The cycle of failure in Toronto won't end until the fans finally decide to close their wallets and walk away
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Toronto has earned nearly half a billion dollars per season from fans who show up regardless of the price. Until that changes, MLSE has no reason to build a winner.
For one of the most decorated and storied franchises in all of pro sports, the Maple Leafs haven't found much success since 1967. While it's been a running joke, there is genuine concern that the only one of the Original Six teams hasn't won in the last 50+ years.
But that doesn't really matter to MLSE or Rogers because as long as that bottom line looks mighty large — who cares if they lose?
The boardroom at MLSE only speaks to the language of sold out crowds and the bottom line
Keith Pelley waxed poetic last year about 'Not being here to sell jerseys.'
Well, you're not selling people a watchable product that's for sure. This is a team who has sunk to the depths of the Atlantic Division after a stunning fall from grace, and one with a disjointed and broken management group that has been unable to formulate any winning formula despite doing everything it takes.
But as much as Toronto is at fault for their issues — the fans share some blame too.
While the Maple Leafs were mired deep in an eight-game home losing streak, they still managed to sell out every single game. Sure, corporate boxes and giveaways account for some of the tickets, the fact remains that fans are still showing up regardless of whether the team is good or not.
That's a problem. You're just telling MLSE and Rogers that complacency creates cash, so why would you want to spend tens of millions on the 'hope' that you'll win when fans are going to show up.
A total boycott is the only leverage left for a city priced out and lied to for too long
Do you wanna make a real difference Leafs Nation? Stop buying tickets.
I touched on earlier this year about how the Maple Leafs ticket sales were popping off during their losing streak, and that the team was earning in the hundreds of millions if they sold out every home game.
That money clearly isn't going to building a winner, but instead building another mansion. All these people know in massive corporate entities is money. It's what they eat, breathe, and sleep for and the best way to give them a dose of reality is to take it away.
If you're a family of four spending $1,000 to see a home game — multiply that by let's say even 8,000 people total (2,000 families).
That is $8-million in ticket sales per game. Add in the individual tickets, suites, and special guest areas and you start to see that number shoot up considerably and we haven't even touched concessions or merchandise.
Averaged out, if the price of tickets, parking, merchandise, and concessions came to $750 based off the entirety of the fanbase that would be $11,250,000 per game...times 41...and you're looking at over $460-million.
Granted, there's obviously people who need to be paid out but when you start to see just how much money this group is bringing in — they couldn't care less what the product is.
Fans clearly just want to associate with the brand, not the team representing it.
Accepting a retool is just the fans accepting another excuse in a decade full of them
'We will do everything to bring a Stanley Cup to Toronto.' Really, Keith? Everything? Go get Connor McDavid, I'll wait.
That's pretty much the only thing that can make up for the nonsense MLSE and Pelley has spewed recently. It's just a bunch of buzzwords masquerading as a plan and the blatant use of corporate-speak was numbing.
This is a team that has been comfortable with failure for a long time, and regardless of what the players say, the results speak for themselves. Telling fans this is a retool is insulting to a team who has needed one for a long time — you're now just realizing it?
What about when you lost six straight first rounds in the playoffs? Or when your team couldn't keep a 3-1 lead in a game they controlled and lost pathetically to the Panthers? Or was it when you botched the many, many deals that gambled Toronto's future for fleeting hope?
The team went through a retool when they brought in Craig Berube and traded for more grit. They went through a retool when Sheldon Keefe came in and replaced Mike Babcock. Heck, they did it when they brought in Babcock originally. Different systems. Different players. Same results.
If fans are happy going to games, enjoying the atmosphere and being part of the most loyal, dedicated but screwed over fanbases in pro sports — all the power to them.
Just don't complain when Toronto loses over, and over, and over again. You only have yourselves and your bank accounts to blame.
This is an opinion article. These do not reflect the entirety of HockeyPatrol, and are the thoughts and comments of Charlie McAfee only.
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Previously on Hockey Patrol
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 4|1039 ANSWERS The cycle of failure in Toronto won't end until the fans finally decide to close their wallets and walk away Do you think Maple Leafs fans need to boycott the team? | ||
| Yes | 724 | 69.7 % |
| No | 315 | 30.3 % |
| List of polls | ||