ForzaItalia
Banned
No one knows for sure how much money Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment rakes in annually from its hockey operations, but everyone understands it to be substantial. "Poor" may apply to the franchise's long-term won-lost record but certainly not to its bottom line.
That flushness is largely due to a rich, loyal, possibly blind, fan base that for decades has canonized the likes of Domi hard-nosed bit players on teams that have rarely added up to a winning whole. That such a steady flow of support, and cash, has not led to a Stanley Cup is not an indictment of the fans, nor the media who reflect their interests, but of a Leaf management that hasn't been as smart as the competition. Ferguson is only the latest in a long line of non-winners and that is a fact, not an opinion.
The writer also sees the "Domi jersey theory" that I've thrown out:
At 35 and with Nathan Perrott and Wade Belak in support to do the real dirty work, Domi won't be dropping the gloves as often any more not to take on on-ice opponents at least. The media, it seems, are another matter. Domi, at odds with something said by former Leaf executive Bill Watters, walked out on a talk show on the radio station that broadcasts the team's games it's hard to put a value on the last word, or the last laugh, right?
Domi, as tireless as he is shameless in his self promotion, is arguably as popular as any Leaf, at least with that segment of the fan base that purchases No.28 sweaters and jams Yonge St. when the team wins a first-round playoff series. He can skate and pressure and agitate. He's a leader there are times when he seems to want the captain's role more than Mats Sundin does. He does charity work. He hangs out with Larry Tanenbaum, as he used to hang out with Steve Stavro. He even scores the odd goal seven, to go with 208 penalty minutes, in 2003-04.
Link
That flushness is largely due to a rich, loyal, possibly blind, fan base that for decades has canonized the likes of Domi hard-nosed bit players on teams that have rarely added up to a winning whole. That such a steady flow of support, and cash, has not led to a Stanley Cup is not an indictment of the fans, nor the media who reflect their interests, but of a Leaf management that hasn't been as smart as the competition. Ferguson is only the latest in a long line of non-winners and that is a fact, not an opinion.
The writer also sees the "Domi jersey theory" that I've thrown out:
At 35 and with Nathan Perrott and Wade Belak in support to do the real dirty work, Domi won't be dropping the gloves as often any more not to take on on-ice opponents at least. The media, it seems, are another matter. Domi, at odds with something said by former Leaf executive Bill Watters, walked out on a talk show on the radio station that broadcasts the team's games it's hard to put a value on the last word, or the last laugh, right?
Domi, as tireless as he is shameless in his self promotion, is arguably as popular as any Leaf, at least with that segment of the fan base that purchases No.28 sweaters and jams Yonge St. when the team wins a first-round playoff series. He can skate and pressure and agitate. He's a leader there are times when he seems to want the captain's role more than Mats Sundin does. He does charity work. He hangs out with Larry Tanenbaum, as he used to hang out with Steve Stavro. He even scores the odd goal seven, to go with 208 penalty minutes, in 2003-04.
Link
