Where Are You Harold ??

When I grew up my true love was the Toronto Maple Leafs. Through the 1980's the team was awful run by an eccentric vindictive old man, Harold Ballard. At that time the Leafs seemed to have many characters like Motor City Smitty, Wendel Clark, John Kordic and Rocky Saganiuk. My point is at that time the hockey was often sub par but there was always a story around the team. It made things interesting.

The 2005/06 Maple Leafs are every bit as bad as the teams in the 80's but there is no drama. When I watch this team play they look so bland. It is hard to keep interested. They have a General Manager who doesn't manage (or speak like a regular human being) they have scorers who don't score, fighters who won't fight and goalies that don't make saves. This team is now run by a pension fund and does not seem to have a soul (oh yeah you only have to pay $1.99 a month to watch games on Leaf TV). It makes me sick when I hear ads for the Condos being built at Maple Leaf square. These commercials are a final reminder that the Leafs are no longer a team for the City of Toronto but a money making machine that is inept at running sport franchises.

With the current state of the Maple Leafs it makes me wonder is it better to loose and be manipulated a bland faceless corporation or is better to lose with an eccentric old man who made things a little interesting?