Google


World Wide Web TML Fever
TML Forum
Fan Association
TML Boycott
Toronto Sports Talk
Frameworth Sports Marketing Hockey, Football, Baseball, Basketball and Golf Memorabilia
Mission Statement: The TMLFever.com Mission is the same today as it was from day one. We seek to inform our viewers about the Toronto Maple Leafs and the great game of hockey in general. We promise an unwavering commitment to viewers visual enjoyment, and hopefully some that are not fans upon entering will be when they leave our site.
NHL Player And Team Information At Your Fingertips

NHL Player And Team Information.

Leafs Stat Leaders | NHL Stat Leaders | FOX Power Rankings | TSN Power Rankings | TSN Injury Report | Conference Standings
NHL Radio | NHL Scoreboard Hockey Hall Of Fame | Sports E-Cyclopedia | NHL Auctions The Star | The Globe And Mail
Toronto Sun | ESPN | Sports Net | FOX Sports | CBC Sportsline | Yahoo Sports | MSNBC Sports | Sports Illustrated

The Evolution Of The Toronto Maple Leafs Logo. Toronto Maple Leafs Logo History
Click On Any Team Logo Below To Visit Their Official Site.
 Anaheim Ducks  Atlanta Thrashers  Boston Bruins  Buffalo Sabres  Calgary Flames  Carolina Hurricanes  Chicago Blackhawks  Colorado Avalanche  Columbus Blue Jackets  Dallas Stars  Detroit Red Wings  Edmonton Oilers  Florida Panthers  Los Angeles Kings  Minnesota Wild
 Montreal Canadiens  Nashville Predators  New Jersey Devils  New York Islanders  New York Rangers  Ottawa Senators  Philadelphia Flyers  Phoenix Coyotes  Pittsburgh Penguins  San Jose Sharks  St. Louis Blues  Tampa Bay Lightning  Toronto Maple Leafs  Vancouver Canucks  Washington Capitals
Main NHL Sites and TML Affiliates.
Toronto Maple Leafs Official Site Air Canada Center Toronto Marlies Columbia Inferno NHL.com NHL Players Association Hockey Hall Of Fame Hockey Night In Canada Hockey Canada Officials Association

-- Disclaimer --
This site is not recognized, approved, sponsored or endorsed by the Toronto Maple Leafs or the National Hockey League. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Maple Leafs and associated logo marks, the NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, and NHL Conference logos are registered trade-marks of MLSE and/or the National Hockey League. All Maple Leafs, NHL logos, marks and NHL member club logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted on this Web site are the property of MLSE and/or the NHL and the respective NHL member clubs. All logos and trademarks on this site are property of TNTDomains/TMLfever.com, unless otherwise noted. Any advertising revenue or donations received by TMLFever.com go directly towards the costs of running this website and it is not intended as a for-profit venture.
Google PageRank 
Checker - Page Rank Calculator
See other headlines involving the Toronto Maple Leafs and more...
Mojo Radio.. Home Of The Toronto Maple Leafs -- Listen Live!!
Twas the Night Before the Announcement. by The EnigManiac 12/20/05
Ok, so they're about to announce Team Canada tomorrow and every sports writer, broadcaster, radio host, television commentator and sports columnist has offered lists on who they want to be on the team and who they think will be on the team.  It's all beginning to blur.  So, this isn't an article about that.  This is about a more important question than whether Rob Blake or Scott Niedermeyer deserve to be on the team in spite of sub-par performances so far this year or whether Curtis Joseph has earned to be a starter or not.  

This is about why the Olympics doesn't allow more than one hockey team from each country.  I mean, they can have multiple teams for Bobsled, why not for Ice Hockey?   And there's multiple individuals representing their respective countries in Skiing and Biathlon.  So, why not hockey?   Can you imagine that?  Canada with not one, but two…no, wait…three…hell, four teams!   Okay, alright, maybe just three.  There're only nine goalies on the long-list, after all.  But the best part is every one of the teams would be competitive and it would be conceivable that Canada could win Gold, Silver and Bronze! 

And the Americans could probably assemble two teams and so could the Russians and the Swedes. 
I'm not sure if the Czech Republic or Finns could put together two solid teams or not and the Germans, Italians and Swiss struggle to manage just one team as it is, but who cares?  It would improve Canada's odds of increasing our medal count, doesn't it? 

Now, I'm not going to bore you with fictional lists of what those three teams could look like, but I like the idea that no players would be disappointed.   Crosby would be there.  So would Spezza and Staal.  No-one would be cut because we're too deep up the middle.   They could all play.  Brodeur could be a starter, as he should be and so could Joseph, as he should be too, based on his play this year anyway.   The defense pairings would be outrageous.  The potential for goal-scoring records would be tested in every game.   Man, that would be an awesome all-star show, wouldn't it?  Every line a killer line, every forward a serious threat to score.  I'd feel sorry for the other countries though.   They already fear playing against Canada.   Imagine if they had to fear three Canadian teams!  They might just go home before it even started.  I know it'll never happen, but Christmas is a time for dreaming and that's mine.

The EnigManiac
Rebuttal or comments visit our FORUM
Quote Of The Day? by Bill Lankhof 12/19/05  --  Slam Sports
"Jason Allison is so slow he's the only guy in the NHL who could get called for delay of game on a breakaway".
--
NAFFAEL  --  Rebuttal or comments visit our FORUM
With apologies to Douglas Adams 'Hitch-hiker's Guide To the Galaxy,' it is, indeed, time to panic.  At least, for Leafs management anyway.  Those who continue to bury their head in the sand and believe that everything will somehow all work out for the Leafs are, unfortunately and sadly, delusional.  The Leafs are a team in serious crisis.  No magic fairy dust, no wave of a wand, no miraculous recovery will mysteriously appear to make everything okay.  Changes are not just a good idea anymore; they are needed immediately if the season is to be salvaged.  Let's not fool ourselves any longer.

Starting at the top, JFJ did not make the acquisitions in the free-agent free-for-all prior to the season and we are witnessing the result of his inaction.  Lindros, Oneil and Allison may have seemed like a good idea, but they have only really marginally contributed.  While some may argue that Allison, O'Neil and Lindros rank among the leaders on the team, it's not saying much when Allison is 35th in the NHL in points and Lindros and Oneil are both 43rd.  What it says to me is that the Leafs offensive numbers are simply offensive, particularly when the top scorer on the team is a defenceman. 

Few, if any, of the Leafs are capable of skating with the intensity and speed necessary in today’s game.  In fact, they often look downright lethargic.  Toronto Sun sports writer, Bill Lankhof even said recently 'Jason Allison is so slow that he's the only guy in the NHL who could get a delay of game call on a breakaway.'  JFJ needs to be accountable for his lack of foresight and anticipation as well as his inaction in giving Quinn a team he can work with.  He had a year and a half to prepare for the new season, after all.  The Leafs need to start looking for someone to replace JFJ.  Now.

And that brings up the subject of Quinn.  He seems befuddled and baffled as to how to create effective lines and stick to them.  He's constantly adjusting and no-one has more than a shift or two to develop any chemistry.  He seems even more lost when he attempts to figure out how to play against fast, transitional teams that know how to pass and score.  He utilizes players, like Belak and Berg, who are simply outclassed and talentless in today’s' game. 

The Leafs look like dinosaurs out there and that's because Quinn's way of thinking is prehistoric.  Quinn's time is up, if you ask me.  He even handed Belfour a horrible insult by keeping him in the game after Belfour had clearly written the game off.  He's simply unable to adapt to the new game and is as clumsy and disoriented as his players are when they're on the ice.

I've never been a big Sundin supporter, as many of you may know, but I have always qualified my opinion by acknowledging his numbers and ability to score when he has effective line-mates.  Do I want him on my team?  Absolutely.  Would I build a team around him?  No.  He'd be my second-line centre at best if I was coach. 


As a leader, I am unconvinced of his ability: certainly the play of those whom he leads does not indicate he has any control or influence over them.  He is not leading by example so far this year and seems entirely insignificant on most nights, rarely proving to be a serious factor.  Sorry.  We need better production out of him, both on the score-sheet and in the dressing-room.

Eddie Belfour, the man who has entertained fans and served the Leafs organization so well, I believe, is just about done.  Don't get me wrong.  I appreciate what he has done for the team as well as anyone.  I admire his ability and determination.  But this year he has demonstrated what I predicted two years ago.  He has withered to the merely average of goaltenders.  Perhaps it was the long delay of the lock-out (damn you, Bettman) or perhaps it is his age and lingering injuries, but he is no longer the athlete he once was.  His reaction times are noticeably slower, his eye less keen and his determined, competitive spirit less committed. 

It's a fact.  I've seen it since day one of this season.  He is remarkably inconsistent not just game to game but within a single game as well.  While his raw talent has saved games already for the team this year, it is clear his best days are far behind him.  By giving-up after the fourth goal on December 17th and allowing three soft goals that even Patrick Lalime could have saved, he sent a message to everyone.  His heart just isn't in it anymore.

So, what is the solution?  What can be done?  What should be done?  Quinn should be fired or demoted and replaced with Marlies coach, Paul Maurice.  Maurice has NHL experience; he's young and vibrant and trusts the ability of the youth on his team.  He's a much better fit than Quinn for the new climate in the NHL.  Sundin should be traded while he still has value and, indeed, he does. 

There are a host of superb young players on the cusp of stardom out there that many GM's would look at giving-up for the chance to land Sundin.  The Leafs need to seize that opportunity.  Now.  Belfour needs to be relegated to back-up behind Tellqvist and, if he'd agree to a trade, swap him out as soon as possible.  The dead wood needs to be cleared from the ice and that includes Berg, Belak and, sadly, Domi.

Sweeping changes are, without doubt, needed immediately and if the Leafs want to present fans with a Christmas gift that proves the Leafs have integrity and a serious desire for success, they'll look at making these difficult, comprehensive and poignant changes now rather than later.

Merry Christmas everyone---yeah, that's right, I said Christmas: not Seasons greetings or Happy Holidays or even Chrismakka---Christmas.  And a Happy New Year too.

The EnigManiac

Rebuttal or comments visit our FORUM

(Don't) Panic, by The EnigManiac   12/19/05
Leaf teams of the past 10 years or so never really gave up. You always felt that at any time, Sitler or Gilmour or Clark or Roberts would pick up the team by the skate straps and change everything. Unfortunately, those men are gone and are nowhere to be found…..

The Leafs are standing at the edge of the “#8” spot and it won’t take much to drop to below this.

As a Leaf fan you may be thinking that’s OK, they’ve had our number before during the regular season and we always beat them in the playoffs. You are just kidding yourself. Ottawa is not the same team as in years past. They will not allow the Leafs to intimidate them any more. Teams have changed, players have changed, the referees have changed, and the entire NHL has changed.

Toronto has to keep up with this pace in change; and it has to change soon… I just hope it’s not to late.

--
NAFFAEL

Rebuttal or comments visit our FORUM
I have kept silent for the most part about the state of our beloved Maple Leafs, and what I have written about them previously was always in a positive and supportive light.

At this point I feel I can’t hold back any longer.

While watching the pre game hype, some of the Leafs being interviewed kept referring to tonight’s (Dec. 17, 2005) game as a real “test” for us, “we’ll see how we measure up” stating the obvious that Ottawa is arguably the best team in our division, (that’s a real news flash, …HELLO…). What the players were saying was, “let’s see how we measure up to the touch stone of the league”.

In my opinion we missed the mark and missed it miserably in this comparison to Ottawa, a very young team that has grit, poise, talent, toughness, goaltending, and heart. Instead of being Stanley Cup contenders the Leafs looked like mere pretenders. (I’m going to comment further on this at the exact ½ way point of the season.)

For now, I’ll simply ask “Where has the heart gone?” (Tucker excluded) By this I mean where is the player/s on the Leafs roster that can stand up and change the tempo or even the outcome of the game.
Where Is The Heart? by NAFFAEL 12/14/05
For this, my first submission to TMLFever, I thought it would be appropriate to get off to an explosive start.  Paraphrasing the infamous Canadian comedy duo of Maclean and Maclean; if I am going to offend, I'd like to offend immediately.

Emperor Bettman is a despotic ruler with a God-complex who, in the end, will be recognized not for the contributions and advancements he has made to the NHL, but the damage and destruction his reign will have wreaked.  Only a very few of the changes imposed under his tyrannical rule will have survived by the time he eventually moves on---and well they should; some of them make sense and actually enhance the game, such as no-touch icing and the elimination of the centre line.

But this article is not about the changes he has instigated: that subject has been beaten to death.  This article is about his agenda: what he has done and what he intends to do to our beloved NHL no matter what the cost --- and remember, these changes are architectured by a man who knew nothing about hockey before and arguably hasn't learned a thing since --- trying to make the NHL the basketball league that it isn't.  While basketball may have been invented by a Canadian in a north-eastern state and is also played in arenas, that is where the similarities to hockey end. 

The culture is entirely different and where basketball may be accepted and embraced, hockey may not be similarly received.  Cities like Las Vegas and existing NHL markets Phoenix and Nashville, among others, have no sustainable market in hockey.  There may be initial curiosity at and a small core fan-base, but when the teams endure prolonged slumps, interest will wane fast and solid teams like Toronto will constantly have to prop-up these vulnerable markets.
The television revenue that Emperor Bettman covets will be mere drops in southern markets compared to New York and Detroit where advertisers beat each other to death to sponsor a game.  Small market versus large market teams in any sport is nothing new, but the MLB, NFL and NBA expand into justifiable and logical markets: they aren't likely to be setting up shop in Whitehorse or Halifax any time soon, for instance.  The only reason Bettman wants more teams out in places like Utah and Nevada is to coax the networks into establishing national network coverage. 

Does he really believe the league will earn the billions of dollars the NFL makes?  Does he think that the public will suddenly love hockey just because he crams it down their throats?  Does he believe his legacy will have been to establish prosperity to the league?  He is sacrificing the league for the sake of making it a mirror-image of the other major sports on the continent.  Unfortunately, he can't see the forest for the trees and will fail miserably when these small-market teams begin to declare bankruptcy and major market teams revolt against having to constantly support them. 

And who will be waiting in the wings?  Cities like Winnipeg, Halifax, Quebec and Hamilton: willing and able to acquire the teams they should have been awarded in the first place.

Oh, and Emperor Bettman, I am protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, so please don't attempt to censure me or apply illegal fines as you do to your membership.  They may not challenge you as they should, but I will.

--
The EnigManiac

Rebuttal or comments visit our FORUM
Emperor Bettman, by The EnigManiac  12/14/05
To post a rebuttal or comment visit our FORUM
For rebuttal or comments visit our forum.
The TMLFever.com commentary section includes opinion articles, editorial pieces, regular columnists, letters to the editor, and at times quotes for the day. We hope you will check in often as we promise never to bore you. We will give opinions as we see them. At
times they will support our beloved Leafs but when necessary we won’t mince
words to let them know exactly how we feel. Should you feel inclined to do so,
please visit our FOURM also ....
  Enjoy!
To post a rebuttal or comment visit our FORUM
For rebuttal or comments visit our forum.
The TMLFever.com commentary section includes opinion articles, editorial pieces, regular columnists, letters to the editor, and at times quotes for the day. We hope you will check in often as we promise never to bore you. We will give opinions as we see them. At
times they will support our beloved Leafs but when necessary we won’t mince
words to let them know exactly how we feel. Should you feel inclined to do so,
please visit our FOURM also ....
  Enjoy!
HOME  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15