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The 4th Line Banger
Top Prospect
USA
38 Posts |
 Posted - 02/17/2012 : 08:16:22
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Please forgive me if you take this personally.
I hate the Toronto Maple Leafs. Can’t stand their jerseys, can’t stand most of their players, can stand their coach, can’t stand their GM, and most of all can’t stand their fans. Their fans are the worst. Generally speaking, Leaf fans are nothing but a bunch of arrogant jerks.
This was my opinion on Tuesday and every day before then. This healthy sports hate has built over decades and was something I assumed would never change. Then I got a call from of a friend of mine saying he had tickets to the Leafs/Oilers game on Wednesday. Although I had been sick as a dog for the past week, I couldn’t give up this opportunity to give it to the Leafs and their fans in my home barn of Rexall Place.
I have been to countless NHL games in my hometown of Edmonton. I have watched the best of the best from the past 25+ years but never the Leafs. I have heard about the poor misguided souls that come out in droves for their beloved Leafs but have never experienced the spectacle first hand. So I chewed on a pile of cold meds, threw on my favorite Oilers Jersey (a mid-80’s original with a couple of 9’s on the back), and rock my way down to Rexall.
I was shocked to see the number of Leaf fans. They were everywhere. They were on the train, in the pubs, and on the concourse. There were easily as many Leaf jerseys, shirts, hats, and hoodies as those with an Oiler logo. Even numbers make a great war. I settled into my seat with my cup of blazing hot herbal tea (don’t judge, I said I was sick) and prepared for battle.
The game started and I was ripped to shreds. Two Leaf goals in less than 2 minutes. Twice in the first two minutes my eyes and ears both deceived me. The Leaf fans made more noise than I remember hearing at Rexall in a long time. I was far from the only Oiler fan sheepishly looking for the nearest exit in the likely case the Leafs were to score the next goal. Fortunately for me, and the rest of the Oil faithful, the next two goals were scored by the mighty Oil. The sound after the Oilers goal rivaled the Leaf fans. The war was back on.
This was easily the best regular season game I have watched in my life. It had everything. A fight (in which the Ben Eager easily handled an out-matched Mike Brown), great hits, fast action, great saves. It was awesome. What made it great were the fans of both teams. Every group of Leaf fans starting the “Go Leafs Go” chant was met with an equally boisterous group of Oiler fans to counter with the chant of “Let’s Go Oilers.” In most cases, both groups of fans were chanting at the same time and you couldn’t understand the chant.
Although the result was not what I would have wanted at the start of the game, I found myself smiling at the end of the game. As I watched all the Leaf fans basking in the glory of an overtime win I was happy. Not only did I get to see one of the best games of hockey I have ever watched, but it was made better by all of the jerky Leaf fans. But were they really jerks?? Absolutely not! They are just like Oiler fans but with a different logo on their shirt. They love their team and there is nothing wrong with that.
Most importantly, I found that these Leaf fans are all about their team and not against the other team. One can often hear the “‘insert team name here’ suck” chant in some stadiums. Calgary, Vancouver, and Montreal come to mind. However, not once did I hear that chant in Edmonton on Wednesday about the Leafs or the Oilers. I also did not hear a single Leaf fan talk crap about the Oilers. It was all about the Leafs and it was all positive.
Although I am not nearly to the point where I am a fan of or would ever cheer for the Leafs, I offer my apologies to all Leaf fans. Generally speaking, you are not arrogant jerks. I respect the passion you have for your team and I have a whole lot more respect for you now than I did before that game.
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4809 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2012 : 04:01:49
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I know this might sound like an oversensitive jerk to you and many, but . . .
. . . it taking however many years before you finally lifted the veil of ignorance on your thinking and realising that Leafs fans - the real ones - are not arrogant, and mostly positive fans?
I find that makes YOU look pretty arrogant, dude.
But thanks for the story. Illuminating on so many levels.
"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug |
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Guest9276
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Posted - 03/19/2012 : 17:40:03
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| yes you do sound quite arrogant on that reply, you couldn't just reply saying thanks for lifting your veil over even this time, but you had to call out. The fact is Leaf fans are vocal. I am a Pens fan #1 but wanted a Canadian team to cheer for. There were way too many VERY vocal leafs and tabs fans around my home town so I went with the Sens. Also helped they had Rhodes and Tugnutt at the time and I loved them in nets. But it is due to the arrogance of a fan base around my home town that hasn't seen the finals since 67 that has lifted me away from the Leafs. Many years of not winning and still bragging about the past. I will give them the fact they are die hard. Some arrogant, some definitely not! |
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Guest9276
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Posted - 03/19/2012 : 17:40:40
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quote:
Originally posted by Guest9276
yes you do sound like an oversensitive jerk on that reply, you couldn't just reply saying thanks for lifting your veil over even this time, but you had to call out. The fact is Leaf fans are vocal. I am a Pens fan #1 but wanted a Canadian team to cheer for. There were way too many VERY vocal leafs and tabs fans around my home town so I went with the Sens. Also helped they had Rhodes and Tugnutt at the time and I loved them in nets. But it is due to the arrogance of a fan base around my home town that hasn't seen the finals since 67 that has lifted me away from the Leafs. Many years of not winning and still bragging about the past. I will give them the fact they are die hard. Some arrogant, some definitely not!
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4809 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2012 : 04:49:54
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quote:
Originally posted by Guest9276
yes you do sound quite arrogant on that reply, you couldn't just reply saying thanks for lifting your veil over even this time, but you had to call out. The fact is Leaf fans are vocal. I am a Pens fan #1 but wanted a Canadian team to cheer for. There were way too many VERY vocal leafs and tabs fans around my home town so I went with the Sens. Also helped they had Rhodes and Tugnutt at the time and I loved them in nets. But it is due to the arrogance of a fan base around my home town that hasn't seen the finals since 67 that has lifted me away from the Leafs. Many years of not winning and still bragging about the past. I will give them the fact they are die hard. Some arrogant, some definitely not!
That's interesting . . . please point to even topic on this website that indicates any sort of bragging about the Leafs stanley cup win in 1967. Go ahead, link to it.
Most here - including myself, and I'm close to 40 - were not even born when the Leafs last won the cup. Obviously, there has been not much to brag about since, save for a few years here and there with pretty decent teams that had a good chance.
Over and over and over again, I find this "arrogant" tag has zero validity.
And re-read his article . . . it stinks of arrogance, and we're supposed to embrace the fact that he suddenly respects the Leaf fan base when he FINALLY has evidence to base his opinion on?!?
Leaf fans, I would argue, are less vocal than they are numerous.
So, please - if you have any real observations of Leaf fans to bring to the table, be my guest - THEN you can criticise all you want I suppose. But until then, put your totally made-up assertions about Leaf fans bragging about 1967 in the trash bin, dude.
Along with that Heatley jersey from 06/07.
"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug |
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Beans15
Moderator
Canada
8286 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2012 : 12:54:43
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Ahem. I would like to present two 'real observations about Leaf Fans," as requested by Slozo.
Please see the post directly above. The one where a Leaf fan (Slozo in this case) is attacking a Non Leaf fan for having a differing opinion. Notice the attacking nature of the post, the scathing remarks about an opposing view, then a challenge to provide a 'real observation of Leaf fans'? Is that not what the guest provided in the first place?? Agree or disagree, their post was an observation. I fail to understand what makes his observation not real.
My second exhibit is the initial post in this thread from a Leaf fan (Slozo in this case). The message I received from the 4th Line Banger's original post was pretty clear. I read that he learned of his own arrogance and discussed the error of his ways. Did anyone else find it a little redundant and unnecessary for Slozo to express that again by saying, "...it taking however many year before you finally lifted the veil of ignorance on your thinking and realising that Leaf fans - the real ones- are not arrogant, and mostly positive fans. I find that make YOU look pretty arrogant, dude."
In conclusion, it is comments like this that make generalizations pretty easy. As I 'observed' both of these posts were from a Leaf Fan, it might be easy to generalize that all Leaf Fans think like this. However, I believe I am aware enough to recognize that these are the thoughts of one person and not an entire group, as such I can not call all Leaf fans the names I am calling Slozo in my head. 
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4809 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2012 : 04:54:02
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quote:
Originally posted by Beans15
Ahem. I would like to present two 'real observations about Leaf Fans," as requested by Slozo.
Please see the post directly above. The one where a Leaf fan (Slozo in this case) is attacking a Non Leaf fan for having a differing opinion. Notice the attacking nature of the post, the scathing remarks about an opposing view, then a challenge to provide a 'real observation of Leaf fans'? Is that not what the guest provided in the first place?? Agree or disagree, their post was an observation. I fail to understand what makes his observation not real.
My second exhibit is the initial post in this thread from a Leaf fan (Slozo in this case). The message I received from the 4th Line Banger's original post was pretty clear. I read that he learned of his own arrogance and discussed the error of his ways. Did anyone else find it a little redundant and unnecessary for Slozo to express that again by saying, "...it taking however many year before you finally lifted the veil of ignorance on your thinking and realising that Leaf fans - the real ones- are not arrogant, and mostly positive fans. I find that make YOU look pretty arrogant, dude."
In conclusion, it is comments like this that make generalizations pretty easy. As I 'observed' both of these posts were from a Leaf Fan, it might be easy to generalize that all Leaf Fans think like this. However, I believe I am aware enough to recognize that these are the thoughts of one person and not an entire group, as such I can not call all Leaf fans the names I am calling Slozo in my head.
I'm attacking a non-Leaf fan? That's pretty rich, Beans (why does that make me think of coffee?).
Trying to discredit ridiculous assertions like "Leafs fans are always bragging about past glory" is not an attack, it's actually quite the opposite - it's a DEFENCE.
Classic stuff, accusing the abused of attack.
And Beans,
you referencing my first post as something "redundant and unnecessary" - fair enough, that's your opinion, and I am sure others agree. That is why I prefaced what I said with "I know this might sound like an oversensitive jerk to you and many, but . . ."
and ended it with my OPINION - "I find that makes YOU look pretty arrogant, dude."
Which, even according to you . . . I believe I am allowed to have.
So . . . because I have this opinion that the original article comes off as arrogant to me - an article that explains that this writer hated everything about the Leafs for years (for no discernable reason) until he went to a game where they had lots of fans in attendance - it makes me arrogant? Hunh?
And you contradict yourself in your own argument, btw - you open with a statement about making two observations about real Leaf fans . . . and then at the end, relegate it to the opinion of one fan (me).
And you know what? I'll take the latter from you, thank you very much. Lay off the other Leaf fans, and I'll take the heat of your poisonous attitude against any Leaf fan having a different opinion or observation than you.
"Take off, eh?" - Bob and Doug |
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Beans15
Moderator
Canada
8286 Posts |
Posted - 03/21/2012 : 07:43:01
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OK Slozo, a couple of thing before I stop my end of this very off topic comment.
- I never called you arrogant. In fact, I never called you anything at all. I simply restated the factual observations of two posts you have made. I did not state anything personally attacking or make any accusations in any way, shape, or form. If you read something in my post that did accuse you or label you anything at all, please point it out.
-I don't understand how I contradicted myself by stating facts? You, in fact, are a true Leaf fan are you not?? You, in fact, did make those comments did you not?? By reading those posts am I not making an observation?? I fail to understand how ending my post with how I do not paint all Leaf fans with your thoughts is a contradiction??
I will end with hearty laugher at the comment of, "I'll take the heat of your poisonous attitude against any Leaf fan having a different opinion or observation than you." I can say without hesitation that you making this statement is the most hypocritically item I have read this website. That statement fits you perfectly sir, as if any poster to this website disagrees with your views on anything, they will surely receive the full force of your poisonous attitude.
With that, I bid you adieu. |
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Thank You Leaf Fans 
