i think there are many reasons to explain why we don't fill the building consistently anymore- not the least of which is our record- but i think the negative energy surrounding the team may be the deepest cut for any fan to endure. the more i think about it, the more it occurs to me that this is simply toronto sports in 2005: negative, negative, negative.
i've said it before but i'll say it again: i don't think many of the media reps are criminal as much as they're just locked in a bad habit. i think toronto has grown a batch of people (some of whom take jobs as beat writers) who are uncomfortable with success and pressure, and thus embrace failure almost willingly.
i think that collective mentality surfaces amongst some fans, no doubt, but i think it disgusts the rest of them (who make up the majority). i don't know how much tolerance people really have for that negative voice- they'd prefer to just look elsewhere at the end of the day.
personally, i can't identify a single hero in the toronto sports media who speaks for my values and beliefs- not one. meanwhile, i have countless friends who subscribe to the same system and i wonder why there's such a chasm between the public mind and the public voice.
for example, i want someone- be it from sportsnet, tsn, the toronto star, the toronto sun, fan 590... someone- to step up in light of the bogus magloire rumours that were broadcast around this area less than two days ago and take it to the next level. i don't necessarily want someone to "take the blame" (although that would also be good), but just somebody to make a legit stand in response to the garbage we've had to endure as a result of the maiden story. i mean, it goes unpunished- nobody takes the blame, no sources have been identified, and the media just chooses to pretend like nothing made the papers 24 hours ago. it makes me sick to live in this city when that happens.
if you're going to go out on the ledge and make public what you think is an important story, you should be just as eager to re-set the headline when it's proven false. the toronto media, from my point of view, has not had the courage to do this, and as long as it persists its tabloid existence in that manner, i'll save my respect for someone/something else.
i don't know if this conflict between the people and the media has played a direct role in our mediocre attendance numbers, but i wouldn't doubt that it's distanced many fans from the sport in general. i mean, you look at the toronto star for instance, and you can barely get through a story without taking a break or two. the writing/reporting is so biased to the negative side that it's almost painful. the maple leafs could be in the midst of a 100 point season or the raptors could be clinching a playoff berth and the worst case scenario is almost always addressed in detail.
i think this all plays a role. i think the fans in this city are top-notch, but the media has a long way to go. what makes the situation more difficult, as outlined above (imo), is that these personalities are not doing it on purpose so much as they're doing it out of habit. i think it's a well-ingrained character trait for joe media in the current day and age, and i don't think it'll be corrected seamlessly...
but one can always hope!
peace
