I posted this in the Leafs section of the forum just to get a discussion going and figured why not post it here too since its the articles section

Its not really fantasy related. More like an article/open letter about the Maple Leafs that I wrote the other night to try and bring some positive light towards the leafs for a change



The Toronto Maple Leafs : Analyzing the Analytical Fans

Whether you like it or not, analytics are all the rage nowadays. The idea has gone from obscurity in the depths of the internet all the way to national television programs and everyone is quickly jumping on the bandwagon. If you're not on the bandwagon, you're quickly labelled as a dinosaur and you're told you need to keep up. This is simply the world we live in. NHL teams are hiring analytical professionals the same way they used to hire scouts and you can bet that number is only going to increase over the next few years.

The Maple Leafs, who are known (rightfully so) as the center of the hockey universe, have recently begun accepting analytics as part of the game. The hiring of Darryl Metcalf, Cam Charron, Rob Pettapiece and of course Assistant General Manager Kyle Dubas ushered in a new era in Leafs philosophy and it's hard to find many people who find fault with this shift in thinking. The term "analydiot" has still been thrown around by some of the old schoolers though, and they make some valid points. How do you measure grit, character, tenacity or everyone's favourite word from the last 5 years, TRUCULENCE? Well, simply put, you CAN'T. It's no secret that these characteristics are part of the recipe for a successful franchise, so the question remains, have the Leafs lost touch of the TRUE measuring stick of a hockey team? If you're thinking of answering yes to that question, well you need to keep up with the times or get back on your dinosaur grandpa, cause the answer is NO! You can't measure a players grit using numbers but you CAN measure how good a player is at hockey, and well being good at hockey is more important than grit when we're talking about ummmm playing HOCKEY!

My issue here is obviously not with the use of analytics (as much as I'm getting tired of hearing the word) but rather with what I like to call the "we suck" fan. You know who I'm talking about, the one who has been a diehard for years, but must also constantly remind you that "we suck" and everyone in the organization should be fired or traded.

Of course, after a decade of sucking it's hard for some fans to get excited about the team. Last year there was the big collapse and there was that game two years ago where something bad happened, I can't remember exactly what it was... but the point is THEY HAVE SUCKED! So why then, do I have a problem with the "we suck" fan? Well it's because that fan is usually pointing to analytics as the reason for sucking. The same analytics that the Leafs brass have started to embrace only 6 months ago!

The team has improved from it's historically bad possession numbers of last year (even though those numbers are still not great) but the improvement is ignored. They are sitting in a playoff spot around Christmas time as the highest scoring team in the league. They are rolling four lines for the first time in what seems like an eternity and both the PK and the PP are in the top ten in the league. Still there is insistence that the team is as bad as last year, when the possession stats were worse, the penalty kill was THE worst, and they had the goons playing four minutes a night and a third line not doing anything meaningful.

The improvements are easy to see but the "we suck" fan wants full results NOW because they've "waited long enough". That is a phrase I hear often, but the sad reality that leaf fans MUST accept is that their wait was all for naught. It failed. "The wait" was started again in the summer of 2014. I know it's hard to accept but it's the truth, so just let it sink in. This new way of thinking has brought guys in to help with the issues they faced last year and it HAS been helping. Leaf fans cannot expect the team to go from historically bad, to Cup contender in one season but of course they do anyways!

So let me offer this piece of advice. Forget about the last decade. Just get over it. Accept the fact that the wait began in 2014. Have faith that the management is finally aware of what they should be doing to fix the problems, because the problems will most definitely be fixed. Whether it's getting rid of the dinosaur Carlyle, pulling off a giant trade, or adding through small trades or signings, SOMETHING will be done because the Old Boys Club is gone. Enjoy the fact that they're sitting in a playoff position. Enjoy the fact that they score a lot of goals. Because if they happen to pull off a playoff appearance this year, you'll be left coming up with reasons why it shouldn't be happening and saying "I told you so" when they lose. Where is the fun in that? The big problem though, lies in determining when it becomes OK to start cheering. The "we suck" fan is now entering a very slippery slope. When the Leafs eventually win the Cup (yes, I said when) then I fear his (or hers) negative view of the team will be too well ingrained and they will end up being on the receiving end of the "I told you so's". A Leaf fan not being able to feel full satisfaction in what would likely go down as the greatest celebration of all time is a sad thought.

Sincerely,
A rare, optimistic Leafs fan, waiting patiently since 2014