The Sorrowful Maple Leafs Fan

Let me start by saying, "I'm Jay, and I'm a Maple Leafs fan".  Now, after watching last night's pitiful performance in Tampa Bay, I feel compelled to release some anger.  I look forward to every hockey season, but I am a realist and realize the Leafs are miles away from a return to glory.  I enjoy watching hockey and the Leafs are my team... in sickness and in health... yadda yadda yadda. That said, I am close to my boiling point with the current edition and the arrogant management that tries to justify what is going on.

The fact that they lose game in and game out does not bother me as much as how they do it.  There is zero intensity, minimal effort and I can truthfully say it is some of the worst hockey I have ever watched.  They play on the perimeter and the team struggles to get into a scoring position, let alone get a quality shot on net without it being blocked. Last night, I had no choice but to change the channel.  That hurts. 

The whole organization needs to be turned upside down and shaken vigorously like a chunky salad dressing.  Brian Burke whines about people booing the Captain, but really, what can he expect.  MLSE charges (by far) the highest ticket prices in the league, Leafs TV is a cash grab (and a complete joke) and they do not seem to care.  If people weren't paying ridiculous money to watch the product, I could understand his comments.  It's painfully embarrassing to be a Leaf fan these days.

I don't know where this team is going, but as I fan, I don't like it.  The bandwagon is empty again, but the seats are still full.  There's your problem!  Maybe if the fans took a break and the Platinum seats were actually empty, not like the first five minutes of every period, the team would pay attention, make some positive changes, and rebuild properly.  As a fan, I will continue to watch from afar and hope for the best... am I optimistic?  Not a chance.