Does anyone else dislike the nhl in general due to league-wide leaf hate?

[Borschevsky]

If there's one thing I can't stand about being a Leafs fan, it's the persecution complex from other Leafs fans.

Don't even get me started on the whining about Hughson every Saturday

 

[CatchyTune]

Solution is to just live in the Leaf bubble. Who cares what others say. F them.

It's like Blue vs Red down south.

I try my best to. To be honest the hating on the main board doesnt really bother me. They are all irrelevant strangers. It does get kinda annoying when trying to have a normal discussion then all of a sudden someone throws a generic "1967 haha" at you. But again I dont care about some stranger. What im trying to avoid is hate like that in real life. I know people hating my hockey team shouldnt effect me, but its not something I need.

 

[HomerJLeafs]

Does anyone else have a hard time enjoying nhl hockey in general, due to basically every other teams fanbase hating the leafs? Even Gary Bettman cracked a leafs joke about the playoff format.

I watch leafs games exclusively because I cannot find enjoyment watching other teams due to this league wide hate.

For any other sport (I am also Raps/Jays fan) I can sit and watch basically any random game on. For hockey, I cannot find it in me to watch any other game just because of this.

I have recently broke off all communication with my lifelong bestfriend for good due to this. We both live in a small town near toronto our whole life (aka leafs territory) but he is the biggest leaf hater I know. So thats one less thing I have to deal with.

Maybe im just a *****, but I really cant stand it. Cant even have a discussion on any board on this site without leaf jokes thrown at me.

Anyone else?

yes
id never ever cheer for anything nhl related if the Leafs werent in the nhl
i really hate some of the nhl projects like the coyotes
also i just cant even with bettman
nhl sucks

 

[KnightsFan110]

I dont hate the pats. I think they are a model organization that gets hate because they are so good. Just wondering, how did you become a fan of both a toronto and a boston based team? No hate I am just curious.

Pats because we have no NFL team in Toronto.

I know Buffalo and Detroit are closer, but can never cheer for a city that has 2 teams I HATE, the Sabres and Tigers.

 

[CatchyTune]

yes
id never ever cheer for anything nhl related if the Leafs werent in the nhl
i really hate some of the nhl projects like the coyotes
also i just cant even with bettman
nhl sucks

Yeah man. If the leafs arent on, nothings on for me. Leafs out of the playoffs, no more hockey for me.

I never minded bettman but that comment was stupid and unnecessary. Allstar format sucks. Playoff format sucks. I love hockey but its obviously behind the Nfl/Nba/Mlb

 

[CatchyTune]

Pats because we have no NFL team in Toronto.

I know Buffalo and Detroit are closer, but can never cheer for a city that has 2 teams I HATE, the Sabres and Tigers.

That makes sense. I was considering becoming a bills fan but I cant find it in me to cheer for a buffalo based franchise. Just enjoying the nfl as a whole. No specific team im cheering for. Also, just wondering, if you cant cheer for buffalo or detroit, what makes boston (new england) different? Not trying to sound rude I am just again curious

 

[Ronnie Residue]

Most intelligent leaf fans that I know, actually dislike most of the fan base. I realize this is due to the sheer size of it, but there are so many casual fans who make it worse for the realistic ones.
I’m no leaf hater, leafs would be my secondary team due to living here, but the fan base brings it on themselves.
Also, I’m a sharks fan, we get crapped on literally all the time from basically any team that has at least 1 cup. Lol
Make jokes back and move on. Losing friendships over it is insanity. I’ve actually never had a friend who shares in my shark fandom, doesn’t change anything though.

 

[beach]

I do wonder why Canadian teams cannot win a cup and are rarely serious contenders. Do the US teams leach all the coaching and management talent away from Canada or do US teams conspire to keep the Canadian teams down?

I'm not a conspiracy nut but perhaps they ask for more or are tougher on Canadian teams when dealing or trading because of jealousy ----especially when negotiating with the Leafs? The opposing players always try harder when they play against the leafs in Toronto, and I suspect that GM's do too. They always seem to get the best end of deals against our Leafs.

Yep, that's it.

 

[KnightsFan110]

That makes sense. I was considering becoming a bills fan but I cant find it in me to cheer for a buffalo based franchise. Just enjoying the nfl as a whole. No specific team im cheering for. Also, just wondering, if you cant cheer for buffalo or detroit, what makes boston (new england) different? Not trying to sound rude I am just again curious

Not rude at all! I've always liked the underdog story athletes and Tom Brady was one of them being a 6th round pick.

After what he did during his rookie season , leading the Pats to the Super Bowl in 2001 I had to watch this team more in 2002 and let's just say its been a fun ride! From 6th round pick to future hall of famer

Also, never really hated the Bruins at all as a kid and that still is true now with me at 30 years old, respect the hell outta them. I could never hate the Bruins

 

[CatchyTune]

Not rude at all! I've always liked the underdog story athletes and Tom Brady was one of them being a 6th round pick.

After what he did during his rookie season , leading the Pats to the Super Bowl in 2001 I had to watch this team more in 2002 and let's just say its been a fun ride! From 6th round pick to future hall of famer

Also, never really hated the Bruins at all as a kid and that still is true now with me at 30 years old, respect the hell outta them. I could never hate the Bruins

I like Tom too. I think he goes down as the "goat" to an extent. Already being called that, and hard to argue with his immense success. I dont think he is the most talented player out there, but he is an icon to football and sports as a whole. Unfortunately I cant agree with you on the bruins. Always hated Neely. Marchand, Pastrnak, Debrusk and Chara are all players I cant stand. But I do respect the organization as a whole.

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

I would say more league wide apathy for me. Its not that I dislike most other teams, I just find them irrelevant. There are only so many waking hours I can spend on hockey and I prefer to spend them on the Leafs or games/players of consequence to them.

That's how I feel.

Yet I used to enjoy watching any hockey game when I was younger.

Now it's Leafs or who GAF (unless it's playoffs)

You just got to learn to embrace the hate, the failure etc and be proud to stand by your team. Someday maybe it'll pay off

That was more for OP. And also don't bother trying to win arguments about sports with someone who can't talk positively about another team, not worth it. The non-leafs fans I know in real life can compliment some players and so can I about their team etc.

 

[tmlms13]

Pats because we have no NFL team in Toronto.

I know Buffalo and Detroit are closer, but can never cheer for a city that has 2 teams I HATE, the Sabres and Tigers.

You realize that for a few years we had one eighth of a NFL team. Buffalo is probably the only city more tortured than Toronto and they have the Blue Jays AAA team.

Plus the Bills were the team that gave Doug Flutie a second shot at the NFL.

 

[Crows Eye]

Seriously? “League-wide Leaf hate”? I got news for you, honey. People hate teams like the NY Yankees or the NE Patriots or back in their glory days, the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers. Why?Because in the last 50 years they’ve won lots of championships and it makes folks like us mad cause in those 50 years our stupid team hasn’t won any. Get it? People hate you when you are a winner! We never win championships. Heck, we haven’t even made it to the finals in 50 years. So why would anyone hate us? They might get annoyed that due to Canadian demographics we get more media coverage than the quality of our hockey teams would warrant. But that’s not hate. That’s just the sick feeling many of us Leaf fans share with the rest of Canada being forced to watch our mediocre, constantly underachieving hockey team.

 

[CincoHolio]

Over the past say...15 years or so, how many Leafs fans themselves can say they consistently loved any incarnation of this organization for more than 1 full season? I'm not talking about loving the sweater or the city it represents, but the actual team itself?

Another question, would any of you really care what other fans/execs thought of your favourite team if you didn't spend so much time on sites like these where every little negative comment is magnified to the nth degree?

The only person who doesn't get a pass from me is Bettman. He should not be taking pot-shots at any team's supporters to be perfectly honest. Least of all a fanbase that has maxxed out it's support consistently since he has worked for the league.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Yeah and it's on two fronts - one is the fact that the Leafs/Toronto sports always tend to be in the media, and then there's the strong contingent of Ontarians, particularly from Toronto, who now live out there and talk about Toronto/Ontario and their pro sports teams a lot too. And it's the ones who go to the extremes that leaves that bitter taste in others mouths.

That will never change either. I have been to maybe 100+ Leaf games on the road over the years in Columbus, Buffalo, Montreal, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Chicago, New York, New Jersey, Boston, Carolina, Phoenix, San Jose, Calgary, Tampa and Miami and what I see in every single rink is thousands of Leaf fans at almost every game. But many less in Calgary and west for sure. and we do talk Leaf hockey. It is a passion for sure. I was in Calgary when Phaneuf was still the best player on the ice in his 2nd year. But keep in mind Leafs fund the NHL more than any other team. Everyone saw what happened to rogers ratings after Leafs went out in 1st round last year - they dropped off a cliff. Like a 1,000 foot cliff to death like numbers.

 

[Tanknation]

I kinda put it lightly. Couldnt bring up sports in general without constant leaf hating jokes. I cant even explain it. I have quite bad OCD, and it was to the point where I couldnt focus on anything. Playing arguments in my head while doing leisure activities. Heart races and i turn red. Distracting me at work. It was just an issue I needed out of my life. I know it seems weird on the surface

It sounds like more of an issue within yourself you need to work on rather than this being just an issue with being bothered by leafs hate. I get that can get annoying, but when it gets to the point where things like this are distracting or hurting your life, you need to dig down deep and figure out what it is that is really bothering you. Do you maybe feel ostracized by people/peers? if so figure out why perhaps you have a lot of self-doubts and lack of belief in yourself? it could be other reasons, but something more going on here. Good luck on your life's journey signed a habs fan

 

[nsleaf]

In a majority of cases, hating the Leafs and hating the actual city of Toronto go hand in hand for many Canadians.

Oh come on, you really believe that? Navel gaze much?
The only thing I dislike about Toronto is the traffic.

 

[Crows Eye]

There is a disproportionate number in the English speaking sports media in Canada who are from Toronto. Makes sense. It’s Canada’s largest city and the centre of Canada’s national media. Makes sense that those Toronto born sports media personalities would have grown up to be Leafs fans. They probably carry a bias towards the Leafs and the big Toronto based media conglomerates they work for, like Rogers and Bell probably also carry a culture that is biased towards Toronto. Like other Leafs fans, they get over enthusiastic about our team. They sometimes act like the Leafs are Canada’s only hockey team, When we drafted Matthews and hired Babcock these media personalities were planning the parade route, just like other Leafs fans. Does all of this over-hype piss off other Canadians in other cities and provinces. Sure. Do they laugh at us and enjoy seeing our team, once again, not live up to the hype. Sure. But this isn’t some conspiracy of hate against us. If we were in their shoes we would be doing the same.

 

[deletethis]

You realize that for a few years we had one eighth of a NFL team. Buffalo is probably the only city more tortured than Toronto and they have the Blue Jays AAA team.

Plus the Bills were the team that gave Doug Flutie a second shot at the NFL.

It's time to embrace the Buffalo Bills as effectively Toronto's NFL team. There's never going to be a Toronto NFL team without Buffalo losing their team. Think of it like how the much more significant city of Milwaukee supports the Green Bay Packers (my former favourite NFL team). It's a good time to join the Bills' bandwagon as they've got a QB who appears to be the real deal (although a bit reckless) and a pretty good defense. They're not quite as good as the record suggests (super easy schedule) but they're on the rise.

 

[Tanknation]

There is a disproportionate number in the English speaking sports media in Canada who are from Toronto. Makes sense. It’s Canada’s largest city and the centre of Canada’s national media. Makes sense that those Toronto born sports media personalities would have grown up to be Leafs fans. They probably carry a bias towards the Leafs and the big Toronto based media conglomerates they work for, like Rogers and Bell probably also carry a culture that is biased towards Toronto. Like other Leafs fans, they get over enthusiastic about our team. They sometimes act like the Leafs are Canada’s only hockey team, When we drafted Matthews and hired Babcock these media personalities were planning the parade route, just like other Leafs fans. Does all of this over-hype piss off other Canadians in other cities and provinces. Sure. Do they laugh at us and enjoy seeing our team, once again, not live up to the hype. Sure. But this isn’t some conspiracy of hate against us. If we were in their shoes we would be doing the same.

100%, the media bias, and pure hype are the main reasons why I find the Leafs and their fans so irritating. It's like a cocky guy, a "D Bag" that acts like they have all this confidence and are the greatest thing to walk to earth, However, the reality is very much different as they overcompensate everything to hide how insecure and inferior they truly are. It is amazing how overhyped they are when they never actually win.

This is not to troll Leaf fans, but just giving an honest assessment and opinion on the above quote and why I feel Leaf fans are perceived as such by me, and what I would say other fans as well.

 

[inthe6ix]

embrace the hate

what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Oh come on, you really believe that? Navel gaze much?
The only thing I dislike about Toronto is the traffic.

There’s literally a whole documentary about it lmao.

Let's All Hate Toronto - Wikipedia

 

[CatchyTune]

Seriously? “League-wide Leaf hate”? I got news for you, honey. People hate teams like the NY Yankees or the NE Patriots or back in their glory days, the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers. Why?Because in the last 50 years they’ve won lots of championships and it makes folks like us mad cause in those 50 years our stupid team hasn’t won any. Get it? People hate you when you are a winner! We never win championships. Heck, we haven’t even made it to the finals in 50 years. So why would anyone hate us? They might get annoyed that due to Canadian demographics we get more media coverage than the quality of our hockey teams would warrant. But that’s not hate. That’s just the sick feeling many of us Leaf fans share with the rest of Canada being forced to watch our mediocre, constantly underachieving hockey team.

Do you visit the main boards very often? I cant have a simple conversation with some mouth breather going "1967 haha" "pajama boy" "overpaid by dumbass". The league wide hate is not an incorrect statement

 

[ShaneFalco]

There's too much hate in this forum.

 

[Cobra777]

The hate does not bother me in the least what I totally dislike about the NHL now days is its brand of hockey some games are just too full of stupid power plays, penalties that are just ridiculous, old time hockey was imho far superior where a hook was impeding forward progress, a trip was a trip not stepping on a stick or embellishing a dive, playing in front of ones net was a hard place to play in the good ol days and the players policed themselves keeping the cheap head shots minimal or you answered dearly and games had a good old fisticuff when the adrenaline was red lining. Also before the cap there were many trades throughout the season which was bonus for fans. The only new rule that I fully support is the no touch icing so that players will not get injured severely.