Overly Toxic “Fans” Are the Worst Thing About the Toronto Maple Leafs

Before I start, I just want to say that I’m a huge fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs.  I’ve been a fan for nearly 30 years.  When I was 11 years old, I literally cried myself to sleep when the Leafs lost game 7 against the LA Kings in the 1993 Conference Finals.  I bleed blue and white.

Also, there are fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs and then there are “fans” of the Toronto Maple Leafs: fans love the Toronto Maple Leafs while “fans” love to hate the Toronto Maple Leafs.  If you’re a fan, this post isn’t about you, so please take no offense.  This one is about the “fans.”

Toxic “fans” of the Toronto Maple Leafs have been a blight on our fandom for far too long.  Not only do the fans of all the other NHL teams hate them, the true Leafs fans also hate them, and people who don’t even follow hockey or sports at all hate them.

I’m talking about the “fans” that constantly put the team down, the “fans” that talk trash about all the player, want to trade everyone, and constantly want to fire the coaches and managers – the “fans” who have hearts filled with hatred instead of love for the team.

Hockey Is For Entertainment – Try to Have Fun!

There are “fans” who waste a good amount of time each day reading articles or social media posts about the Toronto Maple Leafs just to troll the comments.  Even worse, some of these “fans” will spend a ridiculous amount of money to go to a game and start heckling the players of the team their supposed to be cheering for all while sporting a Leafs jersey.

I remember being fortunate enough to get free tickets to a game in November 2009, it was actually Phil Kessel’s first game a Toronto Maple Leafs.  There was a guy wearing a Leafs jersey in front of me and every time Luke Schenn was on the ice, the guy started heckling him.  It was so annoying.  He was actually yelling “You’re a bum, Schenn!”

At the time, Luke Schenn was a 19 year old kid.  What kind of person yells at a kid like that?  I understand that Schenn couldn’t hear this particular guy yelling at him, but the attitude these people have spreads like wildfire.  Luke Schenn knew he wasn’t liked by these toxic “fans” early in his career, and I’m sure it hampered his psyche and development.  Players are people just like everyone else.

I understand fantasizing about what you would do if you were the coach or general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, I do that too, but there’s a difference when people get worked up and angry about it and do it in a hateful way.  Sometimes, you have to trust that the guy behind the bench knows more than the guy watching on his couch.

It seems like there’s always someone getting blamed for the losses, and it’s getting ridiculous.  Honestly, when the blame was on Andrew Raycroft or Vesa Toskala, I could understand, but there have been players booed out of town over the years for stupid reasons.

These toxic “fans” even hated Phil Kessel.  Maybe Brian Burke gave up too much to acquire him, but Kessel didn’t have anything to do with that.  Maybe he ate too many hot dogs, but the guy is one of the best goal scorers the Toronto Maple Leafs have ever had.  Who cares how many hot dogs he’s eating?

Now these toxic “fans” are all over Mitch Marner.  I guarantee, Marner is not the issue for the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Remember when they were all over William Nylander? Honestly, over the last season I’ve heard “fans” hating on pretty much the entire roster.

I was actually glad when I heard there weren’t going to fans in the stands last season.  I thought the Toronto Maple Leafs would finally have one less obstacle in there way to pursuing a deep cup run.  As we know, that chance is history, and the Toronto Maple Leafs will have to battle through their toxic “fans” more than ever this season.

Look, we’re all frustrated by the lack of a playoff series win since the 2004, the lack of a Stanley Cup since expansion, and I don’t even want to talk about how much my heart broke after they lost to the Canadiens last season.  Dwelling on it and spreading hate isn’t going to get us anywhere.  It’s a new season.  Let’s start fresh and be positive. This could be the year.