Every summer ESPN releases their Ultimate Standings. This study, in essence, measures the value that each franchise gives back to their fans based on the investment the fans make to the team. Undeservedly, or deservedly, dependent on your opinion, Toronto was ranked as the worst sports city in North America. And then the proverbial shit hit the fan.
ESPN's Ultimate Standings - http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/teamrankings
First of all let's clear up a couple things. I am not from Toronto. Those of you who are familiar with my nomadic past are aware that I was raised in the Middle East, spent my high school years in New England and then proceeded to 'come home' to Canada for university. After eight years of trying to hustle in the city, I decided to embark on a quest for higher education and proceeded to add a couple extra letters to my name in the form of a graduate degree in Arizona. Upon completion of such an arduous endeavor I made it back to Toronto and am currently one of its 2.5 million residents or 5.5 million if you count the Greater Toronto area.
During my time in Toronto, I have become an active participant in the sporting culture and fabric of the city. I currently own season tickets for the city's MLS franchise, Toronto FC, and have attended my fair share of Raptors, Blue Jays and Maple Leafs games. You might as well throw in a Saturday afternoon with the Toronto Argos and a Friday evening with the Toronto Marlies, the minor league affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and I have experienced nearly every Toronto sporting franchise. While I may want to attend the Toronto Triumph's next home game, the Toronto franchise of the Lingerie Football League, the woman will definitely not approve.
Regardless, I have a sense for the pulse of this city and I am going to put it bluntly . . . Toronto fans are passionate and loyal but also completely irrational. Toronto fans are the metaphorical 'batshit crazy ex-girlfriend.'
However, Toronto fans are split into two groups, Toronto Maple Leaf fans and everyone else. Hockey is king, and when you come after the king you best not miss. Thank you Omar Little. Hockey fans in Toronto are an interesting bunch. They be-LEAF in their team, but they never think that their team can actually win, and to be honest, I am not sure what a Maple Leaf fan will do if they ever win.
Maple Leaf fans remind me of New York Knick fans. Both teams claim to have history and tradition, but both have yet to win a championship since the late 60s or early 70s. And the championships that were won prior to then where in an era when there were six teams in the league, and I am sorry but if you cannot win one or two championships against five other teams then there are bigger issues to deal with.
Both the Leafs and the Knicks have very wealthy ownership groups, a constant steam of revenue, due to its own television contracts and corporate sponsorships that are never ending as well as a fan base dumb enough to continue to provide the necessary demand that artificially inflates the ticket prices. The similarities between both franchises is also evident in their constant affection towards mismanagement. Rebuilding is an overused word in sports, but to a Leaf fan, rebuilding is a rite of passage. One must go through two to three rebuilds to be fully inducted into Leaf fandom.
As for the rest of Toronto's franchises. If it is new, it will sell. However, the window usually last three years. So if you aren't winning, you will not get support, case in point are the dwindling numbers at BMO Field, home of Toronto FC. The Blue Jays in the early 1990s used to lead the league in attendance, now you can have sex in Section 500 and the fans behind home plate can hear you. It is a shame to put it bluntly. The fourth largest market in North America deserves competent sports franchises, I am just not sure how everyone would react to a winner. It should be interesting.
However, Toronto fans are split into two groups, Toronto Maple Leaf fans and everyone else. Hockey is king, and when you come after the king you best not miss. Thank you Omar Little. Hockey fans in Toronto are an interesting bunch. They be-LEAF in their team, but they never think that their team can actually win, and to be honest, I am not sure what a Maple Leaf fan will do if they ever win.
Maple Leaf fans remind me of New York Knick fans. Both teams claim to have history and tradition, but both have yet to win a championship since the late 60s or early 70s. And the championships that were won prior to then where in an era when there were six teams in the league, and I am sorry but if you cannot win one or two championships against five other teams then there are bigger issues to deal with.
Both the Leafs and the Knicks have very wealthy ownership groups, a constant steam of revenue, due to its own television contracts and corporate sponsorships that are never ending as well as a fan base dumb enough to continue to provide the necessary demand that artificially inflates the ticket prices. The similarities between both franchises is also evident in their constant affection towards mismanagement. Rebuilding is an overused word in sports, but to a Leaf fan, rebuilding is a rite of passage. One must go through two to three rebuilds to be fully inducted into Leaf fandom.
As for the rest of Toronto's franchises. If it is new, it will sell. However, the window usually last three years. So if you aren't winning, you will not get support, case in point are the dwindling numbers at BMO Field, home of Toronto FC. The Blue Jays in the early 1990s used to lead the league in attendance, now you can have sex in Section 500 and the fans behind home plate can hear you. It is a shame to put it bluntly. The fourth largest market in North America deserves competent sports franchises, I am just not sure how everyone would react to a winner. It should be interesting.
Hopefully what you see above isn't your typical Toronto sports fan.
Regardless, what do other people think about the Toronto sporting scene. Are we really the worse sports city in North America?
Grantland - Toronto: The Worst Sports City In The World - http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7023368/worst-sports-city-world
The Grid TO - Blue Bloods - http://www.thegridto.com/city/sports/blue-bloods/
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