GQ Magazine: The Toronto Maple Leafs are the 16th Worst Sports Franchises of All Time

Ace88*

Guest
No idea why anyone bothers reading it. I saw the quote and instantly could tell it was a pointles article written in an attempt to be sarcastic and sooooo hilarious. Not worth the time
 

BayStreetBullies*

Guest
All won when there were 6 teams in the league. I think we as Leafs fans should stop using this as some sort of pedestal. It has been almost 50 years.

So does this mean we disregard all the Cups the Habs have won before 1967? Not sure they'd be too happy about that. :laugh:
 

LeafsNation75

Registered User
Jan 15, 2010
37,975
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Toronto, Ontario
When I saw in the title that it was GQ who made this list I didn't bother clicking the link. I mean what stats do they have to back up their facts and etc?
 

EDDIE20*

Guest
Now that's cute. GQ has an opinion on a sports franchise. I guess they must have gotten a page from ESPN.

GQ is for ****. Nobody seriously reads that ****.
 

hockeyfanz*

Guest
All won when there were 6 teams in the league. I think we as Leafs fans should stop using this as some sort of pedestal. It has been almost 50 years.

I agree with this..I question the validity of comparing modern era cup wins to original 6 cup wins. I don't believe they are comparable.
 

hockeyfanz*

Guest
So does this mean we disregard all the Cups the Habs have won before 1967? Not sure they'd be too happy about that. :laugh:

Habs would still lead the NHL in Stanley Cup wins if you did eliminate all their cups from the the original 6 era. They would have 10. To the Leafs 0.
 

Leafidelity

Best Sport/Worst League
Apr 6, 2008
37,777
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Downtown Canada
Habs would still lead the NHL in Stanley Cup wins if you did eliminate all their cups from the the original 6 era. They would have 10. To the Leafs 0.

They also didn't have an owner who exploited their franchise for money. People are so fast to forget Ballard holding the team hostage for years.
 

Hurt

Registered User
Apr 6, 2009
28,303
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So does this mean we disregard all the Cups the Habs have won before 1967? Not sure they'd be too happy about that. :laugh:

They've won what? 10 since then? How many have the Leafs won? None. They are also the last Canadian team to win the Cup so there's that.
 

Kitsy

Registered User
Jul 15, 2011
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I agree with this..I question the validity of comparing modern era cup wins to original 6 cup wins. I don't believe they are comparable.

You guys are mudding the waters here... It's a completely accurate retort to a garbage statement [GQ: Leads are 16th worst ALL TIME]... They aren't talking about modern era, the title is explicitly stating since the Leafs were founded they are the 16th worst. That includes 13 cups, that includes a solid 1990s. As one other poster said here, the blackhawks and rangers' franchises have accomplished far less all time.

I do agree the 13 cups should not be held up as any indication of modern success but that's a given.
 

hockeyfanz*

Guest
They also didn't have an owner who exploited their franchise for money. People are so fast to forget Ballard holding the team hostage for years.

Very true..Ballard was one horrible owner...but he died in 1990.....23 years ago. He was actually part owner as well from 1961, so was part of some cup teams.
 

pucky

Registered User
Jan 11, 2011
8,079
172
So, most profitable franchise in sports but nothing to show for it (well, you can have the latest Cup 1967) meanings nothing? I suppose so.

Yes, what they did way back when should count. Um... okay, how about 16th worst franchise as of.... pick whatever year you want....
 

rfournier103

Black & Gold ‘till I’m Dead & Cold.
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Dec 17, 2011
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Massachusetts
There is no way the Maple Leafs should be on that list. It DOES seem that the list is going for laughs, but seriously...

Toronto has put some VERY good teams on the ice since 1967, and just lost to better teams. It is VERY hard to win the Stanley Cup. The Bruins have had TWO droughts of 29 and 39 years respectively. They would have been a better fit on this list. You could replace the Leafs with the Rangers and the Blackhawks, too.

(they were spot on about the Phillies, by the way...)
 

ShLou Foot

6-8-5-13
Jul 3, 2011
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Very true..Ballard was one horrible owner...but he died in 1990.....23 years ago. He was actually part owner as well from 1961, so was part of some cup teams.

Seriously? Conn Smythe had majority ownership and control over the team (He quickly grew tired of Ballards' facade), he wouldn't let ANYONE control the team or do anything to it that he didn't approve(he once fired a manager when he was at war who didn't trade for a player he asked for). Honestly, the only way Ballard took control of the team was to befriend his (Smythes) son and slowly choke him out to after Smythe was too sick to do anything.He stopped Stavros' bid at a take over and ended up taking it himself. He was a sociopathic, egotistical, megalomaniac. And the most slimiest, nastiest SOB, he used to hate "Commies" but he enslaved and abused the team, players and staff and fans just like the Soviets did to their comrades(without the killing and gulags of course).
Unless you grew up during the Ballard era I think that you (and anyone else for that matter) should just let it go, you won't understand and could never comprehend the damage he did to this franchise.
This quote should encapsulate everything I've said:
" Why go out and buy a couple of Cadillacs, when I can buy a bunch of Volkswagons and still put the same amount of ***** in the seats?"
-Harold Ballard

PS- Ballard died on my Last teen B-day, what a present....
 

IWD

...
May 28, 2003
6,139
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I agree. While some of his public "acts" have been stupid, his overall job as a mayor has been good.

I wouldn't go that far. The mayoral system is a soft system in which the mayor is essentially CEO of the city, and he's done a pretty embarrassing job.

If you want to give kudos, give it to city council. They're the ones, based on the city's separation of powers, who do most of the work on a day to day basis.
 

Hurt

Registered User
Apr 6, 2009
28,303
799
No political conversation please. If you want to talk politics, take it to the politics board.
 

BayStreetBullies*

Guest
Habs would still lead the NHL in Stanley Cup wins if you did eliminate all their cups from the the original 6 era. They would have 10. To the Leafs 0.

That still doesn't answer my question, which requires a simple yes or no answer.
 

Longshot

Registered User
Jul 2, 2008
11,161
312
Ontario, Canada
Seriously? Conn Smythe had majority ownership and control over the team (He quickly grew tired of Ballards' facade), he wouldn't let ANYONE control the team or do anything to it that he didn't approve(he once fired a manager when he was at war who didn't trade for a player he asked for). Honestly, the only way Ballard took control of the team was to befriend his (Smythes) son and slowly choke him out to after Smythe was too sick to do anything.He stopped Stavros' bid at a take over and ended up taking it himself.


Umm, in what fantasy world did that happen?

Conn Smythe sold his shares in the team to a consortium made up of his son Stafford, Ballard and Toronto Telegram owner John Bassett. Smythe himself didn't have the money to purchase the shares and Ballard lent him the money.

Ballard and Stafford were later charged with tax evasion. Bassett took control of the Board of Directors. Ballard and Stafford were fired from their jobs on the team, but remained on the board of directors and between them owned almost half the shares of the company. About a year later they waged war against Bassett to take control of the board. Bassett realizing he was screwed gave up and sold his shares to Ballard and Stafford. A few weeks later Stafford died and Ballard bought his shares to take control of the company.

Stavro was not involved with the team during that time period. He was appointed to the Board of Directors by Ballard in 1981. In 1991 he acquired an option to purchase Ballard's share of the company from his estate after he paid off a $20 million loan Ballard (who had died owing the money) owed Molson. The $20 million loan gave Molson the option of taking over Ballard's shares if it wasn't paid, which would have essentially made Ballard's estate worthless. It also would have contravened NHL rules by putting Molson in the position of owning the Leafs and the Habs. Stavro as also an executor of Ballard's estate and used (some would say: abused that position - since an executor is supposed to get the best deal for the beneficiaries of the estate, not himself) that position to take over majority ownership of the club after Ballard's death.
 

MrLegend28*

Guest
this article is fine. natural overreaction by leaf fans. were not that good, and our history sucks (post 6 team NHL).. so ya.
 

Ratboy

I made a funny!
Jul 15, 2009
16,855
3,343
16th? That's pretty good, for us hahahaha.

We're not #1!! We're not #1!!!
 

hockeyfanz*

Guest
Seriously? Conn Smythe had majority ownership and control over the team (He quickly grew tired of Ballards' facade), he wouldn't let ANYONE control the team or do anything to it that he didn't approve(he once fired a manager when he was at war who didn't trade for a player he asked for). Honestly, the only way Ballard took control of the team was to befriend his (Smythes) son and slowly choke him out to after Smythe was too sick to do anything.He stopped Stavros' bid at a take over and ended up taking it himself. He was a sociopathic, egotistical, megalomaniac. And the most slimiest, nastiest SOB, he used to hate "Commies" but he enslaved and abused the team, players and staff and fans just like the Soviets did to their comrades(without the killing and gulags of course).
Unless you grew up during the Ballard era I think that you (and anyone else for that matter) should just let it go, you won't understand and could never comprehend the damage he did to this franchise.
This quote should encapsulate everything I've said:
" Why go out and buy a couple of Cadillacs, when I can buy a bunch of Volkswagons and still put the same amount of ***** in the seats?"
-Harold Ballard

PS- Ballard died on my Last teen B-day, what a present....

Did grow up in the Ballard era and saw a pretty good team with Sittler as captain...Lanny McDonald, Borje Salming..Mike Palmateer...etc. They were as good as any Leaf team in my years of being a fan. Problem was they played in the Habs dynasty years..maybe the greatest of all time. I'll never forget the goal that Lanny Mcdonald scored in NY to beat the heavily favored Islanders in game 7. Epic.

Not defending Ballard..as I hated him as much as any Leaf fan should. Just saying it wasn't all bad under his ownership...and even won a few cups as a part owner and was inducted into the HHOF. But he got worse as he grew older until he was a senile bitter angry hack of an owner which drove the team into the ground.
 

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