For the last five or six years the relationship between the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans has been a one-way street. Fans pour their money and soul into the hockey club but receive nothing in return.
The management of the team – more so the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan - is definitely at fault here. However the fans themselves are not completely guilt free.
It is the fans fault that regardless of the calibre of product on the ice they still flock like herded sheep to fill the seats at the Air Canada Center. Fans are giving the franchise the right to field an inferior team because ownership knows they will still sell out home games regardless of who’s actually on the ice.
Over the years Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) has slowly brain washed the fans of Toronto into believing that they actually care about winning a Stanley Cup. They even have us believe that they are doing everything possible in their power to win one.
It’s no coincidence that Leafs most competitive era fell during a time when the majority owner was Steve Stavro. After Harold Ballard passed, Stavro became Chairman of the Board of Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd and Governor of the Maple Leafs in October of 1991. Later that year he worked out a deal to purchase shares from Ballards estate. Molson also agreed to sell him the remainder of their stake in Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd, which would ultimately see him become majority owner by 1994.
While majority owner, Stavro was known to be a somewhat reclusive man who didn’t like being in the spotlight. Due to this fact, he chose to leave the Maple Leafs organization largely in the hands of the hockey operations staff. Shortly after taking over, during the 1992-’93 season, the Leafs experienced their first winning season in 14 years when they came within one game of the Stanley Cup finals. That was the year Gretzky scored while standing in the crease and obstructing Felix Potvins ability to stop the puck. Although because it was Gretzky that scored the goal, no penalty was called and the goal stood, however I digress. The following season, with Cliff Fletcher still at the helm, the Leafs made it to the Conference Finals again. A little later in the Stavro era, Pat Quinn was brought on board to be the head coach and general manager of the team. During his seven-year tenure the Leafs were an annual contender. Quinn brought the Leafs to the post season in six consecutive years from the 1998-’99 season through the 2003-’04 campaign. In that period of time the Maple Leafs organization had their first two 100-point seasons in franchise history, as well as two Eastern Conference Finals appearances.
During the 2003-’04 season, Steve Stavro stepped down as Chairman of what was now named MLSE in favour of Larry Tanenbaum. This was all part of a restructuring plan that also witnessed Stavro sell his majority share of MLSE to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. Jim Leech, OTTP Senior Vice President of Private Equity (also known as the Teachers’ Merchant Bank), had orchestrated the deal after the closure of Stavro’s Knob Hill Farms grocery chain. Once the deal was completed, this left the Teachers’ Union with a 66% stake in MLSE, ushering in the most recent era of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the one that we are currently a part of.
Let’s be honest here, the Teachers’ Union cares about one thing and one thing only, securing their pension plans. That means they’re main concern – above winning a Stanley Cup - is filling the bank account with as much money as physically possible to secure their future. What this means for the team is that like any other organization, overall profit margins rule their decision-making process. Therefore the overlying problem with the Leafs brass has to do with the fact that our team isn’t run by a wealthy individual who has a passion for the game, but instead run by an organization who has a passion for lining their pockets.
As fans, only we hold the key to making a difference. We need to band together and show MLSE that we’re not willing to sit by and let them pillage us with no consequences. Ultimately we must refuse to buy tickets; leave the stands empty in order to show them we won’t be the Hansel and Gretel of their fairy tale world.
If you believe this to be true, please join in following the Unofficial Fan Union of the Toronto Maple Leafs using the links below and show your support.
Twitter – http://twitter.com/WeWantACup
Facebook Group – http://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Want-a-Cupcom/160022016441?ref=search&sid=506260578.2869014766..1
— Greg Ryan Sharp
Greg Ryan Sharp
Euan Brian Sharp
Well said!! Ironically, the main reason for the Leafs lack of on ice success, is their tremendous success as a business. Even more unusual is the fact that many say the team started so poorly because they lack leadership on the ice and in the dressing room…these same people say the on ice product is crippled by too much leadership in the boardroom. Hopefully Brian Burke’s strong personality and pride will over-ride board members and he’ll start making the tough HOCKEY decisions that need to be made.
TC
http://leafsandstuff.blogspot.com/
It’s true. Over the years the board has commandeered the decision making process and interfered with the hockey operations side.
From what I understand, Burke wouldn’t sign as the Leafs GM unless he had full control of the hockey operations, so I think we’re alright. My guess is the board finally realized that they couldn’t continue in the direction the franchise was headed with regards to their on ice performance. They needed to turn things around before the lynch mob that is Leafs Nation really started to come after them. The end result being Brian Burke and full control.
This is silly… does anyone understand business at all???? Do you really think that the Teacher’s Union won’t make more money each round of the playoffs that the Leafs make it through?? Success on the ice turns into MORE money!!! Both with regards to extra seat sales through the playoffs as well as (and a much higher number) ad revenue from the multitude of broadcast companies when the playoffs are aired on TV. It is stupid to think that the Teachers Union has anything to do with how the actual hockey organization is run. They may hire the people to run the team but the Teacher’s Union isn’t choosing the lines or telling the players how to practice.
This is all just a conspiracy theory with little to no backing when the actual business end of the conversation comes into play.
The Leafs are a business just like any other and the more successful that business is at doing their job the more money then make. They may be making lots of money now but that doesn’t mean that the Teacher’s Union doesn’t want more!!!!
The reality of the situation is that the other teams are simply doing it better!!! As a final note that still won’t make sense to many…. with the salary cap there is no benefit to sandbag it… it doesn’t cost anymore money to win than to lose but the potential for more MONEY… apparantly the deciding factor in the Leafs decisions, is huge when it comes to producing on the ice.
I heard that JFK and Hilter conspired to stop the Leafs from ever winning a cup… pass it on!!
Please contact me it seems our websites are of the same name. Great work maybe we can work together