Do we invest too much emotion in this team?

[Gary Nylund]

Not really. I spend 90% of my time on here posting on the Leafs. They’re clearly number 1.

I grew up a Red Wings fan idolizing Fedorov and Yzerman. I set that as my picture the day I joined and haven’t changed it since. ... that seems to cause a lot of confusion.

I grew up with the Leafs and can't imagine ever not being a Leaf fan myself.

Man they keep loosing key players then the other players play like vets! It's amazing really how this is a team like a real full got each other's backs team. Shows no matter how good one player is a team coming together can over come alot.

It's like the Raptors are the anti-Leafs. I started comparing the Raptors to the Leafs (OK comparing Babcock to Nick Nurse) back in the spring and it seems like everyone's doing that now. On the radio this morning they were saying can we have Nick Nurse coach the Raptors just for one game. LOL. And just about an hour ago, a buddy of mine at work was said something like he wished Masai could be the Leafs GM.

 

[Crows Eye]

Listen, these are good problems to have. There are people out there in serious trouble. If your biggest worry is some stupid hockey team, you're golden.

Indeed. As they say, if the biggest problem you got is a lousy sports team then you really do have first world problems.
Funny that I actually enjoyed watching the Raptors championship run, not just because they won, but I really just didn’t have as much emotion invested in it as I would with the Leafs. Helped to have that healthy distance. It’s as if I take it personally if the Leafs lose, but not so much the Raptors. Weird.

 

[MattySnipes]

I love hockey and will watch most games when on. Regardless if Leafs are playing or not. It definitely is hard to get up and watch hockey when your local team is stinking up the joint. I try my best.

 

[hector morrison]

I care way too much about wether the Leafs win or lose. I felt exhilaration when they were on the verge of advancing past Boston the last two playoffs and utter betrayal, anger and even depression when they lost. I feel the same way now. Constantly trying to analyze and understand why my favourite team is underperforming this year. And I see it in other folks posting on this forum, expressing grief, anger, betrayal, hiding our emotions being rational analysis and dark humour.
I can say that from living a short time in Seattle and living in Vancouver that emotional attachment to a team can be both community building and frightening. In Seattle, their love of the Seahawks seems to be a thing that brings diverse communities of people together, maybe more like the Raptors in Toronto. In Vancouver I was here when emotional attachment to a sports team brought out one of the most frightening displays of anger and violence I’ve ever witnessed first hand. I was here during the riots after they lost to Boston. In fact, I remember walking downtown with my partner after Vancouver was up two games to none and seeing the drunken testosterone fuelled exuberance of massive crowds and groups of young men running and screaming up and down Granville Street and both of us agreeing that it didn’t feel safe. We walked around the corner onto Robson Street and saw all the riot cops and I remember thinking we should get out of here cause if a window got smashed behind us all hell was going to break loose. So I wasn’t too surprised when the riot actually happened after Vancouver lost games seven a week later. And I was out on that day trying to get home and it was a f——ing frightening, violent gong show.
I think it’s great to have a forum to analyze and discuss and to share our happiness, disappointment, frustration, etc. But we all need to take a deep breath and remember at the end of the day, this isn’t life and death. Not worth getting angry or depressed about, or being sulky and pissy to the ones we love. At the end of the day, it is really just a bunch of well-paid young men out there entertaining us by shooting a rubber disc around a sheet of ice.

Obviously...look where you are! Personally I've had more time on my hands of late, but , that is about to change ,so not sure I will be caring as much in the near future.

 

[Crows Eye]

What I can't get out of my mind is the Toronto Maple Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup in 52 years. Let that sink in!
That is unbelievable for an organization that without question has the most loyal fan base in the NHL.

FIFTY TWO ****ing years.

Hundreds of boys growing up as Leafs fans, bleeding blue and white and only one decided to play his contract out and come home and play for his home town team while he was still in his prime. Obviously I'm talking of JT.

The bloody Minnesota Wild had 3 go home, we had one

How is this possible? 52 years!

Not just winning the cup, but 52 years since we’ve even been in the finals. Let’s see, Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes, Quebec before they moved to Colorado, but I can’t think of any other franchise not making it to the finals in those 52 years. Even perennial losers Vancouver Canucks have made to the finals 3 times in those 52 years!
Makes me worried about what would happen if we did make it and lost in game 7? Nah. Toronto in June? Folks just be happy the winter is over.

 

[Buds17]

The passion that unites us all.

 

[ImpartialNHLfan]

I show emotion when one of our guys get run, then show even more emotion when our cowards show no emotion. So yeah, I guess I invest too much for this team.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

I would hazard a guess there's a pretty direct relationship between age and emotional investment.

As years go by you realize more and more how unimportant it is. You still follow religiously but have more or different perspective.

 

[ShaneFalco]

I hate all of you

 

[mikeyz]

This was me up until game 7 last year. I had so much emotional investment with this team. I have been a fan of them for the better part of 30 years, but, the way they played from December on last season and them losing to Boston... AGAIN was the straw that broke the camels back for me when it came to my emotional investment with them.

I will still watch because I love this team and will never jump off the bandwagon. But, I no longer get pissed after every loss and screaming like a school girl at a Justin Bieber concert when they win.

I am at a point right now with this team where they are going to have prove it to me and show me something before I get to that point again.

 

[Crows Eye]

I hate all of you

Rorschach?

 

[wingman75]

I know I do. I have tried in the past to stop... didn't take. I have reduced the effects of the teams results though, which is good for me and everyone around me lol.

I think if you are not passionate about sports, why watch them? I don't get the casual fan thing, as there are so many other things I could do with that time. But I respek those who can be that way, and I am sure they are passionate about other things that I prob do not understand ;-)

 

[Ronald Ocean]

A leafs win or loss use to set my mood for the next day.. or at least next morning. After last years choke yet again I just don't care nearly as much anymore.. it's not like any of us can control anything happening and it's a lot more relaxing to just not care as much. Sure I hope they go on to win the cup but it isnt life or death.

 

[Erdinger]

I would hazard a guess there's a pretty direct relationship between age and emotional investment.

As years go by you realize more and more how unimportant it is. You still follow religiously but have more or different perspective.

It just becomes an excuse to drink the older you get.

 

[nuck]

Maybe not too much emotion but a lot of micromanagement and excessive worry. Write down your opinions today and review them in 50 games. As a 40 year Leaf fan I can say you are probably wasting your time stressing or celebrating the clubs first quarter results.
Caps and Blues fans will confirm it's the late season success you need not the early season results.

 

[Erdinger]

Maybe not too much emotion but a lot of micromanagement and excessive worry. Write down your opinions today and review them in 50 games. As a 40 year Leaf fan I can say you are probably wasting your time stressing or celebrating the clubs first quarter results.
Caps and Blues fans will confirm it's the late season success you need not the early season results.

Of course but we would have been even more irrelevant late season last year if it hadn't been for the October and November results. After Dec.1 the team just basically coasted

 

[The Big Swede13]

Im way too invested in this team. Pretty much go out of my way to watch all the games and expectations this year were probably too high for such a new group. Hopefully they get it together or management makes a change soon

go leafs

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

It just becomes an excuse to drink the older you get.

You need an excuse? Lol

 

[Hogan86]

This year, for the first time in my 28+ years being a Leafs fan, I've started to not care about the wins and loses. I have been passionate, for all the highs and the many many lows over that time span. But not matter how we did in the standings, I always was pumped to watch a game, and my heart pounded whether we held a late lead, or we were chasing to tie it up late in the 3rd. I always was excited for the hockey season.

but this year I feel different. I hate to be a complainer, but I'm really realizing that we got the wrong coach for this group of players. Our GM is focused on offense, and offense alone. I have never bought into soley focusing on advanced stats, but our GM does, and sadly formulas and numbers don't mean wins on the ice. We have a weak D group, zero backup goalie, and we're in deep trouble when we have to re-up Dermott, Andersen, Rielly...etc. Our cap situation has gone from promising to disaster in 18 months. I hate that Marner got 11 million year, no matter how skilled he is, we got bent over backwards on that deal.

While there is lots to like from the past few seasons, the future of this team won't be bright unless we make some drastic changes. Changes in the front office and a major trade (one of Willy or Marner, my preference Marner) HAS to happen in order to make this team more complete and well rounded for a deep playoff push. Otherwise we will just have to get excited exiting in the first or second round of the playoffs for the foreseeable future.

I'm so lukewarm on this team.

 

[Hustlr]

Definitely.

 

[CincoHolio]

Listen, these are good problems to have. There are people out there in serious trouble. If your biggest worry is some stupid hockey team, you're golden.

I've always assumed it was the opposite. I think some fans look to their favourite team to help them take their minds off other things going on in their lives, and therefore, they are more emotional when the team is a disappointment. That's my theory anyway.

 

[meefer]

If a sports event is affecting your life, you've got your priorities out of whack.

 

[robertmac43]

It comes with the nature of being so invested in something.