've been told. So yeah blood runs deep with the Leafs. He had hockey cards from the early 30s I saw as a kid. Pretty cool.

Watched them since I can remember. Never has been many Sat nights I miss unless work gets in the way throughout life etc. I try to watch every game I can. Die hard.

Usually pretty calm but come Playoff time if you're not a Leaf fan and you don't like intensity and swearing then don't be in the same room as me.

Otherwise I'm usually pretty pleasant .

 

[Hellcat]

I had one of those back in the day. One night my ex wife’s cat chewed thru the cord and the TV came on a blasting in the middle of the night. I flew out of bed looking for my baseball bat

ROTFLMA HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHA ... OMG cats are asshats ....

Brown thing with tan buttons?

Nope Sears special, TV remote was black with silver buttons. you had five buttons, power, two channel buttons, an up/down, and two buttons for volume up /down. the TV was fake, dark woodgrain color, massive 20 incher.

 

[Hellcat]

Not to get to into it but apparently my Grandpa had season tickets around war time.

Served in the second world war and came back. He was there for some cup wins from what I've been told. So yeah blood runs deep with the Leafs. He had hockey cards from the early 30s I saw as a kid. Pretty cool.

Watched them since I can remember. Never has been many Sat nights I miss unless work gets in the way throughout life etc. I try to watch every game I can. Die hard.

Usually pretty calm but come Playoff time if you're not a Leaf fan and you don't like intensity and swearing then don't be in the same room as me.

Otherwise I'm usually pretty pleasant .

LOL... it's necessary as a Leaf fan to have a full arsenal of swear words.

 

[Macman]

I’ve asked myself this question many times.

 

[ACC1224]

LOL... it's necessary as a Leaf fan to have a full arsenal of swear words.

I just shake my head a lot.

 

[LeafGrief]

I don't really feel like any of the poll options speak to me, other than maybe habit, so I'll just write a post. Hard to vote habit when I haven't watched more than two games in the last month, but I digress.

I'm a Leafs fan because I have accepted it as part of my identity. Everyone who cares about hockey in my life knows that I'm a Leafs fan, and they know that at any time I'm happy to engage in some friendly banter about hockey. Hockey is an easy language to connect with strangers around me and build new friendships.

There's this sandwich shop near where I work and it's the best place you've ever been, absolutely amazing food. I went in one day the other week wearing my Leafs hoodie and the two brothers who run the place started howling at me. I'm a regular so we've chatted a bunch over the last few months, but it was when I wore my hoodie that the gloves came off and suddenly we were roasting each other like fast friends of a decade. I had been giving my money to BRUINS FANS all this time, and it was the mutual appreciation of hockey and what the rivalries mean to us that has helped us build a deeper human connection. Hockey fandom on the internet is toxic (as is almost all social media), but in real life people are so excited to talk to other hockey fans. My in laws are Habs fans and it was talking hockey that really helped me develop a healthy relationship with my wife's father and uncles. We'd have found something else if it wasn't hockey, but it WAS hockey and for that I am forever thankful.

The habit of being a Leafs fan has become a history of being a Leafs fan, so I'm able to call on feelings of nostalgia and great memories. I was a kid when Joe Nieuwendyk stuck two through Lalime, so me and the other boys on the block wrote "Honk if you love the Leafs" on some crappy signs and waved them at the nearest intersection. We missed the entire second period because hundreds of cars honked at us, and everyone passing by asked us the score. I never wanted that intermission to end. The President of the United States just roasted the Leafs and our entire government gave a standing ovation for it, the Leafs are so much more than just a team that exists in the here and now. The Leafs slogan for a while was "The Passion that Unites us All" and I think that's very fitting.

And then of course there's just the parts of watching the Leafs that I actually enjoy. I love following a team and its players, and I like watching hockey. I am a massive fan of the team-building exercise and love pouring over contracts and playing GM simulators. Unfortunately, the league is so poisoned by the desire to screw fans for every penny that watching the game is insufferable at the moment, but this is just a moment like any other and it too shall pass. I love coming to the boards and talking shop or swapping hot takes with you lot, and I thank you all for being here with me.

I watch the Leafs because I have always and will always watch the Leafs. My motivations, reactions, and habits may change with time, but I'm a Leafs fan because it makes me happy to be one.

 

[Hellcat]

I don't really feel like any of the poll options speak to me, other than maybe habit, so I'll just write a post. Hard to vote habit when I haven't watched more than two games in the last month, but I digress.

I'm a Leafs fan because I have accepted it as part of my identity. Everyone who cares about hockey in my life knows that I'm a Leafs fan, and they know that at any time I'm happy to engage in some friendly banter about hockey. Hockey is an easy language to connect with strangers around me and build new friendships.

There's this sandwich shop near where I work and it's the best place you've ever been, absolutely amazing food. I went in one day the other week wearing my Leafs hoodie and the two brothers who run the place started howling at me. I'm a regular so we've chatted a bunch over the last few months, but it was when I wore my hoodie that the gloves came off and suddenly we were roasting each other like fast friends of a decade. I had been giving my money to BRUINS FANS all this time, and it was the mutual appreciation of hockey and what the rivalries mean to us that has helped us build a deeper human connection. Hockey fandom on the internet is toxic (as is almost all social media), but in real life people are so excited to talk to other hockey fans. My in laws are Habs fans and it was talking hockey that really helped me develop a healthy relationship with my wife's father and uncles. We'd have found something else if it wasn't hockey, but it WAS hockey and for that I am forever thankful.

The habit of being a Leafs fan has become a history of being a Leafs fan, so I'm able to call on feelings of nostalgia and great memories. I was a kid when Joe Nieuwendyk stuck two through Lalime, so me and the other boys on the block wrote "Honk if you love the Leafs" on some crappy signs and waved them at the nearest intersection. We missed the entire second period because hundreds of cars honked at us, and everyone passing by asked us the score. I never wanted that intermission to end. The President of the United States just roasted the Leafs and our entire government gave a standing ovation for it, the Leafs are so much more than just a team that exists in the here and now. The Leafs slogan for a while was "The Passion that Unites us All" and I think that's very fitting.

And then of course there's just the parts of watching the Leafs that I actually enjoy. I love following a team and its players, and I like watching hockey. I am a massive fan of the team-building exercise and love pouring over contracts and playing GM simulators. Unfortunately, the league is so poisoned by the desire to screw fans for every penny that watching the game is insufferable at the moment, but this is just a moment like any other and it too shall pass. I love coming to the boards and talking shop or swapping hot takes with you lot, and I thank you all for being here with me.

I watch the Leafs because I have always and will always watch the Leafs. My motivations, reactions, and habits may change with time, but I'm a Leafs fan because it makes me happy to be one.

What great post! Kudos!