Guest treble charged Report post Posted July 11, 2003 WayMoreSports Fans to protest Leafs' inertia Cleveland woman organizes rally. Club asleep at the switch, she fumes Joey Hatfield compares the Maple Leafs to the worthless brother-in-law who keeps borrowing money and never pays it back. And she's mad as hell and she's not going to take it anymore. That's why the 35-year-old computer drafter from Cleveland is part of a small group of people at the grassroots of a planned protest outside the Air Canada Centre next Wednesday that she hopes will attract thousands of disgruntled Leaf fans who feel the same way. Hatfield said the thrust of the protest is that not only have the Leafs not won the Stanley Cup for 36 years, they also seem content to lollygag their way through the summer without signing any free agents of consequence. "It's almost like they want to shut the whole thing down for the next year because of the lockout," said Hatfield, who will make the five-hour drive to Toronto with a car full of friends. "I think people are sick and tired of waiting for them to do something. There are guys who want to play in Toronto and are willing to take pay cuts and sign one-year contracts and they still won't sign them." The protest is scheduled to take place outside the ACC on the west side of York Street on Bremner Blvd., next Wednesday at 4 p.m. Hatfield emphasized that it will be a peaceful protest and that anyone intent on causing trouble will be asked to leave. The roots of the protest started on the Maple Leafs' Web site, of all places. The site has an interactive zone and it was there that Hatfield and a handful of other regular correspondents came up with the idea for the protest. A message concerning the protest was posted on the site yesterday and Hatfield said she has posted it on a number of other Yahoo! group sites and had received more than 100 responses back the first day. By actually taking action, Hatfield and others like her are in a small way putting to rest the notion that Leaf fans' blind loyalty for the blue and white allows the organization to continue to take them for granted. "I know the games sell out all the time, but I really believe there's a point where they won't sell out anymore," Hatfield said. "I'm from Cleveland and our baseball team sold out the stadium for six years straight. Then they dismantled the team and guess what? Now they can't get it even one-third filled. Fans do get fed up." Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president Richard Peddie said he is concerned about how fans feel, but promised the team will improve and that 10 days into the free-agent season it's far too early to judge the organization. "Obviously the fans are what pay our paycheques and our job is to bring a winner to them, but the fact remains that we have a plan and it would be a mistake to start letting fans make decisions for the GM and coaches," Peddie said. "Fans have the passion and the enthusiasm, but what they often don't have are the facts. They can't be in the boardroom making the decisions." And what will Hatfield and her fellow protesters do if the Maple Leafs announce a major signing or make a blockbuster trade before Wednesday? "Then we'll turn it into a party," she said. Well, her heart's in the right place... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest starvenger Report post Posted July 11, 2003 Wait, she's coming from Cleveland to protest the Leafs cheapness on a Wednesday afternoon? a) Apparently she's got nothing better to do with her time b) Aren't there better things to protest about? Oil spills? Decrimilizing pot? Having more firemen available to get cats out of trees? c) Do they honestly think that this is gonna change anything? Maybe this would have been better in March, when they pulled a McMahon and brought back Doug Gilmour for a one game run with the team. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Spaceman Spiff Report post Posted July 11, 2003 Can she stop by Philly at some point? Maybe all the noise will wrest Bobby Clarke from his slumber. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest starvenger Report post Posted July 11, 2003 Can she stop by Philly at some point? Maybe all the noise will wrest Bobby Clarke from his slumber. Good luck. I think Clarke's eardrums are as false as his teeth... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bob_barron Report post Posted July 11, 2003 b) Aren't there better things to protest about? Oil spills? Decrimilizing pot? Having more firemen available to get cats out of trees? No. I'm pretty pissed about the Leafs apathy towards the offseason especially since they have money to spend AND they increased ticket prices. I wish I could go to the protest because I am a disgruntled, pissed off, Leafs fan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rob E Dangerously 0 Report post Posted July 11, 2003 I think the Leafs are too White. Maybe if they could sign some Dominican and Puerto Rican players. Oh.. wait Wrong sport Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest nl5xsk1 Report post Posted July 11, 2003 At least the Leafs are a competitive team that made some moves in the season. Try being a Bruins fan ... our trading deadline pick-ups were Moran and McGillis. Two defensemen that were scratched for a fair amount of their games as a Bruin. At least your guys made an EFFORT to improve. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest redbaron51 Report post Posted July 11, 2003 I got an idea. Lets get some wash-ed up old people, that doesn't benefit the team at all and instead help develop the young talent at all. Why Pat Quinn. You are a fucking genius. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest starvenger Report post Posted July 11, 2003 I got an idea. Lets get some wash-ed up old people, that doesn't benefit the team at all and instead help develop the young talent at all. Why Pat Quinn. You are a fucking genius. Hey, ease up a bit or you won't have any more venom for when they sign Adam Oates... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest redbaron51 Report post Posted July 11, 2003 Seriously in all. Someone needs to kick the Toronto Mangement team right in the ass. Toronto should be a great rebuilding team, but they don't use it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest CanadianChris Report post Posted July 12, 2003 Well, they signed Bryan Marchment. That should get them right to the Cup final. :lol::lol: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest treble charged Report post Posted July 12, 2003 Well, they signed Bryan Marchment. That should get them right to the Cup final. You think so, too? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Lightning Flik Report post Posted July 12, 2003 You know, I'm beginning to wonder if somewhere in Maple Leafs Sports Entertainment, Vincent K. McMahon has a seat. I mean, think about it. Anything that is wrong with the WWE, is wrong with the Leafs. 1) Content with "self-made" homestars and not willing to go grab outside guys and make them big stars in your own organizations. 2) Not willing to create/bring up new talent to bolster the roster. 3) Saying that they are in it for the fans: yet continually backstab them with ticket increases, poor performances down the stretch and morale in serious lacking. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest UndertakerHart Report post Posted July 12, 2003 Replace Maple Leafs with Mighty Ducks. We lost Kariya and Oates. Giguere hasn't signed yet. The members on the Mighty Ducks board want to have rally saying Kariya was a nobody and we'll win the Cup next year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
