Are the Knicks the closest sports comparison to the Leafs?

[Maestro84]

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

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[BKIslandersFan]

Knicks are the perfect comparison,

From their history all the way to their fans.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

I guess, still think Cowboys is the best comparison. "America's Team" like the Leafs are supposedly "Canada's Team". Always let you down, despite promising seasons and having some good players and teams.

Their fans invade every building and are everywhere.

The Knicks sunk so low and to such irrelevancy that there was almost no pressure on them to be good for several years. There's always pressure on Toronto and Dallas.

 

[Sens With Benefits]

Big difference is, Knicks fans and media know they suck.

 

[Aashir Mallik]

Big difference is, Knicks fans and media know they suck.

Don’t worry, some of us are catching on

 

[My3Sons]

I was actually discussing this with one of my sons right after the game seven loss. I started to equate the Leafs to the Yankees (I see both as the center of their sports universes and with the biggest fanbases, etc.). My son actually brought up the Knicks comparison since both have had long stretches of futility. Great post OP. Definitely a good comparison. Hopefully there are better times ahead for both franchises. At some point, you have to remember that there are children rooting for all these teams and sports should be fun to follow for all of them at times.

 

[ItWasJustified]

Tottenham Hotspur.

Had their golden age during the 60's and every season they had a chance to qualify to the Champions League they choked and ended 5th, 6th or 7th place. Then when they finally got over that hump and got into the Champions League, they choked every year in that competition instead. And the year all the big rivals were bad, they still couldn't win the league and even ended up below their biggest rivals in Arsenal.

 

[Gospel of Prospal]

I mean I'm a Knicks fan (and obviously a Ranger fan), but you have to consider that up until this year the Knicks were a complete embarrassment on and off the court for about 15 years or so (with the exception of Linsanity, which was a flash in the pan). I mean if you wanted to find the most dysfunctional sports organization in the four major sports, look no further than the Knicks.

 

[WarriorofTime]

yes, they are basically the Knicks of the NHL

 

[Gospel of Prospal]

Knicks are the perfect comparison,

From their history all the way to their fans.

Ohhhhhh, I have such an easy Nets/Islanders joke right now, but I'll bite my tongue

 

[Bluto]

No...
The Knicks never make the playoffs and are generally mismanaged and a laughing stock from top to bottom. At least Toronto is regularly competitive in the regular season.

Idk what an NBA comparison would be.... high payroll with regular season success and no rings.... Houston or Brooklyn or LAC or OKC if you want recent comparisons.

The Knicks are more like Buffalo than anything.

 

[Hockeyholic]

There's probably more pressure playing Hockey in Toronto vs playing Basketball in NY. The Knicks are still behind the Yankees and Giants in terms of popularity.

But they are both loser teams that someone still sellout. And both had or have crazy owners (Ballard vs Dolan).

 

[thestonedkoala]

I would have said the Chicago Cubs, but they finally won a World Series in 2016.

For football, I'd say that they are much like the Raiders.

 

[generalshepherd141]

The best comp I can think of is the Indiana Pacers; they've lost 5 first-round series in a row (from 2015-2020) and this year they lost in the play-in tournament. So they haven't advanced to the next round in this timespan.

On the other hand, nobody really had Finals expectations for the Pacers in this timespan, so that's where the comparison falls a little flat. Still, they definitely underperformed in the playoffs by not winning a single series, much like the Leafs.

 

[Gospel of Prospal]

There's probably more pressure playing Hockey in Toronto vs playing Basketball in NY. The Knicks are still behind the Yankees and Giants in terms of popularity.

I respectfully disagree. There is a TREMENDOUS amount of pressure for any Knick. This is the biggest media market in the world and the Knicks (and Rangers, but the Knicks are way more popular) are the only team in Manhattan. The Knicks are for sure ahead of the Giants (and I say that as a bigger fan of the Giants than the Knicks) and if the Knicks had a modicum of success in their long history (or if they had a championship history like the Celtics or Lakers), they'd be as big as the Yankees. No doubt in my mind.

 

[Gospel of Prospal]

No...
The Knicks never make the playoffs and are generally mismanaged and a laughing stock from top to bottom. At least Toronto is regularly competitive in the regular season..

That's also true. At least the Maple Leafs make the playoffs. The Knicks don't even get that far (excluding this year). And up until recently, it was the same playoff format: the top 8 teams per conference.

 

[Reality Check]

The Leafs absolutely get hyped up like the Cowboys. That part of the proclamation is correct.

Knicks however did make the NBA finals in '94 and '99. Which is something the Leafs can't match either.

The Knicks have also been out of the first round more recently than the Leafs have.

 

[jetsforever]

Original historic team in a major market that consistently underperforms
Yeah it's basically the same team

 

[cujo1117]

Arsenal FC

 

[JT Kreider]

Yes because any time a big name star is closing in on free agency (in some cases as far as a year out) Knicks fans and the media build up this huge narrative that the Knicks will finally get their man; except they don't.

Just like the Leafs never got their guy; until they finally did.

 

[Mickey Marner]

Leafs are somewhere in-between the Cowboys and Knicks. Neither is a perfect match.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Big difference is, Knicks fans and media know they suck.

No they don't. At least not the fans.

 

[WaW]

I think the Knicks and the Cowboys are both good comparisons considering they all have massive fanbases, which means they naturally have a hell of alot more fools within the fanbase who share the same sense of delusion from year to year, and the moment the teams are slightly better than mediocre, parades are planned.

Not to mention the constant media spotlight, pressure, and how savage the media are towards the players for constantly underperforming.

I think people pointing out the Cowboys 90s success in criticizing the Stephen A Smith gag are kind of missing the point.

 

[Diamonddog01]

Tottenham Hotspur.

Had their golden age during the 60's and every season they had a chance to qualify to the Champions League they choked and ended 5th, 6th or 7th place. Then when they finally got over that hump and got into the Champions League, they choked every year in that competition instead. And the year all the big rivals were bad, they still couldn't win the league and even ended up below their biggest rivals in Arsenal.

As a Tottenham fan this one hurts. But accurate.

 

[Hatfield]

Always felt the Redskins were a good analogy.

-Up until recently the Skins were the most valuable team in the NFL, and one of the most high-profile despite their futility.
-Both suffered through a dark age of bad ownership (Snyder and Ballard).
-Both have had way more fan support than they’ve deserved, capitalizing on nostalgia and past accomplishments (and local popularity of the sport in general).