The Pathetic Whimpering of a Toronto Sports Fan

It's just not fair. What happened to the Jays this year is not fair. The Harold Ballard era wasn't fair. The departures of Chris Bosh, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, ... weren't fair. The way the 1993 Leafs playoff run ended wasn't fair (Bad Kerry Fraser. Bad Gretzky. Boo). The fact that there is no end in sight to current Leaf futility isn't fair. I'm a nice guy. I'm a good guy. I'm a great fan. I suspect most people in the city are the same. WHAT DID WE DO TO DESERVE THIS???

I don't like people who say that the city's sports scene is so pathetic because the fans allow it to be. We go to games even when our teams are miserable. We buy merchandise. We support (and thus enable) losers. I ain't buying it. By that logic, if we stayed away, if we looked elsewhere, if we neglected our local heros...then voila! We'd be the winningest city on the continent. It doesn't work that way (except maybe in Tampa Bay). What would actually happen if we all turned our backs is we'd lose the local teams entirely because of empty stadiums, poor ratings, and a cycle of losing that keeps top players away. No, we've got the cycle of losing, but our teams are staying put (even prospering in some cases) because we're such good fans.

Now that's not to say that we're not collectively dumb, impatient, short-sighted, and for those reasons a little deserving of what we're getting. I cringe when I hear fans blaming John Farrell for the Blue Jays injury plight. I vehemently disagree with those who are trying to run Brian Burke out of town. I buy-into what Bryan Colangelo is trying to do. I believe in Alex Anthopolous. I can't remember a previous time when it's felt so much like the people running the teams knew what they were doing. And yet, the fans of Toronto don't seem to get it (even after decades of futility) - and would rather continuously seek out the sports Messiah who will fix it all in a year, rather than give smart people time to do what has to be done. As my father used to say (with a little less tact), a gestation period is a gestation period and there's no way to speed it up.

So I'm going to hold tight, continue to be a good fan, continue to believe that in each Leaf season the home side has a chance, continue to watch with interest as the baby Raptors emerge from their shell, pray that we've got this Blue Jays injury thing out of our system, and - for now - celebrate the small victories. Yay! We didn't get swept by Baltimore! Yay! Jonas Valanciunas gained valuable experience at the Olympics! Yay! The Leafs...the Leafs...the Leafs have a new President/COO!

I know patience is the answer. I know luck will turn our way at some point. I remember just how long we suffered through the Jays being pitiful, then young and talented (but losing), then on the verge, then seemingly further away than ever, then on the verge again, and then WORLD CHAMPIONS. It works. And when the winning happens, boy does it feel good. I'm biding my time baby - and all you other fans in other cities (and local fans of other teams) - you'll be watching my celebrations one day and wishing you were me.

It's been almost 20 years since any of my favourite local sports teams had anything you could accurately refer to as "success". (I knowingly exclude the Argos, the Rock, TFC and all the minor league teams from this list: My radar only tracks the big blips.)  It could be another 20 years. It's not supposed to be only about the destination, right? 40 years in the desert isn't so bad. And after 40 years, imagine how good a shower's gotta feel.

Now excuse me while I resume the fetal position, clutching my Cujo puck, my still shrink-wrapped 1992 World Series VHS, and my commemorative Toronto Raptors 2001 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals First-Runner-Up ribbon. Wake me when (if) the hockey season starts.