Smile, T.O. Sports Fans

Sunday’s Game 7 series-clinching victory by the Raptors should have put a smile on all T.O. sports fans’ faces.

There was an excessive amount of hand wringing and gloom forecasting as to the implications of a loss. Every expert imaginable imagined a Raptors loss resulting in a new coach, a new superstar, and maybe even a new logo. The house wouldn’t just be cleaned. It would be an all around eviction.

You would have thought that the outcome would have ignited the latest Yonge Street parade. Instead I mainly witnessed a flotilla of griping. Apparently the ugly manner in which Toronto won counts for more than the fact that Toronto won. I’m confused!

This was Game 7! We won! It was a franchise-defining victory!

The game began with a strong Raptors O being matched by an equally adept Pacers attack. Then Toronto pushed ahead with a surge in the third quarter, only to serve up a disastrous fourth quarter when they almost handed back the keys to victory.

But in the end, isn’t a win a win? Apparently not.

Is this a Toronto phenomenon? To be an infinitely unhappy sports fan? Is this some special characteristic only those in the 416/647/905/289 possess? Even though we had notched a Grey Cup win just a few seasons ago, the general sentiment is we are over twenty years removed from our last championship. Which is not only patently unfair to the Argonauts and the Toronto Rock for that matter, it’s also an empty lament.

Toronto sports fans aren’t any more deprived than those in Vancouver, Montreal, Buffalo, Cleveland, or Leicester for that matter. We just like to pretend we are. It’s like traffic, road conditions, weather, construction, housing prices, and the economy. It’s trendy to label your hometown as having the worst circumstances of all. Throw in local politicians, decaying schools, garbage pickup, and you have the precise list of every single person’s community gripes.

Now let’s get back to the most common refrain. Our teams stink.

In sports, that is actually true. In every league there is only one champion, only one happy group of fans, only one group of diehards who don’t have to proclaim, “Wait till next year!” I have bad news for you. Next year never comes to most.

Which is sad.

Sports should not be a make-or-break proposition. Why is it fans only come out if the team is winning? Is the quality of play, on the whole, that much worse when your team loses? Does the winning team not possess artistry and mastery of skill? Is everything we learned about enjoying sports as a pastime related to winning?

It appears to be that way.

Winning teams get more fans, get more coverage, get more media, more ratings, more sponsors. The city gets covered on their shirts and hats. Flags adorn their cars. Bars promote their games. But only if you win.

No team, with the exception of the Leafs, seems to draw fervent and consistent passion regardless of their record. Maybe it’s because we have too many choices. I can remember attending and watching many Argos games during their dreary years when they attracted great crowds. The games mattered even if the Boatmen weren’t going to win the Grey Cup.

Perhaps there really are too many choices in this world for just entertainment dollar. But that doesn’t explain why fans only come when the team wins. Better yet, it doesn’t explain why when our teams do succeed, people still find issues and reasons to pout.

So can I ask a favour? Can we please start smiling, T.O. sports fans? Yes the Jays are still finding their groove. Maybe by the time this is published the Raps will be down versus the Heat. TFC has done a pretty good job surviving a brutal season opening road trip. The Argos can’t wait to host you at revamped BMO Field. You seem to have bought into the Leafs brain trust that losing is part of the protest.

Let’s be real sports fans and enjoy the journey. Let’s learn the nuances of our favourite sports and marvel at the skills being showcased. Let’s cheer when we win and cheer louder when we aren’t winning, because it may help turn the tide.

I’m convinced that our pro sports anxiety is showing through loud and clear at our children’s events, and at our community events. It’s clear it’s spilling over at the water cooler.

Seems we are having a hard time remembering, it’s just a game, it’s entertainment, it’s a pastime. Besides, there is always next year!