Tavares return to Long Island

[Joey Hoser]

Toronto fans making fun of the Islanders fans for being upset about Taveres leaving is kind of hypocritical. Toronto fans in every sport other than hockey are always getting upset about players leaving for bigger organizations or not signing with us.

Most notably Vince Carter. Some Raptors fans are still holding a grudge against the guy from all the way back in 2004. I'll admit most fans are now understanding but he is still a controversial player in the teams history. The hatred was real when it happened, fans burned jerseys and he was heavily boo'ed when he played in Toronto. Same goes for Chris Bosh to a lesser extent.

I too think its juvenile to burn jerseys and hate a player who performed well for your team and enjoyed the city while he was there. But people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I understand their passion and disappointment in what happened. They will eventually get over it and once again appreciate what he did for the Islanders while he was there. Vince finally got cheers in appreciation in Toronto, even if it took until his retirement tour.

It's fine to be upset, but being angry at Tavares and making him out to be some kind of asshole is not at all called for.

It Matthews leaves for Arizona as a UFA, that'll suck, I'll be disappointed, and I'll probably think Matthews is a loser going to a loser franchise to lose. But I'm not going to act like he's some cartoon villain who feeds on the tears of disappointed children.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Barry Trotz with the quote of the week: "I did it in Washington"

 

[Rob Brown]

Trotz point is a good one that I doubt many Islanders fans will taken into consideration.

He's going to get booed to shit. It's not going to be a welcoming experience. Doesn't matter what Lou or Trotz want.

 

[KitchenSink]

It's not about being upset it's about the people who are making threats against Leafs fans, JT and his wife. Be upset, but don't take it too far.

I agree with you, making any sort of threats is definitely over the top. I think that it is possible that the increased prevalence of the internet since 2004 with message boards such as this one and twitter, allow for greater accessibility to other fan bases and the athletes.

But most of what I'm seeing isn't comments on threats. Its about laughing at the fans for being heartbroken about loosing their star player.

Just came across this little gem. The cringe is real! Isle fans have officially gone to crazy ex gf status... Enjoy...lol

I just think people are forgetting that Toronto has its own experiences with self pity for players wanting out of Toronto.

 

[KitchenSink]

Vince quit on his team and asked to leave.

Tavares played his ass off until the final buzzer.

Tavares had no choice but to let free agency play out as a player approaching free agency.

NYI had the choice to trade the guy who wouldn't re-sign with them.

Carter's play and attitude killed his trade value. Tavares signed the biggest UFA contract in the NHL.

The 2 situations are nothing alike.

Tavares had every opportunity to re-sign with the Islanders. He chose to go to free agency. And I truly believe that Taveres considered re-signing with Islanders after all the pitches. You can't fake that emotion in the presser he had when he signed with the leafs. I think the Island was in the running (although none of us can be sure about his true thoughts) and so it's unfair to say that he wouldnt re-sign with them.

But your right, Carter quit on the team. And in my eyes that means he will never have his number retired in Toronto and he is more deserving of being disliked than Tavares. But is the level of hatred for a player who wants out because the organization isn't doing enough to try and win ever deserve that level of hate?

And for the record, I don't think Tavares deserves any hate from the Islanders fans either. He's a class act and gave his all. I just think Toronto fans have had their own immature reactions to players leaving. we should be more understanding of players rarely re-signing and never even being in the running for the big name in free agency because it happens so often with the Raptors and Jays.

 

[Not My Tempo]

I think a part of it is just New Yorkers aren’t used to being the ones that lose free agents.

 

[KitchenSink]

It's fine to be upset, but being angry at Tavares and making him out to be some kind of ******* is not at all called for.

It Matthews leaves for Arizona as a UFA, that'll suck, I'll be disappointed, and I'll probably think Matthews is a loser going to a loser franchise to lose. But I'm not going to act like he's some cartoon villain who feeds on the tears of disappointed children.

I agree, Tavares doesn't deserve any of this from Islanders fans. But I'm seeing more comments about laughing at Islanders fans than defending Tavares (in large part because everybody other than Islanders fans knows he doesn't deserve it). And Toronto fans have their fair share of immature reactions and self-pity because of players leaving or not wanting to sign here.

And I wouldn't cry over Matthews leaving either. Even claiming he is a loser for wanting to play for his home town and possibly bring respect for the first time to that organization is a bit immature. But I'm sure many Leaf fans would immediately turn on him if he did that.

 

[Mr Hockey]

nice twitter war going on between fans lol

 

[Peiskos]

Tavares will hold his head high, he gave years of his services to the Islanders and they continually failed to build anything around him. Salty Islanders fans need to move on, that’s sports.

Tavares is proud to be a Leaf.

 

[tailgunner]

Rangers fan coming in peace...please destroy these idiots tomorrow

 

[nsleaf]

Geez, if I was an Islander fan, I think I would have moved past the JT bitterness by now, their team is pretty good ATM.

 

[Peace Frog]

Leafs fans went through all of this with Sundin. However, the Islanders didn’t try to trade him in order to get some assets. If they would have approached him, I think he would have accommodated them.

Sundin didn’t do that for us. The Muskoka five banded together and nixed any trades we could have made. And after all of that, most fans still forgave him. Isles fans aren’t in the least crippled by his absence.

Perhaps they could try to understand his decision and take solace in the fact that they are doing well without him. We couldn’t say the same about the Leafs, when Mats left!

 

[Coaches Coroner]

I'm interested to see what happens tomorrow night. If even 25% of NYI fans in attendance are as bitter and angry as some of them appear to be and how they are portrayed in the media, it could provide one of those "wild moments in sports" moments you used to see on hockey highlight vhs tapes. As long as no one gets hurt physically (since the Isles fans are already hurt emotionally) I don't see a major problem with shenanigans.

On a side note, I saw some of Interactif posts about it and I couldn't help but laugh. What did you guys do to him? He seemed like a fan (albeit a contrarian) when he was a poster here and he's been driven to hate the team due to how he was hurt by this sub forum lmao.

 

[BayStreetBully]

Rangers fan coming in peace...please destroy these idiots tomorrow

Cheers to the real NY team.

 

[Brown Dog]

Gotta say, anticipating this game is the first time I've really paid any notice to NYI since that playoff series in the Quinn days.

 

[Notsince67]

We better win this games. Islander fans will never let us live this down...

don't care. give them something. The broakland islanders are so confused they don't even play on an island anymore.

 

[King Mapes]

Toronto fans making fun of the Islanders fans for being upset about Taveres leaving is kind of hypocritical. Toronto fans in every sport other than hockey are always getting upset about players leaving for bigger organizations or not signing with us.

Most notably Vince Carter. Some Raptors fans are still holding a grudge against the guy from all the way back in 2004. I'll admit most fans are now understanding but he is still a controversial player in the teams history. The hatred was real when it happened, fans burned jerseys and he was heavily boo'ed when he played in Toronto. Same goes for Chris Bosh to a lesser extent.

I too think its juvenile to burn jerseys and hate a player who performed well for your team and enjoyed the city while he was there. But people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I understand their passion and disappointment in what happened. They will eventually get over it and once again appreciate what he did for the Islanders while he was there. Vince finally got cheers in appreciation in Toronto, even if it took until his retirement tour.

Do you even understand the Vince situation? The guy went to his graduation the day of game 7. No question Raps win that game otherwise. Fans are pissed for good reason, we had an amazing team back then. Then he began faking injuries, refusing to dunk anymore or even play hard before finally demanding a trade after destroying his value and they got nothing for him to a division rival. Sure they got Alonzo but he refused to report and forced us to buy him out. So no. The JT situation isn't comparable. Bosh, yes. Not Vince.

 

[La Masse]

I just hope it doesnt get violent in there and any Leaf fan gets seriously injured

 

[Coaches Coroner]

Toronto fans making fun of the Islanders fans for being upset about Taveres leaving is kind of hypocritical. Toronto fans in every sport other than hockey are always getting upset about players leaving for bigger organizations or not signing with us.

Most notably Vince Carter. Some Raptors fans are still holding a grudge against the guy from all the way back in 2004. I'll admit most fans are now understanding but he is still a controversial player in the teams history. The hatred was real when it happened, fans burned jerseys and he was heavily boo'ed when he played in Toronto. Same goes for Chris Bosh to a lesser extent.

I too think its juvenile to burn jerseys and hate a player who performed well for your team and enjoyed the city while he was there. But people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I understand their passion and disappointment in what happened. They will eventually get over it and once again appreciate what he did for the Islanders while he was there. Vince finally got cheers in appreciation in Toronto, even if it took until his retirement tour.

You had to go to an unrelated sport, that is vastly less popular than hockey in that market to make a 'hypocrisy' link to any Leaf fan making fun of the Isles fan reactions? Lol. If the Leaf fan base was in the Islanders shoes and people were still bitter and upset after this length of time, people (probably including yourself) would be mocking and ridiculing Leaf fans just as much if not significantly more, and I would expect no less. Give me a break.