I saw the thread about Stephen A Smith saying the Leafs are the Cowboys of the NHL but when you look at the numbers, even the Cowboys haven't dug that low. They last won a title in 1995 (much closer to the present than the Leafs last cup) and they won a playoff game in 2018.
The New York Knicks are probably my pick for a Leafs comparison. So much history, the biggest market in their respective leagues, loyal but annoying fanbase, media puts an immense amount of pressure on players, every sought after UFA is rumored to sign there until they don't, been abysmal for most of our lifetimes, and the rest of the league clowns them for entertainment.
Knicks last title was in 1973 (6 years after Leafs) and they've won one playoff series since 2000 (even less than the Leafs in this time span). Both had their best seasons in recent memory this year just to be kicked out in round one. They also wasted the prime years of stars like Sundin and Ewing in the 90s/early 00s
Managements have also taken a ton of criticism. Dubas is seen as a softy who bends over to players, agents and other league-wide executives, while Dolan is universally viewed as the worst owner in sports. In the 80s, Ballard was also seen as the worst owner in sports
The New York Knicks are probably my pick for a Leafs comparison. So much history, the biggest market in their respective leagues, loyal but annoying fanbase, media puts an immense amount of pressure on players, every sought after UFA is rumored to sign there until they don't, been abysmal for most of our lifetimes, and the rest of the league clowns them for entertainment.
Knicks last title was in 1973 (6 years after Leafs) and they've won one playoff series since 2000 (even less than the Leafs in this time span). Both had their best seasons in recent memory this year just to be kicked out in round one. They also wasted the prime years of stars like Sundin and Ewing in the 90s/early 00s
Managements have also taken a ton of criticism. Dubas is seen as a softy who bends over to players, agents and other league-wide executives, while Dolan is universally viewed as the worst owner in sports. In the 80s, Ballard was also seen as the worst owner in sports
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