Are Leafs fans not REAL hockey fans?

Question

Everyone says the Leafs have the most corporate crowd in the NHL, which is why they can afford keep shelling out more and more dough for a losing product, as they use it as a business tax write-off.

Now the Senators are in the Eastern final but the Canadian TV ratings are lower than the past two years, when Calgary and Edmonton went to the final. According to a radio show I heard, all of Canada's ratings are similar to the last two years, except the Southern Ontario area, in and around Toronto, where the ratings are way down. The two closest teams to Toronto are in the Eastern final and "hockey" fans in Toronto couldn't be bothered.

This is proof that Leafs fans don't really know much about any team except their own and that's why they're so biased for them every year. Either they're so old and bitter over the last 40 years that they can't stand to see any other team win or they just don't give a crap about any hockey without the Leafs playing.

Answer 1

AwesomeBill, it' apples to oranges. Canadian fans care a lot more about how teams in their country do than American fans care about Amewrican teams. I mean, Hockey is Canada's sport, and even if you team is out of it, there's a good chance you want Ottawa to win the Cup because that would bring the Cup to Canada.

It's not like that in America. We care about our team and only our team, for the most part. The Super Bowl comes to our country every year. Same with the NBA title and the MLB title (except those 2 years with the Blue Jays). So it's not a point of pride to have a major championship won by us, because it happens several times a year anyway.

You can trace it back to Toronto, because they have the stats on which areas of the country get what ratings. The ratings say that people in Toronto aren't watching the Sens as much as they were watching the Flames and the Oilers. They are huge rivals with the Sens and just don't like them, so they are not particularly excited by the prospect of a Senators Cup. They don't like the Sabres either--they are not a Canadian team and they are also rivals with Toronto. They loved the Oilers run, but not so with the Sens run.

I'd say that Toronto fans care about any Canadian team that is not Ottawa, based on the fact that ratings were up in previous years. If they didn't care about anyone other than the Leafs, then they would just have flatlined ratings over the last 3 years. But the years when it was Alberta teams going to the finals, the Leafs were interested. It's just the Sens that they shun.

That's my guess, anyways.

But what do I know, I'm just a silly Yankee who hasn't seen snow since April. And that's late for us. *sigh* I wish America was hockey crazy like Canada. Oh well. At least we have American cheese. =)

Answer 2

Ratings are down because the league is caving to the US networks in an attempt to grab ratings...these afternoon starts on Saturday's and Sunday's amount to blasphemy for any true Canadian hockey fan. Last time I was in Canada in April, the show was still called Hockey Night in Canada, not Hockey Afternoon in Canada.
As for Leafs fans, I agree that there are many in the Toronto area who are corporate fans. But, as many fans do when their team is knocked out of the playoffs (or don't make it in Toronto's case), they tune out and move on to baseball. If Toronto or Montreal were still in, the ratings would be A LOT higher than for Ottawa or Vancouver period.

Answer 3

As a seasons ticket holder, I pay for my seats and don't write them off. Like most fans, they've been in my family for decades (the corporate base is less than 10%, which is about par for the course). The actual STH base is older than most teams because there's virtually no turnover (and I'm 40 if you care- I also earn mid six figures as a financial analyst).

Not to use...you know, facts and stuff, but the Leafs outdraw EVERY OTHER CANADIAN SPORTS FRANCHISE when it comes to TV ratings. Look at last spring's playoffs with the massive crowds watching outdoors. For a first round series.

But to your point, I don't particularly like any of the other six Canadian teams (and I'll bet my house fans in OTT and MTL hate the Leafs every bit as much if not more so) so with no rooting interest, things drop off (this happens every year- if your team isn't in the Final you stop caring as much).

I don't blame VAN or MTL fans to drop off after they lost...it's normal and doesn't mean they're less of anything than anyone else. And, when the Leafs are the last Canadian team in the playoffs I fully expect the rest of the country to get its hate on for the Leafs.

Answer 4

Blow it out your stink hole sonny!
I'm still watching hockey and so are hockey fans. If your team was out and mine was in I have more doubt you'd be at home on a fine day watching hockey in the afternoon.
Toronto fans outnumber any other fans 2 to 1. In Toronto it's 20 to 1. I can drive 500 miles in any direction and find plenty of Leaf fans. I can find Leaf fans every where. In fact there are probably as many still interested Leaf fans all over the continent than there are Ottawa or Buffalo fans in existance.
You don't know what you're talking about.

Answer 5

The playoffs are the best time of year...some of the best hockey is played in the playoffs. As I type this, the Sens/Sabres game is on and its been a terrific game. Yes, it sucks that the Leafs didn't make the playoffs, and there isn't a chance in hell I'd cheer for the Sens ( go sabres!), but this is great hockey. Ratings are down because of the ridiculous times the games come on...2:00 on a Saturday?? What the hell?

And yes...I am a bitter old man who has never seen the Leafs win the cup...

Answer 6

The only effect that fans of ANY team in ANY professional sport has is in the areas of ticket sales and merchandise.

The Canadian ratings aren't indicative of the Toronto market only. How many Flyers fans would you expect to want to watch the Penguins pursue another Cup? Or the Rangers, Isles, Devils, and Caps?

Answer 7

I live in Toronto, and I'd say at least 50% of their fans are casual fans...say what you want about Buffalo's bandwagoning, Toronto is 3 times worse. the number of Leaf fans seem to double in the playoffs, but once they lose, they claim they were never fans to begin with, which is funny cause I love to make fun of them when they lose.

I think the Leafs fan about as many real fans as Ottawa, so I dont think its surprising to see that the viewership is low in this area

Answer 8

Hockey is thru some distance the suited pastime in the international. it extremely is a captivating, soft, difficult, speedy pastime that's a lot underrated and underwatched. superb pastime the place the pros play their coronary heart out each and every nighttime and save that coronary heart off the ice (professional hockey gamers are multiple the nicest people i've got ever met) and hockey followers are an analogous way, passionate yet reserved. Hockey=the actual captivating pastime.

Answer 9

I'm sick of hearing this.

Yeah, there are a lot of fans who only stick by their own team. I'm sure there are plenty of those types of fans in every city.

Why aren't they watching the Sens? The rivalry. Duh, it's painful to watch your biggest rival reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Not only that, but Buffalo is almost as big of a rival.

Who the hell cares about ratings. Leave us alone.

I'm sick of EVERYONE grouping ALL Leafs fans as dumb, "not real hockey fans", ignorant, etc. because not all of them are. It's not our fault MLSE is so money driven, that no one can actually go to the ACC to watch games.

By the way, I intend to watch (or listen on the radio) ALL of the playoffs.

Answer 10

GO SENS GO. The game is on