Leafs Confessional

I was somewhat indifferent of the Senators when they first joined the league…I never figured they’d be big threats at first. Then when they improved, I didn’t exactly hate them, I was alright with them advancing a round back in their early playoff days. Although living near Ottawa meant less Leafs games were coming in on TV which irked me a little.

Then I moved to Ottawa, and Ottawa played Toronto in the playoffs for the first time. And suddenly I saw a pretty crazy amount of hate for Toronto all of a sudden, which I didn’t really understand at the time. All it did was make me feel better when Toronto advanced and Ottawa was toast. But most other times I didn’t care…I was even okay with Ottawa advancing past Philadelphia to take the Leafs on again in 2002.

Then…Alfredsson hit Tucker from behind and everything changed. *NSNES fans defend that hit to this day. It’s like they see different things when we look at the same picture or something. But I could never want Ottawa to win again. Frankly when Rod Bryden’s bankruptcy crisis came about, I hoped the Senators would move out :)

It’s not like their fans are loyal or anything. The concept of loyalty is lost on them. After all, they all turned on an old team anyway. Either that or they are just fans because Ottawa has a team, and can’t understand why Leafs fans can’t just drop everything and cheer for their team…

Five “Hail Schenn’s” and 2 “Our Wendel’s” as your penance.

If there ever was an appropriate incident to cause a “road to Damascus” moment, the hit on Tucker was it. And to think that turd was recently quoted in the Calgary papers complaining about blindside hits. I guess they’re OK if it’s him pasting a defenseless Leaf from behind with a potentially crippling hit. He, Neil and Ruuttu are the ones that are really easy the hate. The rest of the team, and the franchise, is more pathetic than anything else.

This is one of those “we’ll never speak of it again” moments like the time I walked in on PPP defiling a jar of mayonnaise.

(Woman faints, cars squeel, record skips.. DUN DUN DUNNNNN)

You forgot “spit take”.

You’ve walked down the wrong path and been redeemed.

It happens bro…we move forward and don’t look back.

The truth has set you free! Walk with pride among your fellow Leaf fans, with your head held high!

My first team, and if I’m flipping through cards from 1980-83, they still are:

It happens.

…..I cheered for the penguins in the playoffs last year.

/ducks

I actually liked the Canucks (i was 13)

That lasted all of 2 years – 91-92 (incidentally I believe this was the same year the S*NS joined the league) I shifted into Leaf mode and never looked back.

I have followed the Leafs since the first time I saw them, though I understand the anguish caused by walking in darkness for so long.

Peace, my brother.

Luckily I was started down the right path early. My dad, grandma, and grandpa are (were, for my grandparents) all Leafs fans so my earliest hockey memories are watching HNIC on Saturdays with my dad, in my Leafs jammies, cheering on Potvin and Clark and Gilmour and Sundin. I can remember my grandma, 85 years old, jumping up off the couch and yelling “PUNCH HIM DOMI! PUNCH HIM AGAIN!” She got all 75 lbs of her weight into cheering whenever he fought. All she watched was Wheel of Fortune, Price is Right, Jeopardy, and Leafs games. My grandpa died when I was about 7 so I don’t really have any Leafs-related memories with him. Needless to say, I had excellent role models early. Someday I’m gonna be that 100 lb old man, jumping up out of his chair in the nursing home and cheering for the Leafs.