PPP Love (or How I Learned to Stop Hating and Love the Leafs Again)

It was not that long ago that I was a Leaf hater. 

Let me step back and tell my story.  I grew up in the Harold Ballard years.  I know what it means to have bad ownership.  I lived through the worst of the 80s and loved every minute of it.  I bled blue and white.  Saturday nights for me was Wayne and Shuster and the Leafs.  Mid week games on CHCH were a must.  I did not want the Leafs to move to the east because I loved the Chuck Norris division.  Wendel is a god.  When Fletcher arrived in town and we came a high stick penalty away from the Stanley Cup finals, I was in heaven.

The Leafs were good again and they rode through a period of highs where it was not unreasonable to think they could win the cup.  But then things got bad again and I made my big mistake.  One of those mistakes that is life changing, where you wish you could travel back in time and fix things a la Marty McFly.  I started reading more Cox and WCH and I took them seriously.  I started believing that I was an idiot.  They obviously knew what they were talking about since they were "journalists" and knew better.  Cox was the Star’s hockey columnist and Howie was a beat reporter.  These guys watched all their games (so we thought), and practices and knew the insiders.  They must know more than me.  Why was I supporting such a useless hockey team?  Why was I rewarding the owners by going to crappy games?  So I resolved to do my part to show my displeasure.  I stayed away.  I stopped following the Leafs, and I stopped caring.

And I was sad.  The team I loved, the team I grew up with, was no longer my team. 

When I was a kid, the Leafs were the best team in the league.  They made the playoffs for the most part (it wasn’t hard in the 21 team era).  I remember we creamed the Gretzky lead Oilers 7-1 and Bunny Laroque stoned him on a penalty shot.  That was better than a Stanley Cup.  But my memories started to get tainted.  Why was I such a fan?  The Leafs did nothing but disappoint me.  I should stop watching games.  Cox and Howard were my crack cocaine, feeding me a constant stream of negativity that brought me further down.  I turned away from my family.  I started watching Sens games.  I knew I hit rock bottom when I woke up one morning and found Garrioch clippings in my pocket. (I still don't know how they got there.)

And then I discovered PPP and the Barilkosphere.  At first I thought, who do these guys think they are? They should leave sports writing to the professionals who know what their doing.  My hesitation quickly changed as I realized these blogs were not just a bunch of Vitos from Woodbridge.  These guys knew what they were talking about.  There was good analysis here.  A lot of thought was put into their work.  They showed me how lazy "journalists" really are.  And they loved the Leafs and fought to defend their love of the team. 

I broke my crack habit.  It took some time, but I no longer read Berger in months.  I usually read Cox when someone blogs at what a dumb thing he had written (so, ya, that can be often).

This past year has been the most fun I have had following the Leafs in a long time.  They are not in the playoffs, but I couldn’t care less.  The Leafs haven’t won the cup since 1967.  So what?  If I knew for certain that they would never win a cup in my lifetime, I would still be a Leaf fan.  Why should that prevent me from being a fan? 

The critics just don’t understand what it means to be a fan, to have that passion for your team.  Through thick and thin, this is my team.  I don’t drive up and down Yonge after a playoff win, but I understand why those fans do.  Yes, I was an idiot – not because I blindly follow the Leafs but because I followed guys like Cox and Berger.

What I have learned over the past year is the following:

• Leaf fans are the best fans in sport
• Journalists are lazy
• Wendel was the best hockey player.  Ever.  (OK, this part I already new.)

I just want to say thank you to PPP and all the Barilkosphere.  You’ve made me a fan once more.  And I promise never to leave again.

But Howie and Damien were right about one thing.  I was a lemming.  But no more.  I’m done with them.  From this point forward, my fasting begins and I cleanse my body of their toxins.  And no more shall they enter.  I have seen the light and it is blue and white.