There is nothing wrong with asking for accountability when you have lost 11 games in a row AT HOME. Or when you haven't made the playoffs in 8 years. Or when you are literally the only team out of 30 that haven't made the playoffs since the lockout.
The way burke continually tries to trade away the future for players we dont need,the way he wastes money on free agents,the way his mistakes continually compound,his blowhard speeches which help nothing,his disrespect of fans and the fact this team is not keeping up with the East at all.I answered yes,by burke's own admission,he is a failure.In the real world he would be fired yesterday and he has done irreperable damage to future Leaf fanbase.
Burke is a joke,and he is incompetent.The fact someone so dangerous is running this franchise is sad,and before he goes he will deep six us out of spite.His next trade will be such monolithic garbage we will go right back to step one and it will take years for the next guy to fix.We are one trade away from complete disaster and burke will deliver!He will now trade the future for a washed up,overpaid vet,we dont even need.
Bank on it.It is already in the works.There will be no draft pick and we will take on a contract no one wants.No conspiracy though..nah.
Last edited by darrylsittler27: 03-29-2012 at 09:26 PM.
Yes, Burke has taken a bad situation and made it worse.
Pretty sure our lowest point was when our draft pick was used top 2, and we don't get to pick with our pick and it will be top 5...don't get me wrong, but I'd much rather get top 2. Burke is a good GM we will have future success and mtl will have years of mediocuracy with firing everyone everyday
No, I was still quite a bit more ashamed during the Ballard era. At least there were signs of promise this season, and quite frankly, it's a lot less painful when they're out this early. I prefer this to sitting on the edge of my seat the last few games, only for them to miss the postseason by one point on the last day.
But did Maple Leaf Gardens get all sarcastic on the Leafs during the Ballard years?
For years, it felt like the ACC was a completely different world than the fanbase that is seen on this boards. Now, the ACC is turning into one of the most sarcastic, negative fanbases in the NHL. The difference between how people act on here compared to at the game is practically gone.
If you would have told me Leaf fans would boo this team off the ice for a whole period, chant "LETS GO BLUE JAYS" louder than any GO LEAFS GO chant I've heard for years. It's great to see that the fanbase that pays the players salaries is finally fed up with the team.
the big thing i remember is every 3rd period at mlg that year was drowned out by a numbing blast of bull horns even more annoying than those vuvuzelas at the world cup a couple of years ago
at least we get some funny chants now like go jays go
Didn't we get Wendel Clark after that season 1st overall?
Yup, and 18 year old Clark brought Wendelmania to Toronto and scored 34 goals and 227 minutes in Pims as he fought everyone in his rookie season.
What a great time that was watching this kid with the heart of a lion, simply blot out everything Ballard had to serve up.
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Signature: There is no greater demonstration of Fan patience then to suggest to "Play the Kids " and be willing to accept the consequences of those actions..
I wasn't even born the 80's so I don't know how it went. I just know they lost a crap load of games so I'll just say now because this is just a complete **** show.
And I just don't know how you can't make the playoffs post-lockout. I mean come on, even Columbus pulled it off and it seems Florida is going to make it this year too. Post-lockout, we've just been managed terribly and the funny thing, despite all this losing post-lockout, we still don't have a franchise or potential franchise player where we say "yeah, that's our horse and he is going to lead us to the promised land". There is no Tavares, no Stamkos, no guys like RHN... just those potential superstars.
It just seems like everything Leafs do is badly timed and nothing seems to go their way. We were suppose to tank like **** in 08 and 09 but we finished 7th last in both of those years when it should have been top 3. Since then, we've finished 2nd last, 9th last and it looks like bottom 5 this year. Hockey gods are just too cruel to us.
But did Maple Leaf Gardens get all sarcastic on the Leafs during the Ballard years?
For years, it felt like the ACC was a completely different world than the fanbase that is seen on this boards. Now, the ACC is turning into one of the most sarcastic, negative fanbases in the NHL. The difference between how people act on here compared to at the game is practically gone.
If you would have told me Leaf fans would boo this team off the ice for a whole period, chant "LETS GO BLUE JAYS" louder than any GO LEAFS GO chant I've heard for years. It's great to see that the fanbase that pays the players salaries is finally fed up with the team.
I can remember things getting pretty sarcastic in those days. I recall Calgary coming into the Gardens one time and beating the Leafs by eight or nine goals. By the end of the game the fans were cheering each Flames goal.
I was fairly young in those days, but I do clearly remember what a laughing stock the Leafs were considered to be on those days. You have to remember, during that time period the sports obsession in Toronto was not the Leafs - it was the Blue Jays. The Leafs were treated like the pathetic member of the family that can't quite get his life in gear and everybody always says: "That Johnny, he could have so much going for him if he just straightened up."
It's hard to explain to people that didn't live through it what the attention was like around the Blue Jays in those days.
I think this time period for Leaf fans stings a lot more. Most people understood that Ballard was the problem in the bad days of the 1980s. Now, it feels like such a let down because the organization has done a lot of things right in recent years. After the Ferguson debacle they hired an experienced General Manger who surrounded himself with capable assistants and has emphasized the development of young players. Wilson and Carlyle are both experienced coaches with track records of success in the NHL. The team spends to the cap.
And, yet, the losing continues and seems to be getting worse.
Pretty sure our lowest point was when our draft pick was used top 2, and we don't get to pick with our pick and it will be top 5...don't get me wrong, but I'd much rather get top 2. Burke is a good GM we will have future success and mtl will have years of mediocuracy with firing everyone everyday
The Ballard years would make this seem like we won the Stanley Cup tonight. We had no prospects then, no farm team worth watching and an awful hockey team. Atleast we have prospects coming down the pipe on the horizon.
I'd say the low point was the Ballard years by far. Imagine if Burke owned the team, and skated around nude after hours. Anything stupid Burke did, Ballard did first and then some, so as somebody who endured both eras its really no competition. At least Burke can eventually be fired, as long as Ballard was alive we were screwed. You kids really need to brush up on your history if you think this is as bad as it gets. Imagine this with no possible light at the end of the tunnel. When we draft three turds in the first round from the same junior team because our scout was lazy, get back to me.
Win or lose they were fun to watch and had way more balls.The team Burke built is just lame.An absolute nothing.
Too many cooks and no broth.
The way a derivative scheme works is we take on other teams problems,giving them future stars for their bad contracts.It works because Leaf fans will always pay,over and over and over.This helps the league at Leaf fans expense.All done under a guise of complete b.s by a lawyer.And then Roger and Bell held the bag.EOS!
Last edited by darrylsittler27: 03-29-2012 at 09:30 PM.
I can remember things getting pretty sarcastic in those days. I recall Calgary coming into the Gardens one time and beating the Leafs by eight or nine goals. By the end of the game the fans were cheering each Flames goal.
I was fairly young in those days, but I do clearly remember what a laughing stock the Leafs were considered to be on those days. You have to remember, during that time period the sports obsession in Toronto was not the Leafs - it was the Blue Jays. The Leafs were treated like the pathetic member of the family that can't quite get his life in gear and everybody always says: "That Johnny, he could have so much going for him if he just straightened up."
It's hard to explain to people that didn't live through it what the attention was like around the Blue Jays in those days.
I think this time period for Leaf fans stings a lot more. Most people understood that Ballard was the problem in the bad days of the 1980s. Now, it feels like such a let down because the organization has done a lot of things right in recent years. After the Ferguson debacle they hired an experienced General Manger who surrounded himself with capable assistants and has emphasized the development of young players. Wilson and Carlyle are both experienced coaches with track records of success in the NHL. The team spends to the cap.
And, yet, the losing continues and seems to be getting worse.
i really hope the jays take advantage of their opportunity this summer, toronto is dying for a winner right now
Yup, and 18 year old Clark brought Wendelmania to Toronto and scored 34 goals and 227 minutes in Pims as he fought everyone in his rookie season.
What a great time that was watching this kid with the heart of a lion, simply blot out everything Ballard had to serve up.
I agree 100%! Clark was a beast and did take a lot of the sting away. The Wendel Clark Tribute Hero of the Day video should be playing on a continuous loop in the Leafs dressing room and should be played on the scoreboard before every home game.
i really hope the jays take advantage of their opportunity this summer, toronto is dying for a winner right now
lets go blue jays
I'm having anxiety attacks about the Blue Jays. They are winning way too many games in spring training. I just have this horrible feeling they're going to start the season and all their wins will be left in Florida. I would prefer to see them around .500. It's just a superstition I have!
The two Jays World Series teams both had under .500 records in the spring those years. Great preseasons give me the shivers. I think the Leafs had a very good preseason record that year they lost their first ten games of the year under Wilson. Right after they had made the Kessel deal.
Wendel Clark's rookie season was probably one of the most memorable one's of any Leafs player. Every shift was exciting, a big hit, a fight, a scoring chance, that wicked wrist shot. And to think that was his first full season as a winger. He was converted from defenceman in juniors to a winger in the NHL.
I'm having anxiety attacks about the Blue Jays. They are winning way too many games in spring training. I just have this horrible feeling they're going to start the season and all their wins will be left in Florida. I would prefer to see them around .500. It's just a superstition I have!
The two Jays World Series teams both had under .500 records in the spring those years. Great preseasons give me the shivers. I think the Leafs had a very good preseason record that year they lost their first ten games of the year under Wilson. Right after they had made the Kessel deal.
wilner said the other day the last time the jays had a spring remotely comparable was 89 then they started the season 12-24 but did go on to win the east
I agree with you totally. Even when we had bad teams, we had pride, we had character, we had guys who step up to the plate and answer the call. None of these guys know what it means to wear the Maple Leafs jersey. They simply have no pride.
I hate to agree with Don Cherry, we really need some local boys to inject some pride, boys who watched and idolized leafs. Not bunch of Prima Donnas like Connelly, Lombardi.
I dont care where they were born, I just want guys who dont give up on the game 5 mins into the 1st period.
I would honestly rather they didnt show up for remaining games this season. Just forfeit, it would be less painful to watch.
I agree 100%! Clark was a beast and did take a lot of the sting away. The Wendell Clark Tribute Hero of the Day video should be playing on a continuous loop in the Leafs dressing room and should be played on the scoreboard before every home game.
I don't know a Leaf fan alive that would trade away the Leaf memories of the 1980's simply because of Wendelmania..
The early 1980's also had Rick Vaive who scored 50+ goals 3 straight years from 1982-84.
Also I loved 1989 with Vinny Damphousse and company as they scored a whopping 337 goals for that year. That was and still is the highest scoring team in Leaf history as they surpassed the 1980-81 team lead by Darryl Sittler and Borje Salming which amassed 322.
Say what you like about the Ballard era, but at least the team, coach, management, owner and building had character. We made the playoffs 66% of the time (I realize we had an 80% shot each year), and could still get a relatively high draft pick along with one round of playoff hockey.
I'm not sure that the bright spots on todays Leafs roster:
Kessel, Lupul, Gardiner, Phanuef, Grabovski
Are any better than what we had 25 years ago:
Clark, Leeman, Iafrate, Olczyk, Richardson
I've been a Leafs fan since 1984 (I was born in '80), and I can say that I've never been less interested in this team than I am right now.
